Colette Orji came into the industry a few
years ago but already she has a profile that
would bedazzle any producer.
Beautiful, talented and sexy but most people
who have met Colette keep talking about her
magnetic backside which tends to sing a song
many could not help but follow. She has several
claims to stardom and they include “Strength of
a Woman”, “Blue Blood”, “Raindrop”, “Two Can
Play That Game”, “Amaka Mustapha” and a host
of others. In this interview with Showtime, the
Enugu and Abuja based Thespian talked about
her acting career and opened a can of worms on
the happenings in the movie industry.
Enjoy:

How did you find your way into acting?
Let me say I was a star of a sort in Cameroon
because I was always on top of everything I did
back then. As a child, from Primary school, I
represented the school in handball. When there
was a quiz, I was the one to present the school
as well. In swimming and virtually everything, it
was Colette Orji that led the way. When I moved
to Secondary school the same trend continued.
In church I did a drama series where I played the
role of a Reverend Sister, that was like one of the
biggest church activities for a very long time and
everyone took to calling me ‘Colette, the
Reverend Sister because I interpreted the role so
well.
There in Cameroon we would pick up Nigerian
films, the few ones we could get, and gathered
in our numbers to watch the films and with so
much excitements. We knew all the Nigerian
actors by either their names or their stage
names. Like Pete Edochie, we knew him as Don
Pedro. So, you could imagine the whole of
Cameroon calling him ‘Don Pedro’. So it became
a burning desire in me that when I get to Nigeria
I must act.
Fortunately, when I got to Nigeria I went to
Enugu in my aunt’s place and there she was,
having dinner with an actress, Aunty Stella Oku
Egbu. When I saw her I was so overjoyed and
could not contained myself. I shouted and
screamed even my aunt was taken aback with
my show of emotion. Before she left I made her
promise to take me where they were having an
audition. Fortunately too, it just happened they
were having one the next day and she invited
me to come along.
Before 6am I was in her house and she said
“Colette, it is by 8am” and I said she should not
worry that I would wait.
She took me to the audition ground and had me
registered. That same day, I was given a
character to play. They just gave me a role to
read and when you give someone like Colette Orji
a chance like that I take over. I simply took over
the stage. By the time I was done reading my
script everyone was clapping and they gave me
the role just like that. The next day I was on set
filming.
Though it was a bit role of four scenes in “Two
Aside” but that gave me the confidence I
needed. The movie was directed by Afam
Okereke and produced by Great Movies. I guess
I was so impressive they gave me a script for
another role immediately.
When was your first major role?
My first major role took time. My first film was in
2004 and I didn’t get my major role until 2008
but that was partly due to my going back to
school full time. So, when I came back to the
industry in 2008 immediately I got my first major
role. In fact I got 3 scripts because the films I
had done spoke for me. My first major role was in
“Hidden Treasures” and since then I think I have
done 16 or more major roles.

So, how would you compare taking up the
small roles to taking up the major roles?
You are so sure you are ready but despite all the
trainings and the groomings you still find out you
are not ready for the big ones. Fortunately for
me, there was a film I did, an OJ Production “Bad
Blood” directed by Tchidi Tchikere. In that movie
two characters were involved. Ini Edo, who was
playing the lead role was supposed to be a twin:
Juliet and Colette. So, they said they needed
someone to play backstage, so when she was
playing Juliet the other person would be playing
Colette. Because the character’s name was my
name they called me from school to come and
pick up the role.
That was the biggest training I ever had in
Nollywood because I was playing a major
character, I was doing everything but I was
behind the camera but I had to act like I was
actually the person in the movie. That movie
brought Ini and I together. It was a great movie
and it opened doors for me.
Since 2008 till now, would you say acting
has been good to you?
Oh, it has been so wonderful and sweet. It’s
something you are actually enjoying. It’s
something that brings fame and creates some
pathways for you. Like now, I own a fashion
shop and I am about to launch my own
magazine and NGO.
Since I am not a type of person who works and
have to settle anyone back home in my family, all
I have to do is reach out to the society to help
the needy. I have got cars from acting, so, I can
say it has been good.
There’s always this issue of sexual
harassment in the industry. Have you ever
encountered such?
I think the answer to that is yes. If somebody
tells you they have never faced sexual
harassment in the industry, it is either they are
lying or they don’t want to open up to the press
because you guys may blow it out of proportion.
You just can’t go through the industry without
being sexually harassed.
Nobody really comes to you to harass you but
there are things you would realise you are not
getting because you are not willing to play some
balls. Like me, nobody pushed me around but
you know this thing would be like this if you do
like that. So, if you are like, I don’t want to do
like this, take it and go or you are like, lets do it
and see how it goes.
I’m telling you the truth. It is there. Right now as
I am speaking to you, I’m praying for those
coming into the industry. It’s five times worse
than what it was. The industry is in a chaotic
situation. I cannot even discuss some of the
things going on now. It’s sinful, it’s sin at its
highest order.
Just how chaotic is it?
What is happening now is that marketers don’t
even pay them any more. What you have to do
now is probably go and screw some rich guys to
get money to come and pay the marketer to
feature in their films. During that time, you feed
yourself, pay your own hotel bills and even
costume yourself.
Before I came to Nollywood I wasn’t aware of all
these things. I was very young, I didn’t know
that kind of thing could be happening. But now
the girls coming in know that shit happens and
they are prepared for shit before coming in.
Already they have the mindset for it and maybe
that’s cool but for me I didn’t know.

So, have you dated anyone in the industry?
Yes, I have had a relationship within the industry
Can we know the person?
No. I can’t tell you the name of the person but
he is not an actor. He is a person who works
behind the cameras.
So, what happened to the relationship?
He is a really big producer and at a time I
thought I couldn’t stand the competition any
more. Everybody wanted him for different
reasons. Sometimes we would be together and
his phone would beep and it was an alert that so
and so have paid money into his account for a
role in his upcoming movie. The girls were really
doing everything to get his attention. If he said
he needed a Blackberry phone like 5 would just
appear in no time.
It was too much for me. He would bring someone
into a film we were about to shot and I knew for
a fact that person paid him. It was too much and
these people knew you knew and they would be
fighting and attacking you at every chance they
got. I had to let him go because everybody
wanted him and they were ready to do anything
to get him.
So, what would attract you to a man?
I love a man that respects a woman. When I say
a man that respects a woman I mean a man who
isn’t too proud and too big to say simple things
like “sorry”, “thank you” and “please”. It doesn’t
really matter if he’s old, young, Black or White,
Igbo or Yoruba. It’s like respect for women is
gone these days, so if I can get a man that
respect a woman, that’s okay for me.
What’s your idea of sex generally?
You know what the Bible and our parents taught
us and also what actually is happening out there.
If you want to listen to your parents or your
Bible, you can wait till you get married. As for
me, I don’t want to wait (laughing). Sex is
something normal. If you know you are matured
and ready and you can handle it then go ahead.
What do you think should improve about
Nollywood?
I like what Uche Jombo and Stephanie Okereke
are doing now. I think more people should
embrace it. They are working on producing
better films. Our President once said the movie
industry is one of our biggest export and if this
reflects the image of the country I think more
investment should be driven into it.
I also believe Nollywood should do more films
that are message-driven to improve the image of
the country. It should not all be about money,
movie production should be about quality, the
message and the image of the country.