Long before super stardom beckoned, I had this innocent but interesting interview with Genevieve Ifunanya Nnaji. I must, however, confess that I stumbled on the tape again only days back, and while wading through my archives. I’ve transcribed and extracted some of her candid thoughts which she shared with me. Particularly those I consider to still be relevant.
Born on May 3, 1979 into the family of Benedatte and Theophilus Nnaji, Genny, like I enjoy addressing her, hails from Umuebi – Amuzu in Aboh-Mbaise, Imo State. The fourth of her parents’ eight children, she attended Kemstar Nursery and Primary School, Surulere, Lagos; Methodist Girls High School, Lagos and Girls Secondary School, Akwakuma, Owerri, Imo State. Dazzling and delectable, sumptuous and sexy, sweet and svelte, she is unarguably and indisputably the reigning pride of Africa in the make-believe world.
One of our biggest and richest, the single mother of one (Lily) who has in her kitty some of the most coveted award trophies and to her credit some of the most lucrative endorsement deals poured it all out to AZUH ARINZE.
How does it feel to have risen this far within so short a time?
(Smiles) I’m trying to handle it as much as I can. It feels fulfilling. I feel I’m having the best of my time. I feel the Lord is with me. I feel I have been able to make an impact on people and I have a lot of fans and I’m enjoying my life. It feels good.
To what or whom do you owe all that?
God’s gift, talent, determination, pride…
What do you mean by pride? They say it goes before a fall. And now you are saying it is responsible for your success?
You have to have pride to be able to stand the crowd, you have to have pride to be able to stand the intimidation and arrogance of people. Especially people who feel you have to pay dues to get to where you are going. You have to have the pride and stamina to tell them boldly you know what you are doing; they didn’t bring you to the industry, you will leave when you want to and you leave because you want to.
Where do you want to ogennyr hope to be in the next 10 years?
In the next 10 years, I know I will be married with kids. But I think it all depends on what God has fashioned out for me. I know I will still be in the entertainment industry or the fashion world or whatever.
What do you like most about stardom because it appears you don’t want to tell us about your love life?
The fact that it opens doors for you is what I like most about it. You walk into a place and every other person is queuing up for one thing or the other, they just start to recognize you. Oh! come in, come in…It’s actually a door opener for us or for me. It has brought respect, especially when you do what you are doing well. What I hate most about it is the price that we get to pay for stardom – negative publicity, the untrue scandals; actually, the only thing I hate about it is the bad press.
What will you say is the worst story ever written about you in the press?
So many bad things. But the one I hated most was the one of Fred Amata and I, which I don’t know where they got it from. It hurt me so much. It was not just fair.
How do you feel anytime you read negative things about your person in the media?
Certainly, I don’t feel good--
(Smiles) I’m trying to handle it as much as I can. It feels fulfilling. I feel I’m having the best of my time. I feel the Lord is with me. I feel I have been able to make an impact on people and I have a lot of fans and I’m enjoying my life. It feels good.
To what or whom do you owe all that?
God’s gift, talent, determination, pride…
What do you mean by pride? They say it goes before a fall. And now you are saying it is responsible for your success?
You have to have pride to be able to stand the crowd, you have to have pride to be able to stand the intimidation and arrogance of people. Especially people who feel you have to pay dues to get to where you are going. You have to have the pride and stamina to tell them boldly you know what you are doing; they didn’t bring you to the industry, you will leave when you want to and you leave because you want to.
Where do you want to ogennyr hope to be in the next 10 years?
In the next 10 years, I know I will be married with kids. But I think it all depends on what God has fashioned out for me. I know I will still be in the entertainment industry or the fashion world or whatever.
What do you like most about stardom because it appears you don’t want to tell us about your love life?
The fact that it opens doors for you is what I like most about it. You walk into a place and every other person is queuing up for one thing or the other, they just start to recognize you. Oh! come in, come in…It’s actually a door opener for us or for me. It has brought respect, especially when you do what you are doing well. What I hate most about it is the price that we get to pay for stardom – negative publicity, the untrue scandals; actually, the only thing I hate about it is the bad press.
What will you say is the worst story ever written about you in the press?
So many bad things. But the one I hated most was the one of Fred Amata and I, which I don’t know where they got it from. It hurt me so much. It was not just fair.
How do you feel anytime you read negative things about your person in the media?
Certainly, I don’t feel good--
As elegant n classy always
ReplyDeletewow! wat beauty even @ old age
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