| She’s been a
star in US for 16 years, but still can’t act nude -
• Meet Glory Akhere, Nigerian born model/actress
By AZUH AMATUS
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
 |
•Akhere
Photos: Sun News Publishing
|
| |
Glory Akhere, the Nigerian-born international actress-cum-model
left our shores some 16 years ago in search of greener pastures.
And today, the Ishan, Edo State-born megastar is a household
name in the U.S., where she is hoisting our flag high and
making Nigerians proud as a top actress-cum-model.
Thirty-three-year-old Glory, who is also a graduate of the
famous West Indies University, Kingston, Jamaica, where she
trained in acting and modelling is married to a Nigerian physician
based in the U.S.
In an interview with Daily Sun, Glory who breezed into the
country from her U.S. base recently, bared her mind. "After
spending over a decade abroad, I have decided to come home
and do an international movie that will also be of international
standard. I’m working with Zeb Ejiro and other Nigerian
stars. We will shoot in Nigeria, Europe and America. The movie
is entitled Highway Loss Connection; I’m the producer
and lead actress."
When asked if she can act or pose nude based on her experience
and exposure as an international actress cum model, she said
an emphatic no. "I can’t act or pose nude as an
actress or model. I’m an African woman and also married
to an African man. It is not part of our culture…"she
fires.
Glory, who is a trained nurse, also talked passionately about
her dream for Nollywood, life outside our shores and other
sundry issues.
Who is Glory Akhere?
Glory Akhere is a Nigerian based in the U.S. She is an actress,
model, registered nurse and a karate expert. I attended the
University of West Indies in the Caribbean, in Kingston, Jamaica,
that was where I started modelling. Funny enough, I read nursing.
And how have you been able to combine and practise all these
together?
I manage to combine all these together but not on full-time
basis, like the nursing job, I do it whenever necessary. But
I’m pretty busy with the modelling and acting aspects
of my career.
Tell us more about yourself
My name is Ukimogbe Glory Akhere. I’m from Ishan, Edo
State. I left Nigeria in search of greener pastures abroad
about 16 years ago. I travelled straight to America but went
to school in the Caribbean. I was shuttling then. I’ve
also done some movies abroad with some foreign stars. I did
Miss USW and Miss University; I won a sectional prize with
these pageants in the U.S. A physician from London taught
me how to model; I now went to a modelling school after that
encounter. It was when I graduated that I moved permanently
to the U.S. I specialized in TV Print works. All together,
I’ve put 13 years of my life into modelling and acting
outside our shores.
Which did you start with?
I started modelling first in 1992 with Miss USW. In 1997,
I was auditioned for model of the year in the U.S. for black
models. That same year, I got a major role in a popular sitcom
in the U.S. entitled Lawless. And since then, I’ve done
many production jobs. My casting director helped in grooming
and shaping my career as an actress in the U.S. At a point,
I nearly dropped acting for modelling because I was getting
lots of jobs. But I changed my mind when my casting director
told me; Glory the camera is all yours. He encouraged me to
continue with both and since then, I’ve not looked back.
How old are you?
(Chuckles). I’m 33, this year.
Among the things you do in the U.S., which one brings the
highest amount of money into your accounts?
Ehm! For me, it is a combination of everything. They all bring
money. Acting, modelling and nursing. As an occasional nurse,
I take care of newborn babies and the premature ones. It gives
me joy taking care of the little ones.
When did you come to Nigeria last and what project brought
you home now?
Okay! I love acting and modelling, I also have passion for
acting. So, I want to bring these entire home and make them
a reality. I want people outside to see and feel the beautiful
parts of Africa, especially Nigeria. And I feel I can do that
through modelling and acting, especially acting. It has been
long that I came home last. The new movie project I’m
about to embark upon brought me home.
Tell us more about the project that brought you to Nigeria,
after so many years of absence?
I’m home basically to shoot a movie with Zeb Ejiro.
It is an action movie entitled HIGHWAY LOSS CONNECTION. It
is going to be an action movie full of suspense, intrigues
and a bit of romance. It is not a true-life story; it’s
a fiction.
We have many directors in Nollywood, why did you pick Zeb
Ejiro, any special reasons?
Prior to our meeting in the U.S. when he came visiting, a
family member recommended him to me. Even before that, we
had not met one on one. And so far, I’ve had no regrets
in interacting and working with him. This movie is an international
project; it will be shot mainly abroad with some scenes here.
Like how much will this international movie project gulp?
Ehm! Of course, it is going to be a big budget movie, we don’t
have a definite budget now; we are still working on the budget.
We will make it public as soon as we are ready.
As a black lady making waves in the America showbiz world,
we would like to know some of the initial constraints that
you encountered. We all know it is not easy outside there?
First, I want to thank God for His blessings, because it is
really tough out there. Funny enough, the bulk of my jobs
came from white people. I’ve been favoured by God to
excel and succeed out there. Out there, if you are liked,
then you have no problem. People will also want to work with
you when you are easy and not troublesome or too demanding.
But as a black woman, you have to work a little harder, no
doubt about that. At several auditions, I’ve worked
with white models and actresses. I would really say it’s
been a blessing…
Have you modelled or endorsed any popular product in the U.S.?
Yes! Many. One of the popular ones was for Acuview, a disposable
contact lens product. I have also modelled for hip-hop fashion
show in Houston with Nicky Topples and many others. I’ve
also turned down many, maybe, because of my schedule. I’ve
also done car commercials, but my tight schedule does not
permit me to take every job.
