Fast-rising Nollywood actress, Queeneth
Agbor, courageously took the bull by the horn when she relocated all the
way from Calabar to Lagos to pursue her dream career, acting.
Riding on the crest of divine grace and
providence, the sensual actress has since been on the rise in the
Nigerian movie industry. In this chat with Showtime Celebrity, the
sultry actress, who visited Vanguard’s office in Kirikiri unravels a lot
of interesting secrets about her childhood, career, sex, love and life.
What was it like coming from Calabar to Lagos?
It wasn’t that easy for me at first, you
know Calabar is a small and calm city compared to Lagos, which is a
busy city characterised by a lot of hustle and bustle; traffic
everywhere, too many people. It wasn’t easy but with time I had to
acclimatise and settled into the system because I came to Lagos for
nothing else but to pursue my dream and so I had to settle in real fast.
It’s been God all the way, it’s been fine, I thank God for everything. I
didn’t have accommodation challenge because I had a cousin that was
living in Lagos so I stayed with her for a while before I got my own
apartment. My cousin was there for me, she assisted me in acclimatising
with the Lagos life.
How would you describe your career so far?
Wow! If I’m to describe my career in one
word, I would say ‘great’, because it’s been God’s grace all through. I
didn’t just start acting after relocating from Calabar, I had to enroll
in an acting school because I had the passion for acting but I didn’t
have a background in theatre arts. I had never been in front of the
cameras or where a movie was being shot, so I had to enroll in an acting
school for three months after which I was chosen for a lead role at the
first audition I went for. It was actually a short movie, so that
really gave me the courage that I was on the right track, though there
were occasional challenges along the way. There was a time I was picked
for a sub-lead role alongside Tonto Dikeh, after being given the script I
was later dropped for someone else just because I refused to have sex
with the director. Queeneth-Agbor2 Queeneth-Agbor2 I told him I couldn’t
do it, even for the role, because I didn’t choose acting as a career to
do things like that. Before I started acting, I had already heard a lot
about the industry, but I decided that I wasn’t going to stoop so low
as to have sex with a producer or director for a movie role, after going
to an acting school to acquire the needed skill for the job. I didn’t
come all the way from Calabar to Lagos for that, so because I refused I
was asked to drop the script. I refused not because the guy was ugly; it
was about what I wanted, if I began sleeping around for a movie role,
how many times would I have to do that and how many people would I have
to sleep with? I just couldn’t do it. Having sex is actually not a bad
thing, but having it in that context means people won’t value you for
you, this is a career that you don’t use sex to climb the ladder of
success. It’s a different thing entirely if you ask me out on a normal
day and I like you, that’s quite different. But when I have sex with you
for a movie role, it means I’ve lost my value, I’ve lost all the
respect I’m supposed to get from you or any other person. The thing is,
the moment you have sex with one person for a movie role, it will be
difficult to stop. You may have to continue having sex for all your jobs
and you will lose focus. It’s okay if you have sex with your boyfriend,
but not just anybody, because you should have your self-worth as a
lady. After this episode, I posted something on Facebook about my
experience, within a short while, a marketer I’ve never met before
contacted me, sent me the script for a job, without even knowing me from
Adam, and that was it. I didn’t have to sleep with him or do anything
naughty. I went to Asaba to do the job; I worked with this man without
him making a single pass at me.
How would you describe sexual harassment?
It’s normal thing for a guy to want to
have sex with a girl, but at a point where you want me to pick between
two options all because you want to have sex with me, like I go for a
job interview and you want to have sex with me before I can be employed,
that’s sexual harassment. Why put me in such precarious situation
because you’re in the position to give me something I really need? That
is sexual harassment, pure harassment. Of course, it’s not bad to admire
a girl, because as a girl if no one admires you in a day then you have
to go back to your village and wash your head. I have never slept with a
director or producer for a job. Funny enough, a year after, that same
producer whom I refused to sleep with later called me for a series of
jobs. In fact, he recommended me for several other jobs without asking
for sex or even making a pass at me.
At what point in your career did you feel you were on the right track?
Remember I said earlier that I was given
a major role at my first audition. But when I actually began to feel I
was on the right track was when I was called up for another job after
being dropped by one producer because I refused to have sex with him. I
felt so bad after that experience, but when I was called for another job
shortly after, I said to myself “this is God at work”. When the film
came out, my picture was on the jacket and poster, I was so happy
because I felt like I was getting there. People began to call me from
Calabar saying they saw me on the poster and jackets of a new movie, I
was very excited. At that point, I believed there was no turning back
because I felt I was on the right track. All these happened in 2013,
between that time and now, I’ve played lead roles in several good
movies, such as Hooked, alongside Francis Duru and some Ghanaian actors,
where I had to speak with the Ghanaian accent, and many others.
