Q: How do you see your forthcoming 75th birthday?
A: I am very happy for my forthcomingbirthday that my kids
want to do for me. MayGod help them and support them.
Q: Tellus about your late husband Ray Eyiwunmi. His acting
career and who are his contemporaries?
Q: It’s not only your birthday that you’re celebrating, your
also celebrating your 55 years on stage?
A: Yes, that also makes me happy.
Q: Looking back at your 55 year old theatre career, how does
it make you feel?
A: It’s been good and rewarding. It had its own challenges
but that is normal. Theatre work is not easy but we thank God that it keeps improving.
I started from stage production, which is a more difficult aspect of acting.
But we are happy that God has helped our career.
Q: What were the difficulties you faced in the past?
A: In the past, we go on tour to do stage performances which
usually takes the whole day and at times we get there very late and people
would have thought we are not coming again or we would get there in the middle
of the night at times and once they hear we have arrived, they would rush back.
At times, during the performance, trouble or fights would break out but God
usually intervenes.
Q: How did you start acting on stage?
A: I started acting during the days of Ogunmola and then, I
use to act the role of a mother or wife.
Q: Why did you choose acting at that time, why not other
profession?
A: It’s because I love acting and anything that has to do
with theatre. I love the drumming and dancing.
Q: How did you progress from stage to video then to movies?
A: I was part of all the stages. During the days of optical,
we and Baba Ogunde were into it in films like “Aiye”, “Jaiyesinmi” and many
more. The same thing with Baba Duro Ladipo, we were all acting together. We did
the film “Ija Ominira” and then the Late Ade Love, “Ija Orogun” and many others
from Ade Love. I was there. Like I said I started acting from the days
Ogunmola, Late Ray Eyiwunmi brought me into acting, I am his wife.
A: Baba Lere Paimo, Baba Charles Olumo, Baba Wande. My
husband started with Baba Ogunmola. He was a teacher just like Ogunmola
himself, so they met and they started acting. Ogunmola had stroke in 1973, so
my husband took over overseeing the group because he was a very active member.
So when I met Ray, he encouraged me more.He was a good actor. Acting was
rigorous then becausethere were serious rehearsals then. We use to move around
in Lorries, those Austin or Bedford Lorries made of wood, which are slow. We
had to manage it like that.
Q: When you compare acting now and then when use to act on
stage, do you see any difference?
A: In those days, people look down on theatre practitioners
as beggars or idle people. But that changed later. The money we use to make
then was very small but it was the interest we all had that made us continue.
Right from the inception of Ogunmola Travelling theatre, we always do scripted
plays. So the standard was high, it is not just anybody that can come and join
us. Stage performance is more difficult than acting in movies. Once you start
acting, you will face the audience and there is no cut. The theatre
practitioners these days are enjoying. In those days, there was nothing like
sleeping in a hotel when you are on location, we all use to sleep in the same
hall where we act.
A: My children restricted me to acting only in good movies,
they don’t want me in every movie. They want me to act in movies thatmeet the
standard.
Q: Where are you from Ma?
A: I am from Oshogbo.
Q: How many movies have you acted in?
A: Plenty. Quite a lot and I can’t count. On my own, I have
produced 2 movies. Thereis no work done by my children that I didn’t feature.
Q: Are you planning to retire?
A: No, as long as God continues to give me good
health, I will continue. Once there is a job, letus go, I am ready. I
can’tleave acting, I will continue to act.
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