Tayo Sobola, known in the showbiz circle as Sotayo is no green horn. She earned some fame mostly through her acting and hilarious skits with Bovi Ugboma, Basket mouth. The brazen actress had a chat with ORUKPE NELSON on her career, romance and family.

How did you get the stage name, Sotayo?

Well, Sotayo is the first two letters of my surname and my name, Tayo. People started calling me Sotayo right from my school days at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU).

How did you find yourself in the movie industry?

I never intended to be an actress. I have always wanted to be a lawyer. Acting movies is just something I saw myself doing. It just came up along the line.

Since you began to act have you had any regret especially given that the industry is prone to controversies?

Not at all; I am happy doing what I am doing.

You’ve enjoyed some fame already in the industry where you haven’t stayed pretty long, are you content with this?

I haven’t gotten to where I am going yet. To me, on a scale of one to 10, I am still at one. I haven’t started, I see myself like I am just starting because I have not gotten anywhere despite starting 11-years ago. I have been doing different things altogether, but I am doing one thing now. I have done a lot of things. I have been a model, a dancer, a writer and a musician. Basically, I have done almost everything in the entertainment industry.

How many movies have you produced so far?

Arewa Onijogbon was my first movie. The second one was Corper Jide and the last one I produced was Bella.

Some of your colleagues say the industry is not a lucrative one; how do you get your funding?

I don’t know about the industry not being a lucrative one. The people doing well today don’t just rest their backs on movie production. I don’t do just movies I have some other things which I do to get money.

Things like what?

I do some contract jobs and that comes once in a while because of the fact that I happen to be out of the country most times, I buy things and give it to people to sell on my behalf. So, that is where I get my money from.

Why are you not always in town?

I just go out there to cool off sometimes. It is easy because I have a residence in London. I like shuttling around and wherever I am, I end up bringing back something to sell.

With your flamboyance, one is forced to ask if you have a rich father or a sugar daddy, as some have suggested

I don’t know anything about a sugar daddy and all that. The truth is that it is not like I have a personal house that I bought in London. My dad is late, so it is not like I have a rich dad. As for the sugar daddy, I don’t think I have any. I am spending what I earn.

As a pretty young lady, how do you check unwanted attention from men?

I have been trying my best to control it, it is not like I am a year old and it is something that has been happening all my life. I control myself.

What do your male admirers like about you? Do you think it’s the whole of your look or the tattoo?

I don’t know. Most times they say it’s my personality, my legs others say it’s my eye, but I tell them my eyes are bad, ‘so, how come you like them?’ ‘I just like your personality’ is the common one which I hear more often.

You said you also worked as a model, why did you flee from the runway?

I didn’t walk away because once in a while I still get calls saying we want you to do this job for us. I actually went some two steps back because I wasn’t in for the come for casting thing.

How do you mean?

The thing about modelling is that you could go for an audition and find thousands of people waiting for a job they need just two people for. I believe if you need me for a job, you will call me.

Tell us about Bella; what is it all about?

It is just a movie I produced. It focuses on the discrimination that people with tribal marks go through. I actually acted Bella in the movie and I had a tribal mark.

The movie industry is in no little supply of charming women, what stands you out?

I think my person. Honestly, I really don’t like it when I have to rate myself with other people, but the truth is that I do what I am comfortable doing. I don’t look at what people do to do my things. I don’t just do Yoruba language movies, I do English language movies as well, comedy skits and I can actually spread my tentacles to wherever I want. I just think I am a bold person and I can also be shy if I want to. The thing that stands me out is my personality.

How many tattoos do you have and where are they located?

I have three tattoos all over me. I have one on my right leg, one on my left arm and one behind my left shoulder. I don’t belong to any clique, they are just something I saw, liked and did.

Do they represent anything to you?

No, they have no meaning. Nothing is attached to my tattoos.

Are you getting more?

I am cool with what I have now because I can actually cover whichever one I want to cover and expose the one I want.

Tell us about your marital status; are you single, taken or searching?

I am complicated.

Why complicated?

It is personal and I don’t want to talk about it.

Have you ever been jilted?

No not at all. It is complicated and what I mean by that is that I don’t wantto talk about it. I don’t like disclosingmy relationship.

You have this expression that says I can’t be heartbroken on your face, is this correct?

I can’t be heartbroken. I don’t think I can be.

Is this because you don’t have a heart?

If you say so, that’s it. I don’t have a heart so nothing can be broken. I am very serious.

Every woman is said to have at least, a love button, do you have any?

I don’t think so.

When was the last time you fell in love?

I can’t remember.

Was it that long?

I don’t know. I don’t want to talk about relationship, love and the sort.

Who mentors you in the movie industry?

I don’t know honestly. That is one question I don’t have an answer to.