Since her debut in 2011, Nollywood actress, Nora Igbokwe, aka Nora Adibe had always left an impression on fans and colleagues.
In this interview, Nora explains the reasons behind her brief hiatus, the change of name, and her plans for the industry.
Enjoy!
Are you done with acting?
Not at all! For over two years I backed out from Nollywood and went into the fabric business. I wasn’t going to depend on acting alone.
Now I deal in Hollandies, Nigerian wax and any type of Ankara fabric. That is why it seems I’m scarce.
How are you managing the two?
At least I have given my business one year. Now I am out again to do my acting business. I cannot start afresh because I have been there already.
I have another option now for producing. Though I have produced before now, I will be acting and producing.
What are your plans this year?
Unlike before, some years back, I planned to own an orphanage home. I was not financially buoyant then not that I have much now but at least I have back up.
If you want to produce a good movie that would bring in good returns, you are looking at N10m up but we can start from small and move up.
Movie location used to be in Enugu, Asaba, now it is back to Lagos, what are your thoughts about it?
You cannot compare a job done here in Lagos with other states.
If you watch a movie with a budget of N2m in Lagos, you will know that it is a well-treated movie.
At a point it looks as if Asaba has taken everything from us.
Anybody is an actor but Lagos is not like that. I am happy everything is back to Lagos.
You seem to have reverted to your father’s name, why?
10 years. I waited that long to see if something could happen but as the year goes by it was getting worse, so I had no choice but to go back to my former name.
With your experience, what do you think could be the cause of issues like that?
Life is different. Like I told a friend yesterday that some of these things are not the way it seems. I can go to location and spend like one to three weeks, a married woman on set.
It is not all men that can take it and you see your house girl serving your husband doing all sorts.
When it continues, the person will probably get tired of the marriage. It is not that actors do not stay in marriages, it is our job.
When a woman will stay out of the home for like one month or more, it is not encouraging.
You have children to take care of and you are there some other person is taking care of your children especially female children.
You are beautiful, any man in your life now?
I’m in love with a special man. I bless God the very first day I met him. He is a good man but he is not an actor or in the industry.
Are we looking at marriage?
God will decide that. I have two kids in secondary school. I’m not in a hurry. Anytime God says Nora it is time, it is time.
How do you cope with men generally?
It is not easy at all. You are bombarded on whatssap, twitter, instagram. The disturbance is just too much but we are coping.
Which part of your body do you cherish the most?
My boobs! My man doesn’t joke with it. He loves my boobs so much that he prefers it to sex.
What do you do that you want to stop?
Most at times some people are not what you think they are. At the end of the day, you might help people and they pay you back with evil.
If you do 80 per cent of good and make a mistake in one, they will condemn you. I think I cannot stop helping people.
Where do we hope to see you in the next 10 years?
10 years is too far. I am not stagnant. We are meeting up everyday, we are working hard.
Everything is based on God. By God’s grace in the next one year, we will go higher than this.
Do you have any plan to produce a cinema movie?
That has been my prayer.
If you were not an actress, what would you have become?
I would have been an Evangelist. My own type of Evangelist is teaching the bible, praying for people and helping the needy
Why did you join Nollywood?
I naturally love acting. It is inborn. There was a character I portrayed when I was in the secondary school.
My character name there was ‘Egondu.’
After the short drama, everyone was like, you are good, why not further in this? Let it be a career for you, etc.
But my father a military man would not hear of it.
I cried to my mother telling her that this is what I want to do in life.
She told me to finish my education first, get a job and add acting as supplement.