Moyo Lawal, a popular Nollywood actress and entrepreneur, has said that her looks did not help her get into the movie industry but her talent did.
The curvy screen diva in a recent interview has said she does not have any insecurity about her voluptuous body though she had been called silly names in the past.
Speaking with Saturday Beats, Lawal said, “I started acting when I was not voluptuous. I grew into this shape. My looks did not really help me get into the movie industry; my charisma did the trick. I was also very shy and my glasses made me look awkward those days. I have always had the shape but it was not as pronounced as it is now. But, I will say I have been lucky. Whenever I went for auditions, I always got picked. My talents helped me too and people were nice to me. I believe it was God at work. I enjoy my body and I do not have any issues with it. It has helped me stay in the news without doing anything ‘bad.’ I celebrate myself and I’m thankful. I have been insulted and called names but I have outgrown all those insecurities. God gave me this body and I can’t do anything about it.”
When asked if she had ever been carried away by her popularity, Lawal said, “I started acting at a young age as a means of getting extra pocket money. I then discovered that I had the talent because I was always getting jobs. And, it was not because I was tall, pretty or had any outstanding features. I was been paid N5,000 per episode at the beginning of my career. When I started acting, I looked like a bookworm and I was always wearing glasses. I didn’t come to the industry because I wanted to be popular; that was not my goal. In fact, popularity is part of this job. It’s one of the free benefits of the acting profession. I am quite shy and I prefer being indoor. Even with the social media frenzy, I like to take breaks from Instagram intermittently. If I had my way, I would be making money without being popular. I’m still learning to enjoy my fame because I am a very private person. At least, I started acting when there were no social media platforms. However, I cannot underestimate the value of social media. It has given my business exposure and helped it to grow.”