I’m not a rape victim –Bimbo Peters

With One Fine Day, a movie that premiered recently at Silverbird Galleria, Lagos, Bimbo Peters, one of Nigeria’s finest actresses, cut her production teeth. She spoke with Victor Udoh about the movie and her Nollywood journey. Tell us about yourself. I am a regular girl, a reserved person but can be loud when I’m with my family. I am shy but fun to be with. After attending secondary school in Nigeria Navy and Crystal College, I went to UK for my ‘A’ levels and then University of Bedford for my degree in accounting and finance. Later, I got masters in marketing management from Houston in America and also studied acting and producing in New York. Why did you venture into the movie industry? I have always loved acting right from when I was in SS 2. Like I said earlier, I am very shy and could not summon the courage to tell my parents. I wanted to venture into acting. So I had to do something that I also like, which is accounting. However in my final year in university, someone reminded me how much I loved acting and the need to do something that would make me happy in future. Hence I was encouraged to speak with my father again. What was your father’s reaction? He wasn’t surprised because everyone knew that I loved acting. He, however, encouraged me to at least get my masters first, which I did and today I am really enjoying myself. How was your first experience acting? My first experience was in a movie titled, The Good Wife, which role I got into through a friend. However, I was really nervous. Later, in my second movie, my own productio), I began to gain more confidence. Then I shot Code Of Silence and started acting with top acts like Ini Edo, Omoni Oboli, Patience Ozokwor and the likes. Your movie One Fine Day is about rape. Why that topic? Code Of Silence is about rape too and someone wondered whether I have been a rape victim. I said no, it’s just a coincidence. Regardless, I was happy when the plot in One Fine Day encapsulated rape. Most of our movies talk about rape. It’s something that happens on daily basis and it brought me there. Your movies are superb. What inspired this storyline? I didn’t come up with it. I merely told my producer I wanted a great story and she did her research. She presented a couple of scripts and I chose that one. What was your growing-up like? It wasn’t all that fanciful. Like I said, I went to Nigeria Navy School, and it wasn’t easy or funny at all. Also my family was quite reserved, and I don’t recall having much fun in childhood. What actors have you a crush on in the course of your acting career? Presently, I don’t have a crush on anyone in the industry. But I like Don Jazzy. What is your philosophy of life? Life isn’t that serious. Again, I feel we should always live a happy life and a life full of thanks and enjoy it to the fullest. What challenges did you face putting your movie together? Initially I wanted to use Rita Dominic as my sister but she wasn’t available and I made do with Funke (Akindele) who was the second person that came to my mind. Getting the money and logistic together wasn’t easy; my parents helped a lot in financing the movie. Getting my parents to finance the film was a big challenge for me. I mean, dropping such a huge amount for something they don’t really like. Your film is already in the cinemas; how do you feel? I try not to feel so excited about it because it can get to my head, but it is a dream come true. I started it all in December and it’s not even up to a year now. So it’s a big achievement and I am just thankful. Aside movie production and acting, what other things are you into? I want to live a very selective life. I don’t want to be the type that appears in movies 50 times in a year. And to be honest, acting in movies does not attract a lot of money. In fact, I am so grateful that I am a producer. I mean, I can’t live on the money I make from acting. So I am thinking of going into laundering and fashionable wears. When thinking comfort, what is that dress that you can’t do without? I love night wears and have a lot of night gowns. I love to wear slippers a lot, so generally I love things that are free on me. What is that fashion item that takes more space in your wardrobe? I am a big fan of sun glasses and love to wear rings a lot. I am also passionate about wearing white clothes. As you can see, I am wearing one now, so 80 percent of my get-ups are white. What fashion item can’t you be caught wearing? I don’t like things that are loud or bye-bye things. What kind of books do you read? I celebrate novels. I love emotional books, but presently I am trying to be more open. Hence I have been reading thrillers, books with a lot of drama and comedy too. Who is your ideal man? That is a man that is God-fearing. By that I mean a man who loves God and who would then have the capacity to love me. If he really loves God he would follow God’s leading in his entire decision-making. Also, I love a man that is jovial because I love to laugh, and someone I am really comfortable with. I am considering his looks, but he should not be ugly or shorter than me. Before now, I was concerned about my man being tall and handsome. Now that I am older, I understand that you can’t have it all. I equally love a guy to dress well like 2face; I mean dressing simple and modestly. What part of the body do you cherish most? My face because people always say I have this nice smile and because it is the first part of the body one looks at. If you were in government, how would you tackle piracy? Firstly, I would deal with the hawkers (of pirated items) on the streets by assigning security personnel to arrest them. Secondly, they should invest in DVD stores, where you can get choice DVDs. Some people believe piracy helps to promote actors and actress? It helps them a lot because your movie is out there when the hawkers are selling them for you. But it does more harm to the producers because they invest more in the movie product and in the long run, the money goes to the hawkers. Where do you see yourself in the next five years? Married probably with two kids and definitely be seen as a very important and serious actor. That is the most important thing I want to achieve in the movie industry. I am not so concerned about fame or whatever. I also want to grow in my other businesses and make money. What projects are you currently handling? I am looking to set up a business and to film another movie before the end of the year. I am trying to put my script together.