Funmi Fiberesima likes to call herself an entertainment entrepreneur. And this is not an exaggeration as she has her hands in various aspects of entertainment. She is a producer, an actress, an On-Air-Personality (OAP) and an advocate of change. In this interview with YEJIDE GBENGA-OGUNDARE, Nigeria’s Tyler Perry, as she is called, speaks on her career, growing up, upcoming work, weaknesses and fashion preferences, among others sundry issues. Excerpts:
Definition of style
My definition of style is not complicated; it is simply allowing my personality to shine through my dress sense and whatever I do. I am generally a lover of colours. My zodiac sign is Pisces and music and colours lift our spirits, so, a rhythmic pattern can be tied to all I would call style.
My definition of style is not complicated; it is simply allowing my personality to shine through my dress sense and whatever I do. I am generally a lover of colours. My zodiac sign is Pisces and music and colours lift our spirits, so, a rhythmic pattern can be tied to all I would call style.
Beauty regimen
It is not very regular. But every time I can, I exfoliate at night with an apricot scrub and slather a generous amount of honey on my face for at least an hour before having my bath. I maintain my skin by using Shea butter. It is good for the African skin and hair. You can fix the smell with your body mist and other sweet smelling body sprays oils and perfumery.
It is not very regular. But every time I can, I exfoliate at night with an apricot scrub and slather a generous amount of honey on my face for at least an hour before having my bath. I maintain my skin by using Shea butter. It is good for the African skin and hair. You can fix the smell with your body mist and other sweet smelling body sprays oils and perfumery.
Opinion on toning.
Toning is good when you know how to do it and when to stop but today we call bleaching toning. That is what I do not like, especially the dark knuckles, I find them very distasteful.
Toning is good when you know how to do it and when to stop but today we call bleaching toning. That is what I do not like, especially the dark knuckles, I find them very distasteful.
My take on cosmetic surgery.
Cosmetic surgery is fantastic when you find a great surgeon and a disaster when you don’t . So, if you must fix something you don’t like, do your research well. I am a hundred per cent supporter of cosmetic surgery. In this day and age, you don’t have to live with the self consciousness that comes with being identified with body flaws (most times, people are identified with their body flaws). If there is any part of your body that you don’t like, it would be plain stupid for you to endure it, such people can go for cosmetic surgery.
Cosmetic surgery is fantastic when you find a great surgeon and a disaster when you don’t . So, if you must fix something you don’t like, do your research well. I am a hundred per cent supporter of cosmetic surgery. In this day and age, you don’t have to live with the self consciousness that comes with being identified with body flaws (most times, people are identified with their body flaws). If there is any part of your body that you don’t like, it would be plain stupid for you to endure it, such people can go for cosmetic surgery.
On provocative dressing.
My take on that is, don’t dress that way if you don’t want to provoke people. Rihanna can dress that way because she has got body guards that would keep out the type of people that her dressing would provoke to do to her things that she doesn’t like to her. If you dress like her and you don’t have her type of money to pay for her type of body guards, then you are stupid, plain and simple. Logic should guide your dressing to keep you as safe as you can possibly be from self provoked bodily harm.
My take on that is, don’t dress that way if you don’t want to provoke people. Rihanna can dress that way because she has got body guards that would keep out the type of people that her dressing would provoke to do to her things that she doesn’t like to her. If you dress like her and you don’t have her type of money to pay for her type of body guards, then you are stupid, plain and simple. Logic should guide your dressing to keep you as safe as you can possibly be from self provoked bodily harm.
What I won’t be caught dead wearing.
I won’t be caught dead in carnival clothing especially the bra and panties type. No, never!!!!
I won’t be caught dead in carnival clothing especially the bra and panties type. No, never!!!!
My greatest weakness.
I am impulsive. I take a lot of wrong decisions in many things and I make a lot of mistakes. My life as you see it today is a story of God’s grace because with the kind of mistakes I have made, I shouldn’t be here but it’s just God and that is why I love Him so much. For example, now, I am not dating or in any relationship. This is because I tend to date the wrong guys. I date the wrongest of guys and the reason for that is simple, every girl dates the wrong guys.
I am impulsive. I take a lot of wrong decisions in many things and I make a lot of mistakes. My life as you see it today is a story of God’s grace because with the kind of mistakes I have made, I shouldn’t be here but it’s just God and that is why I love Him so much. For example, now, I am not dating or in any relationship. This is because I tend to date the wrong guys. I date the wrongest of guys and the reason for that is simple, every girl dates the wrong guys.
How I got out of abusive relationships.
Yes and I still have a broken shoulder to show for it. But I got my pound of flesh back. I stayed in the relationship and worked on myself until I didn’t love him again. It was a decision that I was not going to love this person anymore. I got my revenge when I woke up one morning and decided the relationship was over. The guy was surprised. He begged for one year but I didn’t feel sorry for him. Every now and then, I get long ‘‘am sorry’’ text messages. I didn’t even bother to read them.
