Veteran Nollywood actor, Ramsey Nouah in a new interview with Kore Ogidan, has opened up on the reason why he decided to go into acting and the journey so far.

According to Ramsey Nouah, his mother didn't support his dream in the first place, but she had to succumb when she realised he wasn't ready to back out.

Read excerpts from the interview below:

Background

I was born in Costain, Lagos, where I began my early life before moving to Aguda, Surulere. I lived with my mother and half-brother. My father was never in the picture. I was very playful and I must admit, it’s rubbing off on my kids, and I’m not liking it very much.

I was also very artistically inclined. I was fascinated by comic books and drawings, although I wasn’t exactly great at that. My elementary education was at Atara Primary School, Orile Iganmu, Lagos, and for my post-elementary education, I attended Community Grammar School, Surulere.

I also got a Diploma in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos. Interestingly, my life has been a tale of grace to grass to grace. I was born with a silver spoon but shortly after, everything changed and our wealth went to zero.

This made me understand the two sides of life; living a life of plenty and a life of not even having enough to eat. As rough as the experience might have seemed, it actually helped me gain a balance in my profession as an actor; being able to comfortably switch between the roles of the prince and the pauper.

Did you always want to be an actor?

No! Even though I knew I had a dominant creative side, I was sure I was going to become a pilot or an aeronautic engineer. I was obsessed with planes, machines and gadgets that flew and I knew I had to be involved somehow; whether by actually flying them, creating them or building them so other people could fly them.

Why acting?

I needed money to take my GCE external examination and I just couldn’t get it, no matter where I went. So, I remembered that my friend had told me repeatedly that I had a gift in acting but I had never taken it seriously.

When I needed money desperately to pay for my exams, I decided to give it a try and source some money from it. In 1990, I had a cameo role and in 1991, I had a role in the series, Mega Fortunes, which aired in 1993 and lasted for just a year.

After that came the advent of home videos and it’s been a roller-coaster ride since then. I really just went into acting because I needed the money and not because I thought I could act. Over time, I realised that I had a strong passion for acting and thought to myself that acting could really just have been my calling.

Mother’s reaction over acting choice

I was already involved in acting before I decided to tell her and when I told her, she had the same angry reaction as any parent of that time would have had if their kid told them they wanted to go into acting. She asked if something was wrong with my head. Eventually, the series I acted in came on air and when all her friends began to tell her that they’d seen me on TV, she was happy with the accolades and positive reactions from people.

Effect of father’s absence in his life as a growing child

Honestly, I didn’t feel his absence. I couldn’t even tell that my dad wasn’t in the picture. That’s something that my mother would probably have been more concerned about because it would have been easier if he were there to help her in raising me.

First pay cheque

We had been filming Mega Fortunes and we didn’t get paid till about the eighth month when I finally got N1,100 (about N80 per episode). As soon as I got the money, I ran to Yaba market to buy a pair of secondhand chinos trousers, leather brass belt, black tee-shirt and moccasins.

That’s all I could buy with the money. I couldn’t even afford to get transportation back home; I walked from the market to Aguda, Surulere, but I was very happy with my purchase as it changed my wardrobe.

https://lailasnews.com/i-stumbled-into-acting-while-looking-for-gce-money-ramsey-nouah/

haa this hit front page yet?

stumble my foot.

you stumbled. Hope you didn't hurt yourself.

Ramsey Tokunbo Noah.
Cool Cat.

Watched mega fortunes while growing up, and this guy was way up there in terms of swag and had all the ladies swooning for him and his brother Ken and one other guy like that. He was always well dressed in that series (clothing probably came with the role).

Its really surprising hearing he got paid that amount and its even more ridiculous to note what he bought with it. He who gets carried away by the glamour on tv will surely perish!

I needed money to take my GCE external examination and I just couldn’t get it, no matter where I went. So, I remembered that my friend had told me repeatedly that I had a gift in acting but I had never taken it seriously.
When I needed money desperately to pay for my exams, I decided to give it a try and source some money from it. In 1990, I had a cameo role and in 1991, I had a role in the series, Mega Fortunes, which aired in 1993 and lasted for just a year.



Interesting....
Nobody knows tomorrow

Loverboy of Nigerian movies that year.


I remember that film INFATUATION

Life is a funny thing

Interesting

I remember mega fortunes.. Very nice series back then. U wouldn't want to miss it for anything.
Featuring Ramsey noah (Jeff) , lai ashadele, liz Benson, Regina askia and patrick (Ken)
Ramsey noah is a confirmed surulere guy

Patrinus:
Watched mega fortunes while growing up, and this guy was way up there in terms of swag and had all the ladies swooning for him and his brother Ken and one other guy like that. He was always well dressed in that series (clothing probably came with the role).

Its really surprising hearing he got paid that amount and its even more ridiculous to note what he bought with it. He who gets carried away by the glamour on tv will surely perish!

You really watched it, he was a serious ajebutter in it! We no know say the guy be serious kpako!

" tokunbu you stumbled, take it easy with the lie na"

Dunno know why I like reading and hearing success stories but am not successful yet

I must tell you that all that he said was correct...I once met him at iju a place in Lagos....infact he came to meet a friend....I was humbled by his simple life style. He joined us at a local remote amala Buka and he was praising the woman that cooked the soup....by then he was already acting ..he never felt too big.....you are a decent brother.
L

I thought you said you were blue band model as a kid. your stories are confusing biko

This was when he was looking for GCE money

and Davido will wake up one day and start telling us the he was begging for money to buy buy food to chop that was how he entered music.

ndi ala lele lekwa ha ha cho iri'm

Anyone's story can change.
While there is life there is hope.
Sometimes,hardship acts as pathfinder for people.

Never ever give up on yourself.

leo2020:
I thought you said you were blue band model as a kid. your stories are confusing biko

Did you really read the post? He said he went from grace to grass then to grace. It's clear enough

Patrinus:
Watched mega fortunes while growing up, and this guy was way up there in terms of swag and had all the ladies swooning for him and his brother Ken and one other guy like that. He was always well dressed in that series (clothing probably came with the role).

Its really surprising hearing he got paid that amount and its even more ridiculous to note what he bought with it. He who gets carried away by the glamour on tv will surely perish!

I think his fathers name there is Chief Fred Akin-Thomas

leo2020:
I thought you said you were blue band model as a kid. your stories are confusing biko

thank God someone else noticed...

Ramsey nouah my all time best actor.

OYINBO!!! OYINBO na our regular customer...chai I forgot the title of the movie

lonelydora:
This was when he was looking for GCE money

So you hide your BF face come dey display other people own for NL? Women sef ehn....

This was the guy that stole Jim iykes shine