Actor Jim Iyke has talked about how his father forcibly removed him from the home when he decided to pursue acting.
The reputable actor disclosed this on the most recent episode of the podcast Is This Seat Taken, which Chinasa Anukam hosts.
The 46-year-old asserted that his father encouraged him to pursue further education after earning his first degree at 18.
Jim emphasised that his late mother’s encouragement of his choice to work in the film industry gave him the opportunity to realise who he was.
“I was a straight A student. And the course was already, I mean, you know the Igbo parent, they decide your life before you are born and probably after you die if they outlive you,” he began.
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“I was about 18 and a half when I finished my first degree. The idea was, ‘Get your MBA.’ That was the whole plan. My dad’s boss is American, so he already had a setup. And I came home one day and said, ‘I think I really want to be an actor.’”
Jim explained further, “Now, my dad’s fair argument then was that I’m excruciatingly shy. Now, how come you come out? A well-known introvert comes out to say, ‘You want to be an actor?’ But I think there was something—you know, call it female intuition or whatever. She (my mum) just believed, even before I did. I just saw a glimpse of something that made me believe this is what I wanted to do, but it wasn’t hard-formed.
“There was no core to it. There was no master plan. There was no road map. It was just a simple conviction. But she believed before I did. And I think that is what makes mothers as unique as they are.
“She started supporting. It became unbearable to stay at home. So much so that one day, my dad woke up and said, ‘Listen, there can’t be two captains on this ship. You either go get this master’s going as quickly as possible. Take one year, go do whatever nonsense you want to do, come back, and then we set the course again or you leave my house.’ So I left.”
Following the spread of images of him dressed in Muslim garb on social media in June 2022, Jim refuted the claim that he had converted to Islam.
Additionally, the actor admitted to dating “extensively.”
He revealed this while appearing as a guest on the latest episode of the audiovisual podcast Is This Seat Taken, hosted by actress Chinasa Anukam.
Jim Iyke said: “I have dated extensively. I have dated across different races. Because I’m always adventurous. I just want to experience and live life.
“So, I have lived in three countries. I’ve met different kinds of women from different walks of life, different races, different religions. There’s rarely a religion you point to or race that I have not been with either romantically or casual dating.”
The award-winning actor said he grew up as the only boy among 11 women.