Light-skinned and provocative actress, Uche
Ogbodo ranks in the upper reef of the ocean
when it comes to acting. She has seen it all,
done it all but not without some scars to show
for it. Her marriage to a footballer husband, was
fraught with controversies and crashed just after
a couple of months. The marriage was so short-
lived that the husband never knew she was
pregnant.
Seemingly crushed and heartbroken, Uche
relocated to US and returned some couple of
years ago to reclaim her position as one of the
leading ladies in Nollywood.
Now a single mother without a husband, she
continues her battle of life, winning some and
losing some. Here is Uche Ogbodo’s story of
triumph and pain; and how she’s winning the
battle as an actress and a mother.
Uche Ogbodo
You’ve been a bit slow at doing movies lately,
why is that so?
It hasn’t been slow actually. The industry has
gotten bigger. That you haven’t been seeing
Genevieve in movies doesn’t mean she hasn’t
been doing something. The industry is wider now,
with more productions and more people. But I’ve
been working.
What are you working on at the moment?
Right now, I’m about to commence the shoot for
a new project down in the East. I’m also still in
post production for my movie that I’ve been
talking about for a while now. I ventured into
production and I have two jobs coming out soon.
They’ll be out in August hopefully.
What was it like producing your own movie?
It’s the most stressful thing. I didn’t know
producers go through so much to have a project
out. Now I know what it takes to be a producer.
It’s really difficult. If I used to have issues with
producers in the past, now I know better and I’m
asking for forgiveness. It’s a mad zone really.
How is life now as a single mum compared to
when you were married?
Life is more fulfilling for me. As a single mother,
life is more fulfilling than it would have been as a
single girl without a child. Though, I’m still single
and unmarried, but I would say if I used to be
too emotional, needy or petty, all that is gone,
my child fills that vacuum for me. When I want
to look into someone’s eyes and feel loved, I
have all that in my daughter. She has helped me
rebuild myself. 50% of the woman I have become
comes from my having a baby. It has turned me
around to the very destiny I was born to
accomplish.
Does that mean you’re not looking forward to a
new relationship?
I’m still hoping to find that wonderful human
being that would fill the remaining part of my
needs. I’m open to anything. Yes, I’m dating, but
I haven’t found the one.
What’s your idea of ‘the one’?
I don’t like to say, because you never know.
Back in the days, I used to say this is the kind of
man I want and all that but you know, we’re
women and when a different kind of man comes
and lies to you, you just fall head over heels. In
the past, I always painted pictures, but
eventually I fell for the wrong person. So, let God
give me the kind of man that he knows is best
for me. I’m open to that different kind of man
that is not in my picture.
What is your relationship with your ex like? Are
you on talking terms?
No, we’re not talking. He doesn’t keep in touch,
but that’s fine.
You’re looking so different and trimmed, what’s
with the new look?
It’s all in the package of becoming a better
person. You can’t keep saying ‘I want to be
successful’ when you don’t look successful. You
need to work on yourself, though it takes a lot of
endurance and discipline. To get there, I knew I
had to grab it ‘by fire by force’ and it has to
begin with my appearance. I have to impress
people, so that my looks will match my name.
My former body was banging but not exactly how
I wanted it. I want the banging killer body and
this (my new body) is killing it (Laughs)
Would you be delving into cinema movies?
Yeah, definitely. I’m already there. One of my
projects is premiering in London and Spain, and
the other is premiering here in Nigeria. ‘Stolen
Vow’ is premiering in London in August and in
Spain in September. ‘Rib-Tied’ is premiering in
Nigeria.
What has fame robbed you of and what doors
has it opened for you?
Fame has brought me recognition. Fame has
brought me pain and fortune. Fame has also
erased the real me from the eyes of people, but
I’m not going to cry about it. I believe that I have
two personalities, so I project my famous part as
‘goddess’ and my personal part as ‘Uche’. I have
been able to separate both. So, if I’m getting any
hate from people, I channel it to ‘goddess’.
You’re not insulting the real Uche. People judge
me based on who I’m not and refuse to see who
I really am.
I don’t blame them because they don’t know the
real me, they just take me at TV face value. But
it’s fine. Fame has also brought me negative
attention from guys in the area of relationship.
People tend to fall in love with the you on TV
and not the real you. And when they get to know
the real you, they might not like it, but still stick
around just because you’re famous. And then you
end up hurting each other, because the
relationship is fake and based on fantasy.
Whichever character I played that you fell in love
with is not me. So, it’s really crazy.
What’s the worst thing you’ve heard about
yourself?
I have heard that I’m possessed and that I’m
gay. I’ve heard that I’m ugly, In fact I hear that
one everyday. But when they get to meet me,
they are surprised and they say ‘Ooh you’re
beautiful’. But all those things don’t bother me.
The real Uche is wonderful, calm, gorgeous in
and out.
Some people are of the view that it’s better to
be a baby-mama than to be married, what’s your
opinion on this growing trend?
I’m a single mother already. It happened by fate.
I never wanted it to happen this way. I wanted
to be married. I think it’s an individual thing. I
don’t judge people. If you think you don’t want to
get married, you just want to be a baby-mama.
For heaven’s sake, it’s your life. But if you think
that marriage is what works for you, then all well
and good. I want to get married. I need a partner
in my life, because I don’t think I want to spend
the rest of my life alone with my children. Even
at this age, my daughter keeps asking me about
her father.
She has never seen him. This isn’t what I want
and it hurts me sometimes. But what can I do
and I am hoping that I can get a good daddy for
my daughter. I don’t want a daddy that would
hurt me and my child, but one that would love us
both. So, I’m not in a hurry. I pray that someday I
will be able to say to my daughter ‘This is your
daddy’, because every time she asks I never say
anything.
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