Christian Agadibe
Pretty and sexy actress, Maryam Charles, is an interviewer’s delight. Throw her any poser and she’s ready with a response. From romance to marriage, virginity to sex, and lesbianism to abortion, she seems to be at home with all.
Entertainer recently had an intimate chat with the thespian. Please enjoy it.
Most men can hardly get their eyes off you; how do you cope?
It works in two ways; some admirers are genuine, while some are not. For the genuine admirers, they will not want to offend you by crossing limits; they should also be treated nicely. While the men who are after me for their sexual desires will never get to their promised land because I won’t create avenue for such to happen.
The industry is highly competitive, how do you intend breaking into the A-list?
Nollywood is highly competitive for those seeing it as competition. For me, I’m not in a competition. I’m just doing my thing and working towards the industry’s betterment by contributing my own quota. To keep going in the industry, it is important to stay consistent, be hard working and prayerful.
What does sex mean to you?
Sex isn’t a joking matter, not even a topic I can discuss at length in this interview; it has a lot of things attached to it. It is even wrong to mention sex casually without adding some respect to it. Sex is the deepest level of showing affection and expressing how you feel to your partner confidentially, it doesn’t necessarily have to do with having physical intercourse.
How did you lose your virginity and where?
There’s a long story behind this. In fact, I have a project that will tell how it happened, just wait for it. I’m sure people would learn a lot from it and be entertained at the same time.
Does it mean you hardly have sex except you’re in a relationship?
There are different types of relationships that can lead to sex if care isn’t taken. Having sex in a relationship means my partner and I are 100 per cent sure of where we are headed. I won’t just throw myself on the bed all in the name of relationship. This is what most ladies have failed to realise, and why you’ll see men having more than one lover; they keep many girls and make them believe they are in a relationship, just to have them satisfy their sexual urges. Not all relationships should lead to sex.
If you were to date anybody in the industry, who will that be?
I used to say I cannot date anyone in the industry, but recently John Okafor (Mr Ibu) becomes the main man. He has the qualities a good lover should have, he’s funny, he doesn’t get angry anyhow and he’s caring. Can you imagine waking up to a man like him everyday? Can you imagine what a life with him would look like?
There are lots of women who cannot get their eyes off a sexy and busty lady like you; do you also have women that toast you?
I don’t see any problem with a fellow lady admiring me, provided she’s doing it with good heart. Otherwise I won’t take it sitting down because I don’t see it as a thing of pride to indulge in same sex relationship. If anyone out there has the intention of wooing me into lesbianism, take your mind off it; remember 18 years is the jail term for such offence.
Having been tempted many times, can you share with us some of your experiences?
There are temptations everywhere, but with God, you’ll overcome any temptation. There are a lot of people in the industry who try to entice me with foreign trips just to get down with me, but are these trips worth my body? Never! Some have promised heaven and earth, as if they are Jesus Christ, just to be in the same bed with me. I consider all these to be normal and I still maintain politeness without being rude to the advancers. There have been a lot of temptations and I’m sure there will still be more, but I’m sure God will keep me strong enough not to fall for any temptation.
How do you handle sexual urge especially now that you’re not in any relationship?
I see sexual urge as a thing of the mind, it plays into people’s heads and make them want to have sex. But if you’re quick enough not to allow it get into your brain, the urge will disappear. I get busy most times, so the urge doesn’t come. I can’t even remember the last time I had sexual urge. I’m not idle and I mostly don’t think towards that direction, so I’m safe from it.
Can your breakup be attributed to the general view that actresses hardly stay in relationships?
Breakup? Where’s that coming from? The fact that I’m single doesn’t mean my relationship failed. I know people have the opinion that single actresses are a product of failed relationships or broken marriages… No, the truth is Nigerian actresses are brands of many products, but the product we’re promoting and giving to the public is our profession, which is acting, not our personal life that has to do with marriage, romance and others.
Is it because of getting old without seeing someone to marry that has made some actresses prefer to be baby mamas?
I cannot speak for other actresses, but from the discussions I’ve had with some baby mamas, being a baby mama has nothing to do with getting old or delay in marriage. Many of them like kids and they simply go for it, while some didn’t plan for it, but when pregnancy sets in, they just have to keep it and give birth to the baby. I think baby mamas should be respected and applauded. When some are scared of having kids at a particular age, some are already embracing motherhood. Also, when some have aborted pregnancies, some have decided to keep and give birth, it’s a courageous and bold act.
Why is it that some actresses don’t get it right when it comes to marriage?
I don’t like to discuss marriage because I don’t have enough experience to discuss it. I know no one prays for crises in marriage. It’s the media that’s making people believe most broken homes are that of celebrities. But this is a big lie, we have doctors, lawyers, bankers, and even journalists with broken homes, but they don’t get media attention like musicians, actors and actresses.
Do you have no go area when it comes to relationship or can you forgive a cheating husband?
Can I forgive a cheating husband? Well, cheating varies; some are forgivable while some are not, depending on the situation. Above all, I know there are good husbands who don’t cheat on their spouses.
It seems most actresses jump into marriage at the spur of the moment, is it advisable to leave a bad marriage?
Marriage is a union between two people who are not only prepared for the good, but also for the worst they’ve never seen. If these two people get married, trust me, they will get through with whatever circumstance they encounter in their marriage. However, when a person is prepared and the other person is not, then, there’s every probability that the marriage will not work. I’ll like to stress that actresses don’t jump into marriage; you cannot just wake up one day and then tell your partner you’re ready to walk down the aisle. Before saying you want to get married, you must have had deep thoughts, draw a conclusion that ‘I’m prepared’ and be sure your partner is also in the same bus with you.
What is your take on abortion; do you think it’s right or wrong?
Personally, I don’t think abortion is right. Before engaging in sexual relationship with anyone who is not your spouse, you should be ready to accept anything that comes with the romance – either pregnancy or STD – and the partner too should be ready to take responsibility of anything that happens. If not, avoid sex totally, not having sex won’t kill you, you won’t die! But there are some extreme situations depending on individuals that would warrant abortion.
What’s your take on sex dolls and sex toys that have flooded the society right now? Do you even have any?
Why would anyone want to keep sex dolls? If you own a sex doll, you need deliverance. People can still make do of sex toys to spice up their sexual activities, not for regular self-servicing. I have some sex toys too, but never will I own a sex doll.