Which movie would you say was the most challenging, and why?
I’ve not played a movie role that gave
me so much challenge; in fact I’m still looking for that movie role that
will break me. Though the movie I just finished shooting was a little
bit challenging because I played a dual role, I was a double (twin) in
the movie, the two characters had two different personalities and
attributes. So it was not so easy switching between two characters, it
was a bit difficult but not challenging because I’m still looking for a
movie role that will be really challenging for me. Yes, every movie role
has its challenges, don’t get me wrong. There was a movie in which I
had to cry, like cry really deep, it was difficult for me to stop crying
on set because I found myself immersed in the character I was playing.
Even after the movie shoot I was still feeling the character’s pains, so
I just kept crying. That wasn’t the only time I felt so attached to a
role I played. For every role I play, I try as much as possible to place
myself in the shoes of the character; this would help me to act out the
role as I’m supposed to. Movie is make-belief, so you have to assume
the nature and character of the role you’re playing.
In Nollywood, how do you get into a character to be able to play the role effectively?
If I’m given a script to act as a
doctor, all I’ve to do is pick a particular doctor and study him; he may
not even know I’m watching him. I can just pay him occasional visits in
the hospital and study his daily routine, mannerisms and other things,
that way I’ll be able to have a better perspective what I need to act
the role effectively. As an actor, you watch people a lot, there’s
something called memory box, if I see a madman on the street I study him
and store it in my memory box because it would come in handy anytime
and when you don’t even expect.
What made you believe you had the talent to act?
As a child, I was always mischievous; I
could be whatever I wanted to be. As a growing child, if you sent me on
an errand and I didn’t want to go, I could feign sickness right on the
spot, like serious sickness that you would believe it. Immediately you
ask me to go and sleep you’ll see me laughing and playing almost right
away. I acted my way to adulthood, if I didn’t want to go to school or
do something, I knew how to act my way out if it, and so I was known to
be a drama queen.
How do you feel when you are given a role where you have to kiss?
Always remember that acting is
make-believe, I can kiss you now and feel nothing. As far as its action
on set I can kiss anybody, there’s nothing attached after the director
says “cut”. And if after you come to me and say hello I can slap you.
There’s no attachment to the kiss, it’s just the job, it’s a script.
I’ve had to kiss a guy I hated, from the first time I saw him on set I
hated him, but I had to kiss him during the movie shoot, it’s my job and
I had to do it.
Have you ever experienced chemistry on set?
No. But it happens though, kissing one
actor or the other has always been the same for me. I’ve not seen that
actor that I shared chemistry with on set, maybe it’s my mind. It’s
possible to have a crush on a big actor and then when you see him on set
it’s gone, you begin to see him as a colleague and not a crush. There
are times when I’ve had to kiss so deep on set, but I’ve never given any
guy that power over me to make me develop chemistry with him on set.
Can you go nude on set?
No, I can go under the bed sheet but not nude. Even for 10 million dollars I wouldn’t go nude on set (laughs).
You once said you will never date an
Igbo guy again because your ex-boyfriend slapped you when he saw you
kissing on set and he was Igbo. Kindly shed more light on this
I have nothing against Igbo guys. Not
dating an Igbo, Hausa or Yoruba guy is a personal decision. I have
gotten a lot of threats since the statement was made, so I wouldn’t want
to talk about it. After I said this, a lot of people asked me what is
with Igbo guys that I hate? The truth is, Igbo guys are domineering, and
they have the tendency to be violent. They have this crude mentality of
women being totally submissive to a man, the slave-like submission and I
hate it.
If you have the opportunity to choose a tribe to marry, which tribe would it be?
When I start thinking of marriage I will
give that a consideration. I have as well heard things about Yoruba
guys that they are philanderers. At the appointed time, that is, when
God says it is time, I will choose, but for now, I can’t say. On a
second thought, I think I want to transfer my gene elsewhere. Mind you, I
have dated a Fulani guy before (laughs). What would you do if after
marriage you discover you husband is not good in bed? I’ll cut corners.
Even God will understand but I will still love him. It’s not like I’m
mean, it’s just understandable that sex is important in marriage.
What is your take on sex before marriage?
The truth is the bible forbids it, but I
need to know what’s in the package before I get into it. Not to
discover after marriage that the package is not good. That’s why some
girls cheat. Imagine on the first night together after marriage and you
are on the bed waiting for the action but he knows practically nothing,
you then find yourself saying “Jesus! How did I get myself into this?”
Two month later you are looking for the next available option, a hawk to
catch as an escape route. If you had tasted the package you won’t fall
such a victim. That is why I feel you have to taste it even if it’s once
(laughs), Just a taste at least. I can’t cheat when in love though.
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