As a Hollywood actress, can you act nude in movies?
No! No!! No!!! No nude scenes for me as an actress. I’ve
never played any nude scene as an actress and I also don’t
intend doing so.
Down there in the U.S., what would you say stands you out
from your colleagues?
I like being myself. I’m also full of action. I do taekwando
much. I also like doing action movies. I like the adrenalin
pumping that comes with it. I also like aerobics and anything
that has to do with cardio. But above all, I do taekwando
, as a form of self defence mechanism.
How soon are you going on location to start this project?
Hopefully, we will be storming set by September 2005. We have
started with the production. Like I told you, it is going
to be an international movie, we are shooting everywhere,
Europe, America, Africa and maybe, Asia.
How do you intend to cover all these continents with this
movie?
I’ve been away for more than a decade. My international
contacts and agents will assist when the time comes.
Are you married?
Yes, I’m married to a Nigerian physician. We met in
the States. It’s been a while that we met. He is also
from Edo State. We’ve got kids also.
Is he in total support of what you are doing?
Yeah! But please, I don’t like talking about my family
and personal life on the pages of newspapers. He has been
very supportive of the things I do as a showbiz person. We
came to Nigeria together. He is also part of this project.
Let us leave my private life alone please. I cherish my privacy
much.
What countries are you using as locations for this international
movie?
We will shoot in Miami, London, Las Vegas, Houston Texas,
Lagos and Abuja. We will take our time on sets while shooting
in these cities; it’s not your normal run-of-the-mill-movie.
The cast will also be tight. Like 40 per cent known and 60
per cent not known. Zeb Ejiro is taking care of everything.
Saint Obi, Desmond Elliot, Sam Dede, Ramsey Noah and few others
are still being considered to be part of this movie.
What roles are you playing in this international movie?
First, I’m the sponsor and executive producer; I’m
also the lead actress in the movie. I’m also the producer.
This movie will change Nollywood and it will be shot with
HD Cameras, to make it acceptable globally. We are not taking
chances; our dream is to make it the biggest action movie
in Nigeria and even Africa. We will travel to these countries
with the major cast and crew members. Everything will be perfectly
done.
Do you watch Nigerian movies?
Yes, but occasionally. I’m coming in basically to help
improve the quality of our productions. I’m not saying
that all our films are bad, we have the good ones. So, my
coming in is to assist them especially in the areas of audio
and general production. If I were permitted, I would love
to add some quality. Zeb was with me in the U.S. recently,
our aim is to help sanitise Nollywood out there. We spoke
with many stakeholders when he visited. We want to put this
movie at the mainstream both home and abroad; it will be released
this year. Remember, we are shooting with HD, so we can also
upgrade it to celluloid, if we feel like.
You have been away 16 years, what got you attracted to Nollywood?
Well, like I said earlier, I want to bring some quality to
Nigerian films. There is a big market for our movies out there.
Besides, if we can do it outside, why can’t we do it
for our own people? The desire to be among my people after
so many years of being away got me attracted to Nollywood.
No place like home. Let me use this medium to thank U.S. African
Class Magazine for giving me the award of model of the year
2005, it has really boosted my image much.
Who among the Nollywood stars do you look up to as role models?
No one in particular, I admire every one of them. I appreciate
them all for helping to move Nollywood forward. They are doing
a wonderful job and that was one of the reasons I chose to
come down and work with them.
Is the fund for the project solely from your purse or you
have partners working with you?
Like I said earlier, it is my project. I am the producer and
lead actress. So, the funds are coming from my purse. My husband
is also there to support and assist. I also believe so much
in the directorial skill and expertise of Zeb Ejiro. And together,
we will make this film an international success. I’m
not shooting it for just the Nigerian markets. I want it to
grace and compete with other foreign movies at major big screens
and awards. By the time it finally comes out, this movie will
change the perception people have about Nigerian movies abroad.
As a professional showbiz person, many people expected you
to marry from the showbiz world, why did you marry a physician?
(Laughs). No special reasons. I feel that was where I found
love and that was where God also destined for me to pick a
husband, no regrets about that. The important thing is for
love and happiness to be in a marriage.
For how long have you been married and what got you attracted
to your husband?
(Laughs). I’m so sorry, I told you I want my family
to be kept out of this interview. I want their privacy maintained.
We are here to talk about my life and career in showbiz and
why I’m home. I don’t want to talk about my family
here, please. But the truth is that my husband likes and supports
what I’m doing in the showbiz world. He also assists
and encourages me to move on with my career always. We came
back together to discuss this movie with Zeb Ejiro, he is
a very understanding man. Like I told you we met in the U.S.,
he is from Etsako, also in Edo State.
What do you see as the biggest problem facing Nollywood?
For me, it is piracy first. Then the issue of poor production
coupled with poor distribution and marketing of our movies.
Once these areas are adequately taken care of, Nollywood will
compete favourably globally. I’m optimistic; we will
get there very soon. I’m happy and impressed with what
some of our directors are doing.
Are you saying that no amount of money can make you pose or
act nude as a model-cum -ctress?
The issue is not about money, but morality. I don’t
see myself posing or acting nude as a model or actress. I’m
an African woman that is married with kids. Posing or acting
nude is un-African.
How many kids do you have?
Still a personal question. I’m pleading with you to
keep my family out of this interview. The truth is that I’m
married and blessed with kids.
|
