June 10, (THEWILL)- Veteran Nollywood actress Patience Ozokwor, widely known as Mama G, has shared her journey in the film industry and her resistance to being compared to her colleague, Liz Benson, one of the actresses who steadily rose in Nollywood in the 1990s and recently made a comeback. Ozokwor recounted the moment she was first likened to her colleague and how she asserted her unique identity in the Nigerian film industry. The 65-year-old Enugu State-born actress said, “I don’t know how it started at all. When people started recognizing my acting skills, they called me ‘Liz Benson of Enugu.’
She described an instance on set where her peers began referring to her by this moniker. “I said, ‘No, with all due respect, I don’t want to be like Liz Benson, I am Patience Ozokwor of Enugu.”
Benson and Ozokwor have left indelible marks on the Nigerian movie industry despite starting their careers at different times and following unique paths. Unlike Benson, who started as a child actor, Ozokwor began her career as an announcer and broadcaster on Radio Nigeria before transitioning to acting. Both actresses are known for their powerful performances and have significantly shaped Nollywood, each with her distinct journey and legacy. However, Ozokwor’s determination to carve out her identity doesn’t stop with comparisons to Liz. In the interview, she pointed out how she faced further pressure to change her name.
She said, “Some people came to me and said I don’t need to answer Patience Ozokwor again. They would ask, ‘What is your husband’s name?’ I said, ‘Edmond Ozokwor.’ They said, ‘Answer, Patience Edmond.’ I said no because, in Igbo land, you are not just married by one man; you are married to the family.”
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