Meg Otanwa is beautifully endowed with brains from Benue State, Nigeria. She left a lucrative job as a banker in Tunisia for her love, acting. In this interview with ORUKPE NELSON, she spoke about her love for the make believe world and the kind of man that will make her happy
Give us a brief background of yourself
I am from the Idoma speaking tribe of Benue state. I’m your proverbial girl next door. I love to learn new things and have a good laugh. My professional acting career began with roles in TV dramas, “Coffee Shop” and “Atlanta”. That same year, I was cast in the Desmond Elliot directed feature film “I’ll Take My Chances”, produced by Emem Isong. And I have been in the game since then.
What was growing up like?
Growing up was a lot of fun. Mine is a large family so growing up, there was never a dull moment.
What is your educational background?
I have a BA in English language from Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Masters in Human Resource Management from TIME Universite, Tunisia and Business School at Universite Jean Moulin, Lyon, France.
What was life like before you decided to go into acting?
Before I moved back to Nigeria to join the Industry, I worked at the African Development Bank temporarily Qtrs in Tunis, Tunisia. Life was different. It was the standard 8am-5pm kind of job. I gained a lot of experience and I got the opportunity to learn about Africa as a continent and her pride and challenges.
You lived abroad for a long time. Why did you decide to come back to the country?
Acting is something I had always been very passionate about. It was only a matter of time for me to get seriously involved in the industry. When I felt the time was right, I moved back for that purpose.
You traded a lucrative career for acting. Why did you do it and has it paid off so far?
I wouldn’t put it in those exact terms; it was a case of having a game plan and moving from Step 1 to 2 of one’s plan. Nothing beats the feeling of fulfillment and satisfaction in one’s chosen career. I was happy and fulfilled at my previous place of work, but it got to a point where I felt I wanted to move onto something else. I didn’t look back, I took the leap and I have not had any regrets for a day.
Mention some of the films you have starred in?
I’ll Take My Chances, All That Glitters, Iddo, Tarzan Monologue, Dr. SOB, Doll House, Kpians, Ojuju, October 1, Being Single and a number of TV series including the new hit series BEFORE30.
Which of the movies do you think brought you to limelight?
That will be difficult to tell as these movies are distributed on different platforms, most of my fans in the diaspora recognise me from the movies that are on some online platforms while the home based fans recognise me from the cinema movies like October 1 and the TV Series.
What are the challenges you encountered before you were able to break into the industry?
Mostly, it’s the-not-so pleasant experience at auditions, sometimes, the challenges come.
You are regarded as one of the new faces of Nollywood, yet you have starred in blockbuster movies. What is the magic?
GOD! God rewards hard work and passion, dedication, humility and resilience go a long way in this industry.
You are known to be an expert in different languages. Mention them and tell us how you were able to speak them fluently?
I happen to have a flare for languages, it runs in my family as my father is a polyglot and each of my siblings speaks at least 3 different languages. I am fluent in five languages- English, French, Hausa, Yoruba and Spanish and of course my native language Idoma.
You recently featured in October 1 and Before 30, two of Nollywood most talked about movies. How does it make you feel to be in these movies and how did you land the juicy characters you played?
I indeed feel blessed to be a part of two hugely successful productions in the industry. I remember kneeling down and praying after I auditioned for the series BEFORE30, 3 years ago. So I will say its God all the way. Both October 1 and BEFORE30 are the most talked about productions currently. I was invited to audition for both productions.
Is there any role you might be asked to play as an actress that you won’t accept?
Yes there are roles that I will not play.
Would you act nude if the pay is right?
I think every serious actor desires to tell a story first and above everything else. We do not make films or tell these stories for ourselves. Each producer/director has a target audience for their films so when the audience is ready to tolerate or accept nudity in their content, there will be actors willing to go that far to tell a story.
Describe your style?
My style can be described as classy and sexy.
What fashion item is your favourite?
I love my heels
Are you in a relationship?
You will have to wait a little longer to get an answer to that question.
What qualities should your dream man have?
I’m sure a man who has the fear of God, loving and caring will make any woman happy.
Which of the male actors in Nollywood would you consider as your man crush?
Man crush? hmmmmmmm! I really can’t think of any right now.
What is your favorite perfume?
When it comes to perfumes, I can’t say I have one favourite fragrance. I like to try on different ones even though there’ve been times when I go back three or four times for the same fragrance. I like to wear different fragrances depending on my mood.
What is your beauty routine?
I wash my face very often; sometimes it’s just about the refreshing feeling of cold clean water on my face. I also drink a lot of water. Water is good therapy.
If you are going on the red carpet, how long would it take you, would you require the services of a stylist?
Sometimes I do engage a stylist other times, I try to style myself. On the average it takes me about three hours to get ready for a proper Red Carpet event.
Who are your role models in the industry?
I have a lot of respect for the ladies who paved the way for the younger generation in the industry. Genevieve Nnaji, Omotola Jalade Ekehinde, Rita Dominic and Bimbo Akintola, these are the women I appreciate and have a lot of respect for.
What is your passion?
My passion is to live a life of purpose.
What have you gained and lost coming into the limelight as an actress?
Sometimes one yearns for a bit of privacy, just to be able to discretely walk in and out of places. But by and large, the recognition comes with its blessings so I cannot complain.