Ella Mensah isn't exactly a
household name in Nigeria, but
one to reckon with in Ghana, where
she plies her trade. She was
recently in Nigeria to shoot a film
where she met our reporter.
Her journey into the make-believe
world started in 2008 and in a
space of five years the sexy
Thespian has had more than 30
movies in her kitty. In this chat
with WG, she talks about herself
and what makes her tick. Excerpts:
Tell us about yourself?
I'm Ella Mensah, a Ghanaian
actress based in South Africa and
Ghana. I'm doing some movie
shooting right now in Nigeria. I
came here for the first time on
October 1st last year, and since
then, I have about 30 movies. I've
been here for a year, but I come
and go. So far, I'm loving it.
How did you start acting?
I started acting in a very funny
way. I was doing my media
attachment in a TV station in
Ghana called Metro TV and a
colleague of mine told me she was
going for a movie audition, so I
went with her. One of the
producers asked me to join in the
auditioning. I just tried it and I
was given one scene, my first movie
ever ' Crime to Fight' featuring
Majid Michel and Nadia Buhari.
I acted the role of a prostitute. I
was in the industry for six months
while doing my attachment, then I
left Ghana for South Africa. When I
came back to Ghana, I shot a
movie with a Nigerian director
featuring me and Van Vicker.
Afterwards, the director called me
and told me, "I have a job for you
In Nigeria", That was how I came
here and the rest is history.
What has the experience been
like?
So far, so good. A lot of challenges
here and there. When I came
back , I had a baby. As a mum, I
was a bit fat and it was difficult to
get some roles. I had to work on
myself, I stopped breastfeeding
and all those motherhood things.
It took me a year to come back
after that three-year break. Now I
love every minute of it. It's like I'm
living my dream. This is all I
wanted and it's perfect for me.
Can you name some of the movies
you've featured in?
Being here in Nigeria for a year, I
have about 30 movies. So far, 14 of
them are out. Some of them are:
Dirty Marriage, Treated like a Lady,
Alingo Babes, Kukere Babes, My
Private Part, Witches in Okoko,
Blood and Tears and so on.
Are your parents supportive?
My mum has been there for me.
She loves what I do and she's so
proud of me. My dad wanted me to
still be a journalist. It was his idea
from the beginning. He wasn't
initially in support of my acting
career, but he's coming around
now.
You actually studied journalism?
I started as a broadcast journalist.
I studied Mass Communication and
Media Science at the University of
Ghana, Accra.
What was growing up like?
I grew up in an average family. We
didn't have too much, but we were
content with what we had. I grew
up with my mum and three
brothers. Although, I had step-
brothers and sisters from my dad's
side. It was okay, we loved each
other and shared everything
among ourselves.
Can you recall some memorable
moments in the course of your
career?
You know, while in Ghana all these
years, there were these particular
actor and actress that I really
wanted to see - Mike Ezuruonye
and Genevieve Nnaji. I finally met
Mike and shot a movie with him.
Right now, he's my best friend, in
fact he even knows I'm here. So
when I finally met him and we
clicked, I was like " Omg! I'm really
living my dreams". These are the
kinds of people, way back, I used
to admire, I wanted to see their
faces, now they are my friends and
colleagues. They even call me and
we hang out together and all that.
When I met Genevieve and Mama
Gee (Patience Ozokwor) for the first
time, it was so nice.
Do you have regrets?
I don't regret anything in life,
whether good or bad. Everything
that happens to me, happens for a
reason.
Would you have been a journalist
if you weren't acting?
Journalism was my dad's dream
that I was living for him. But for
now, if I wasn't acting, I think I
would be a banker, be a reserved
person. You know acting exposes
you and you don't keep anything
to yourself. It is today this,
tomorrow that. You google your
name and you see so many stories
about you, that it baffles you and
you wonder "Did I really do that".
If I wasn't acting, I think I would
live a more reserved life. But I love
what I do and everything comes
with the good, the bad and the
ugly.
Besides acting, what else do you
do?
Besides acting, I'm not doing
anything. Though I'm now about to
open an NGO in Ghana for single
mothers. I grew up with a single
mother, I saw the challenges she
went through. I want to start an
NGO where every month, I can
donate food and things to them,
because I know what single
mothers go through.
Was your mum a single mother?
Yes, I met my dad for the first time
when I was nineteen years old.
That's why we don't have that kind
of very close relationship. It was
also why I tried to live his dream,
be a journalist for him because I
wanted him to love me. But I
realised that it wasn't worth it, my
mum's love was okay for me. So
what I really plan to do with my
team is to open an NGO for single
mothers.
What has fame robbed you of?
You don't have a private live any
more. Your private life becomes a
public thing. People always
speculate, insinuate, think you
should do this or that. But they
are not in your shoes, so they don't
really know how you feel.
Sometimes, people judge you
based on the decisions you make,
but they don't know the options
you had that made you take that
