I Was Forced Into Acting – Nkem Owoh

Veteran Nollywood actor Nkem Owoh, popularly known as Osuofia, has revealed that his journey into acting happened by chance and was never part of his original plan.

The celebrated comic actor described his entry into acting as “an accident,” explaining that he initially wanted to remain behind the scenes as a scriptwriter.

Speaking on a recent episode of the Selah Meditate podcast, Owoh said his colleagues noticed his ability to make people laugh and continually encouraged him to appear in front of the camera.

He said, “My coming in front of the camera was an accident. I was a scriptwriter behind the scenes and people started telling me to start performing in front of the camera.

“I remember ATV created a 7-minute programme for me to do stand-up comedy in the 80s. They told me to come in front of the camera because I was making people laugh behind the camera. With much pressure, I came in front of the camera. And I saw that what I was doing people were buying it so that was how my acting career began.”

Reflecting on the challenges that came with fame, the veteran actor said becoming a celebrity took away much of his personal freedom.

According to him, many people focus only on the benefits of fame without understanding the sacrifices and limitations that come with being in the public eye.

“Fame took away my freedom. A lot of people want to be celebrities, they only know the benefits but not the downsides. When you become famous you can’t do a lot of the things you were doing freely before. You become restricted in a lot of ways,” he explained.

Nkem Owoh remains one of Nigeria’s most respected actors and is widely known for his comedic roles, which have made him a household name across Africa.