As an actress, script writer and film producer,
Funke Akindele-Bello can’t be considered a small
fry in Nollywood.
With acareer that has spanned almost two
decades, the thespian who cut her acting tooth
with the role of Bisi, a curious but intelligent
secondary school student in the United Nations
Population Fund sponsored sitcom, I Need To
Know, in the late nineties, has endeared herself to
a legion of fans beyond the frontiers of Nigeria.
She is also one of the few actresses who have
thrived in the English and Yoruba genres of
Nollywood.
Popularly known by her alter ego, Jenifa , a
sobriquet she earned after the successful release
of her hit film, Jenifa, and its sequel, The Return
of Jenifa, Akindele-Bello, is back to filming after
taking a recess that lasted several months and
during which she wedded musician, JJC Skillz, in
London. She provides an insight into what she is
up to presently. “I have been filming a new
television series called In Da Streetz.
It is about the entertainment industry and how
people try to survive. It also dwells on the hustle
and bustle in the ghetto. It would be full of glitz,
glamour and it’s a production that has deep
content,’’ she says.
The new project is not in any way similar to
Jenifa’s Dairy, and will feature big names in the
entertainment industry, she reveals: “My new
project is music-oriented, so I am working with
people like K-Switch, Mo-Easy, Lydia Forson,
Linda Ejiofor, Tina Mba, Kunle Coker, and Freeze
of Cool FM. It is just a group of people coming
together to do something different on television
through Scene One Productions, where I am the
CEO. My mission is for people to enjoy
wholesome entertainment.”
After her first marriage to Kehinde
Oloyede,crashed in 2013, the actress, recently got
married a second time albeit secretly in London
to entertainment guru, Abdul-Rasheed Bello, aka
JJC Skillz, last August. She says the latter who is
a producer, music video director and artiste,
fashionedthe concept for her new project. “My
husband is a pioneer in the music industry, so he
has been there.
He gave me the storyline and the synopsis which
I developed and edited,” she states. The award-
winning actress recalls that acting is something
she’s always wanted to do from a young age. She
started dancing and acting in primary school and
also belonged to a cultural troupe. She joined a
drama group while in secondary school and
pursued her passion relentlessly even as an
undergraduate.
A lawyer by training, she recollects how her
father ensured she studied Law at the University
of Lagos. “I recall that my father wanted me to
study Law because he wanted me to become a
lawyer. Even though he had his reservations
about acting, I was undeterred,” she says.
Today, being celebrated and making some money
out of acting is a plus for her as she says there
is nothing more fulfilling than doing what she
loves and getting paid for it. She stated, “I am
grateful to God for the opportunities that have
come my way as an actress. When I started out,
it wasn’t easy and there were lots of challenges. I
have been acting and producing films before I
came out with Jenifa.
The movie was a commercial success and
following it up with Jenifa’s Dairy, was a like an
extension of the goodwill Jenifa,
enjoyed.”Although critics have argued that she
didn’t need to create a series using the Jenifa
cognomen, Akindele-Bello quipped that one of the
lessons she has learnt in life is that people will
say a lot of things and attempt to make you lose
focus especially when they realise that you are
making progress. “If you have an idea, sleep, eat
and drink it until you make a reality of it.
Jenifa is a brand that I love so much. I didn’t
even want to come up with the series but I
realised that a lot of people like the brand. When I
go out, I speak to a lot of young people. They like
Funke quite alright but when I give them that
variant of English, Jenifa is known for, the
reaction is priceless,” she adds.
For her, producing Jenifa’s Dairy, has become a
tiring effort: “I am tired of producing the series
because it is time-consuming but my husband
says that I cannot stop now because my fans
love it, people are celebrating me, I have won
awards and every day, they talk about me
because they are not tired. People say it’s the
best TV series, so I cannot stop.
”A recipient of several awards including the Africa
Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a
Leading Role and the Nigeria Entertainment
Award for Best Actress in 2009, as well as the
Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards for Best
Actress in a Comedy in 2014 and 2016, she sees
American film star, Tyler Perry, as someone that
she looks up to.
According to her, his Madea brand is huge and
she hopes to build a bigger empire for herself
.What are the downsides of acting? With a huge
sigh, she affirms that there have been times when
she felt like throwing in the towel but some
inspirational songs keep her going. “The gospel
group, Mary Mary, inspires. Whenever I listen to
their songs, I am inspired. One of their songs
goes thus: ‘I just can’t give up now. I’ve come
too far from where I started from, nobody told me
that road is going to be easy.’
The song teaches me that good things don’t
come easy, you just have to push. There are
many times when they write about me in the
newspapers and magazines.
I just say to myself that it’s nottheir fault, it’s
because I am acting. At such times, I want to
quit acting but then, Ilook into the mirror and say
to myself, you have it in you, don’t give up and
bury your talents.
This is why I use my talent as a tool to pass
messages across to people,’’ she says.
Even though Akindele-Bello, refused to comment
on her new marriage, she speaksabout some of
the changes that have occurred in her life since
getting married. “Before I met my husband, I used
to work on Sundays, but he always says that I
need to rest. Our chef leaves on Saturday
mornings to see his family, so whenever I want to
cook, my husband tells me not to do so and we
eat out.
We do that very often. Now, I enjoy my life and I
rest.’’Akindele-Bello, who clocked 39 in August,
said she wants to be remembered for her brand
and the lives she has impacted. In addition, she
desires to take a lot of young people off the
streets. She says, “I have a not-for-profit
organisation and I am going to be working with
Lekki Coliseum, very soon to empower young
people.
I’ve done that a couple of times and we organise
workshops and trainings. We give people start-up
kits to begin their businesses.
I am passionate about the empowerment of young
people.“I also want to set up another NGO to help
people living with cancer.
I have a friend who was diagnosed with stage-
four cancer and she has given me the permission
to talk about her journey. Manytimes when I was
broke, I still had give her money to attend
chemotherapy sessions. Because of the state of
her health, she wasunable to move around to
seek funding.
Thankfully, I am healthy and I can still work, so I
am grateful to God for keeping her alive.’’On her
likes and dislikes, the thespian is quick to say
that she likes frank and honest people.
She abhors liars, those who steal and she cannot
stand indiscipline as well.
Hear her: “People call me Margaret Thatcher,
because I do not like indiscipline. You must not
be rude, we are Nigerians and we have a culture
and we are well-trained.
I am Yoruba girl, so you have to be respectful. I
always tell people that never believe that because
you are made, you can bring people down. Even if
you are up there, remain level-headed so you
don’t fall,’’ she concluded.


http://www.freshvibesblog.com.ng/2016/10/husband-doesn-allow-me-cook-funke.html?m=1

You mean am.

Maybe she belongs to the other room