particular decision. Anyway, we still
work things out.
What makes you happy?
A lot of things make me happy. I
love singing though I have a bad
voice (laughs). I also love dancing.
Seeing my son's face also makes
me happy.
Are you married?
I'm not married and I'm not single.
I'm in a relationship. Though I'm
no longer with my son's dad. My
son and his dad are in South Africa
now.
What physical attribute would you
say is your selling point?
(Laughs) I heard that word "selling
point" for the first time in Nigeria.
Most of my friends say it's my lips
and I think it's true. Then my
height, my face and my ass. People
are attracted to different things.
Personally, I think it's my face,
height and lips.
What's your opinion on the
break-up of celebrity marriages?
Some of these marriages weren't
based on love in the first place.
It's good you get married to
someone who knows you so well as
to overlook some of those things
you do on screen. Someone who
knows that no matter how much
another man kisses and touches
you, you'll still come back to him.
It's good you marry someone who
loves you for who you are, not
because you're famous. I don't
want to get married and divorce. I
grew up with a single mum, it
wasn't fun. I was happy, but I
think I would have been much
happier if my dad was there.
In marriage, communication and
understanding is very important.
Let me take myself for example, I'm
dating a businessman, he's not a
celebrity. When I'm with him, I'm
Ella - his woman. I don't behave
like Ella - the actress who has a
manager, a personal assistant, a
costumier, a make-up artist and all
the pampering. We tend to be
overspoilt sometimes with people
at our beck and call doing things
for us. When I'm with him, I'm with
him as Ella. If he wants me to cook
for him, I cook for him; If he wants
me to sweep the room, I will. We
sometimes forget that when it
comes to a man and woman
relationship, a woman still has to
be submissive. My mum always
chips this in my head, because
sometimes I forget.
What's your take on actresses
sleeping their way through for
roles?
This thing is almost everywhere.
When you love and work towards
something, you don't have to give
your body to get it. True, there are
some lousy producers and directors
out there who would want to sleep
with you, but if you know your
worth and what you want, you
won't do it. He might sleep with
you and give you a role but that
will not bring you out. And if he
gives you the role and you don't
interpret it well, he won't call you
again. He has already slept with
you for free. Of course, men will
always come, but you let them
know your stand. I've never slept
with anybody to get a role, I always
go for auditions. Sometimes, I'll
just be at home sleeping and
someone will call me to say, " I
have a job for you".
Do you intend going into movie
production?
Once you're in front of the camera,
you don't want to leave. But a
time will come when you have to
make way for the upcoming ones.
You can't remain a superstar
forever. Most of the superstars are
relaxing, that's why most of us are
coming up. A time will come when
producers will not demand for you
much and that's why we end up
producing ourselves so that our
faces will still be there. So I may
or may not go into production. I'm
not certain for now.
Would you act nude for any
reason?
No, I don't see why I should. Fine,
I don't mind showing certain parts
of my body, especially when
playing a seductive role. I can wear
a bum short or maybe a net top.
But I'll never go nude, not even for
ten million dollars! What's the
essence?
What's your relationship with
your colleagues like?
I'm cool with them, though not
everybody will like you. Some will
smile at you and when you turn,
they just hiss. But I respect them,
especially the senior ones. We're
okay.
Who are those you look up to in
the industry?
In Nigeria specifically, I'll like to
be in the shoes of Genevieve. She's
so endowed, I like her brand. After
so many years, she still remains a
household name. Though I can't
be her, I'm a different person, I'm
Ella. I just hope to become
something similar or even better.
Define your style?
Freestyle. I'm funky, sometimes
tomboyish. I also do vintage. My
image as Ella - the actress is
different from my image as Ella -
the girl next door. When you
google my name, you see so many
crazy, wild pictures of me. But you
could meet the other side of me on
the road trying to pick up a taxi
with my car packed somewhere. So
I try to balance it though I make
mistakes, I'm not perfect. I'm also
a go- getter, if I love and want
something, I'll push till I get it.
What's your advice to aspiring
actresses?
If acting is what you want to do,
go to an acting school and improve
yourself. You have to love acting.
Some people just come in because
they want to be on TV. Sometimes
you might be crying in your
personal life and you're required
to laugh on set. Acting is not as
easy as people think it is. Learn a
little about acting and always be
ready. When opportunity meets
preparation, success is sure. Go for
auditions. Don't go and see any
man in a hotel room, because that
will not make you a star. One day,
your time will come and you'll be
picked from the crowd.

http://m.allafrica.com/stories/201310180340.html/

Like I care. Mtchew.

dabrake: Like I care. Mtchew.

if u didn't care u wouldn't go 2ru all d trouble of typing,loading d page & submitting it. mtchew.