Fast-rising Yoruba actress, Empress Anu Sosanya would describe herself as a simple person but one with everything but a simple dream. Her dream is to be one of the biggest stars there is, and she appears good on her way, as she already has a number of good movies to her credit. In this chat, she talks about her career, love and the industry.
What was growing up like?
My growing up was awesome, but at the same time, rough. I lived with my mother who had to cater for her eight children. We went through thick and thin then, but I thank God that today, the story has changed. My siblings and I are doing well in our various fields.
Did your mother okay your going into acting?
Convincing my family took a lot of effort. It was only my sister who bought into my dream from the beginning. I had to organise a family conference to plead my case. My mother insisted I had to go to a tertiary school before I would be allowed to act. I studied marketing at the Lagos State University. Surprisingly, we have marketers too in film production. So it all works together, I don’t feel bad about it all.
What went wrong between your parents?
It’s their issue because I was still a baby then.
Didn’t you bother to ask questions?
We grew up living like that. Though, we spent sometime with him which I’d say wasn’t fun at all. We always had to come back to my mother.
Did your father re-marry?
It is not as though he married another woman, my dad is a flirt. Even as an old man, he is still fresh and cute. He gets women at his beck and call.
At what point did you miss the “father” figure in your life?
I missed him as a child especially during parents -teachers meeting in my school. I saw my mates with their mum and dad having fun. And due to the nature of my mum’s job, she wasn’t always available. The pressure was too much on my mum, though she never made us feel my dad’s absence. I love her for that. I don’t wish my daughter such an experience.
How did you get the name ‘Empress’?
It was through a friend who encouraged me. We became friends after he saw my first production. One day, he called me and told me “You are an Empress and don’t let people oppress you, build an empire each time”. So my first BBM name was Empress Anu Sosanya and since then, the name stuck.
What’s your view about the industry?
We are not there yet because I see a lot missing. I hardly watch Nollywood these days. I don’t want to sound like I’m condemning our industry, but we have to work more on our films. Our story-lines, costumes, and our subtitles to mention a few, need to be checked and corrected. I agree that piracy is really killing the business, but we should not compromise our standard because of that.
Will you agree that another factor responsible for this is that our market is saturated?
I totally agree and that is because everybody wants to be an actress and also a producer. And not all of us went through training. We have many talents in Nollywood who want to showcase their talents but lack the opportunity. These people believe that producing their own movie will showcase them, but sometimes, they do poor quality movies due to lack of funds.
How about one person producing, directing and playing the lead role in a movie?
I don’t know much about that. I think that can be linked to cutting cost. An actor might decide to direct the movie instead of getting a director who will take away a large percentage of his capital. This kills the product itself. When a film lacks professional touch, it collapses. We should learn to know and understand our limits.
Are you married?
No, but I have a child.
How did it happen?
It just happened. So many people didn’t know I was pregnant. People say it is not too good having a child out of wedlock but I am a proud mother. I love my daughter to a fault. I am not encouraging people to have children out of wedlock though.
This seems to be a trend in Nollywood, what’s your opinion?
I don’t know about that, but I won’t have a baby simply because my colleagues have theirs out of wedlock. I do whatever pleases me and at my own convenience.
Have you ever been turned on while doing a movie role?
I am yet to meet that actor who will arouse me on set. I don’t get turned on easily. In fact when that happens, I will call for a press conference.
What turns you on?
I have not met that kind of man. It has to be natural, genuine, and delivered with ease.
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