Yes and I still have a broken shoulder to show for it. But I got my pound of flesh back. I stayed in the relationship and worked on myself until I didn’t love him again. It was a decision that I was not going to love this person anymore. I got my revenge when I woke up one morning and decided the relationship was over. The guy was surprised. He begged for one year but I didn’t feel sorry for him. Every now and then, I get long ‘‘am sorry’’ text messages. I didn’t even bother to read them.
On whether I still believe in love.
I believe in love but I believe that love is good when you find somebody that loves himself. Any man that loves himself is capable of being a good man to love.
I believe in love but I believe that love is good when you find somebody that loves himself. Any man that loves himself is capable of being a good man to love.
How mistakes and impulsiveness affect my work.
I wouldn’t want to talk about how many mistakes I made during the production of my latest work, Onikola, a film on female circumcision. I made so many and it’s just the grace of God that saw me through.
On the movie, Onikola.
Onikola like I said is a film on female circumcision but unlike other films, I just presented the matter in an open manner for people to make a decision. The film simply states that parents should allow their children to grow up and take the decision on whether to get circumcised or not. It should not be the parent’s decision. The film has many stars like the late Pa Fatai Rolling Dollars, Lola Alao, Muyiwa Londoner and a lot of others. I have great hopes on the movie because I produced this myself and also one of the cast. I was not just wearing a producer’s hat; I was also wearing an actor’s hat. I don’t think I want to direct because that is a talent that I think you have to be born with.
I wouldn’t want to talk about how many mistakes I made during the production of my latest work, Onikola, a film on female circumcision. I made so many and it’s just the grace of God that saw me through.
On the movie, Onikola.
Onikola like I said is a film on female circumcision but unlike other films, I just presented the matter in an open manner for people to make a decision. The film simply states that parents should allow their children to grow up and take the decision on whether to get circumcised or not. It should not be the parent’s decision. The film has many stars like the late Pa Fatai Rolling Dollars, Lola Alao, Muyiwa Londoner and a lot of others. I have great hopes on the movie because I produced this myself and also one of the cast. I was not just wearing a producer’s hat; I was also wearing an actor’s hat. I don’t think I want to direct because that is a talent that I think you have to be born with.
Foray into television production and movies.
Like I said, I went back to school to study Communication. It was communication that helped me to make a smooth transition from acting into producing. After school, I started work at TVC around 2009 and I was a producer. It was at TVC that I got trained to be a producer on TV and radio. I am still in television production because I still consult for African Radio Drama Association. As for movies, I met Sam Dede who taught me many things when I was at TVC, I started with soaps then, I did this Dotun Taylor’s movie, Egberun Maili where I was the lead character, that was the first movie in which I took a key role
My next assignment.
I wish to do more films. I want to be able to reflect the Nigerian spirit in my productions especially that of the woman and child. I want to tell stories that can bring change to policies.
Like I said, I went back to school to study Communication. It was communication that helped me to make a smooth transition from acting into producing. After school, I started work at TVC around 2009 and I was a producer. It was at TVC that I got trained to be a producer on TV and radio. I am still in television production because I still consult for African Radio Drama Association. As for movies, I met Sam Dede who taught me many things when I was at TVC, I started with soaps then, I did this Dotun Taylor’s movie, Egberun Maili where I was the lead character, that was the first movie in which I took a key role
My next assignment.
I wish to do more films. I want to be able to reflect the Nigerian spirit in my productions especially that of the woman and child. I want to tell stories that can bring change to policies.
I want to tell stories that are part of our everyday life. I’m going to be telling a lot of stories that have to do with my life because I’ve had quite a journey myself. I’m not going to limit myself. I’m going to be very creative. And now, I’m going to be doing a lot of everything, though producing is my passion.
Coping with acting films in Yoruba
My mother is a Yoruba woman and I was born in Lagos. Yoruba is my first language. My mother is from Ogun State. She’s from Okunola, less than two hours’ drive from Abeokuta, while my father is from Rivers State. I speak Yoruba fluently.
Coping with acting films in Yoruba
My mother is a Yoruba woman and I was born in Lagos. Yoruba is my first language. My mother is from Ogun State. She’s from Okunola, less than two hours’ drive from Abeokuta, while my father is from Rivers State. I speak Yoruba fluently.
To people on my mother’s side, we were those Igbo children and on my father’s side, we were those Yoruba children. You were never really, really accepted. I felt a lot of acceptance among strangers than I did at home, among my extended families. To my aunties and uncles I’m just always a Rivers’ girl, in fact they call me Omo Ajeokuta ma mumi, and to my Rivers’ aunties and uncles, I’m always a Yoruba girl. My father’s title is that man with Yoruba children because my mum passed on a long time ago. So, the Yoruba people didn’t accept us neither did the River’s people accept us. This allowed me the luxury of being attached to both cultures from an outsider’s point of view. I like to see myself as a blessed Yoruba girl, that was blessed to have an extremely close relationship with the Rivers people. And then, I’m a blessed Rivers girl that was blessed to have extremely close relationship with the Yoruba people.
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