Seasoned Nollywood actress, Ngozi Nwosu, aka Madam V-Boot, speaks to Ivory Ukonu on turning 60 and some life’s lessons she has learned. Excerpts:
What does it feel like turning 60?
How would I feel? I feel awesome. After all I have been through and I am able to get to this diamond age. I feel awesome. 60 is a milestone. You reach 60, you give God the glory. So I give God the glory. He is faithful.
What are you thanking God, most especially, for attaining this milestone?
I am thanking God most importantly for life, the air I breathe, my life, etc. I have passed through a lot, but I don’t even want to talk about those periods of my life. I just want to thank God that I am still standing. I am the last woman standing for what I have been through. I have gone through a lot. I just want to thank God. I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I am just full of praise. I want to praise Him; I want to thank Him for keeping me thus far.
What is the secret of your good looks?
God and nothing else and I drink water and mind my business. You see, when you put God first, you drink water and mind your business, it makes you look a lot younger, especially in this industry. What makes one outdated is when you start meddling into what is not your business. When you start doing that, you will be having unnecessary headaches and wrinkles on your face because you will be insulted by substandard people. Although people may say it’s none of my business, if you abuse me from today till tomorrow, it won’t stick. It’s not true, it sticks. So why don’t you drink water and mind your business? Don’t go anywhere you’re not wanted. That is the secret. And be natural. Be as natural as you can. All this bleaching stuff is not good. I don’t bleach. If you look at me, the way I was from the outset is the way I am till date, with regard to my complexion. I take care of my skin. I eat good food. I sleep when I am supposed to sleep. Also, the grace of God is sufficient for me. I will not pursue what is not pursuing me. That is what will make you grow grey hair before time. I am naturally a bubbly and happy person. Anywhere I go, if I hear music, I will stand up and dance. That is what I have always done before and I still do it. It is just that now, I have to take it easy with my dancing.
Do you really enjoy dancing?
Yes, that is my favourite sport. I enjoy it more than anything in this world. Especially, oldies. That was when music was music. Like I said, I am a bubbly person, but I have curtailed some of the things I used to do, now I just take things easy.
If you weren’t an actor, what other profession do you think you would have excelled in?
I would still want to remain in show business, but if I were not an actress, I would have been a newscaster.
Why would you want to be a newscaster?
I love the profession. I used to admire the likes of Julie Coker in those days and people like Sienne Allwell-Brown who graced our television screens reading the news gracefully.
As a veteran who begin famous in the era of old Nollywood and you have remained relevant up until this new era, what advice do you have for upcoming actors who desire your kind of staying power?
Well, for me, nobody is like any other. There is no need to be me or trying to be like me. I would advise them to be true to themselves and become what they truly want to become. They should humble themselves, because that is what will lead them far. They should focus and be down to earth. That is what will make you go far as well. That is what will make you relevant in the industry. In this industry of ours, you have to be focused. You have to humble yourself and you have to move with the tide. Be innovative. There are new things happening and they should learn. Knowledge, they say, is power. They should learn, pick the good ones and leave the bad ones. That is what I mean by moving with the tide. They should develop themselves more in a good way, not in a bad way. Now we have social media awareness. So flow with the tide. Don’t be rigid. There are some people today who don’t even know how to operate GSM phones. Some of us that don’t know how to operate phones. You need to move with the trend of things, the good ones, not the bad ones though.
Not only are you a likeable person, but you are also able to easily switch from speaking Igbo language to Yoruba. What was your growing up like?
I grew up in Lagos, in the Fadeyi and Maryland area of the state. I don’t want to dwell too much between that time and now, but I will just say life was good then. There was peace and security. You could walk the streets without fear of anything, but you cannot try that now because we are living a life of ‘Oluwa Lambe,’ In God we pray. Today fear, tomorrow uncertainty. Back in those days, we were our brothers’ keepers. Today, no one is your keeper. If you even keep yourself, they will still come and kill you. If you sleep and wake up, you should just thank God because the hardship is unbearable.
