How Motherhood Has Affected My Acting Career - Uche Jombo

Nollywood actress Uche Jombo is opening up in a new interview with The Will Downtown about her acting career, the biggest differences she's seen since joining Nollywood and now, and how motherhood has affected her acting career. Here are some highlights of what Uche had to say.

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Speaking about the biggest differences she's seen in Nollywood after working in it for over 2 decades, Uche Jombo said:

UCHE JOMBO: I like to begin this question with an answer like, we are not where we used to be, but then again, we are not where we are supposed to be.

Obviously, the quality when it comes to technicality is well improved, and you still see more that wows you every day. But I feel like we still have to buckle up on our stories because I feel like what made us unique, what brought us to the table, was our unique ways of telling local stories back in the day. So now, with the vast technology we have, I am seeing more locally told stories for the global audience, and it’s amazing. I feel like it has become the way Nollywood filmmakers are beginning to tell stories; that way, it reaches more people in the world. You don’t have to be Nigerian to enjoy a locally made Nigerian movie because it is made with you in mind. For me, that’s one of the huge differences between when I started and how we are making films now.

Speaking about what still inspires her to act all these years later, Uche Jombo said:

UCHE JOMBO: What inspires me is my environment, even in my storytelling. I like making films that are based on true life stories because they teach a lot. So, when I make a film, I like the human angle, even if it’s fictional. The human angle is important to me. Onye Egwu, for instance, is inspired by true life, and my upcoming film A Better Man is fictional, but when I got the script from the writer, I was looking for the human angle, I am always trying to find the human angle. I want you to have a glimpse of who I am through the movies I make, even without meeting me in person, so yeah, the human angle is always my inspiration.

Then, speaking about a particular role or project that she feels has defined or shaped her career, Uche Jombo said:

UCHE JOMBO: It probably will be Onye Egwu because it’s a project everybody felt like it would be best produced by a man because they always felt men know football more than women, so that was it for me. It was different.

And finally, speaking about how motherhood has affected her acting career, Uche Jombo said:

UCHE JOMBO: It's affected me a lot, yes, especially because I am a working mother, and there are some roles you give me, and I can tell you a mother won’t do this or won’t do that.

Also, I am telling stories that I want my child to be able to watch and be proud of. There are certain mother roles that I wasn’t able to see before I was a mother, so that’s probably the influence, but regardless, acting is acting, and being able to play different roles is what makes you an actor. Sometimes, being in a particular situation in life makes it better for you to step into a certain role, but first and foremost, you are an actor.

What do you think about what Uche Jombo had to say? Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment either below or on my Jide Okonjo Facebook post.

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