By Rita Chioma

Kiki Omeili, a medical doctor turned award-winning actress recently shared with Allure Vanguard, the challenges of being an actress in Nigeria.
‎According to her, she has lost her privacy and right to private life.

“There were so many challenges. You have the challenge of people believing certain things about actors. People think you are what you portray in movies. Actors are almost always seen as the extension of their roles in real life. That is not so. Then, can we talk about loss of privacy and private life? That’s already peculiar to the industry. There are other challenges here and there,” she said.‎

Sharing her experiences on movie set as well as her most challenging role, the script interpreter hinted that her best is yet to come.‎
“I always say that I have played challenging roles. But the truth is we don’t know what is ahead of us. Gbomo Gbomo was very challenging for me. The character was nothing like me at all. To be able to play that character, an uncouth person who does not speak any English except Pidgiin with the mannerism, believably was very challenging. Sting, the one that won the 2015 GIAMA for Best Supporting Actress, equally gave me a lot to chew. It was emotionally and physically challenging because I played a rape victim. But have I played my most challenging role yet? My answer is I can’t say until the challenge come.”

‎When asked how easy it was for her breaking into mainstream movie production, especially in the early stage of her career, Kiki said, “Initially, it wasn’t easy. I had a lot of trouble convincing people that I was talented enough to be here. When people heard I had a medical background, they just felt like “What is a doctor doing here?” but I have been lucky enough to be given the opportunity to prove my mettle. Now, I have comfortably cemented my place in the movie industry. 

She also has a message to pass across to producers about herself and versatility.
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“I want to say to producers; I am a versatile actor, a well-rounded actor. Also because of my background, a little bit more aware about several things than the average person. I have the ability to interpret any role that is being thrown at me. It will be of great value to your production to cast me in your movie.”
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