The talented and funny LASU graduate in a recent chat with Mutiat Alli of Movie Moments opens up on her new role as the Public Relations Officer of Lagos chapter of Actors Guild of Nigeria, her messy divorce, love life and many other issues.
Interview excerpt below;
Who really is Moji Oyetayo?
My name is Moji Oyetayo popularly known as Mama Ajasco. I am a voice-over artiste; I am an actress and I ‘m also the newly sworn-in public relations officer of the Lagos State Chapter of Actors Guild of Nigeria. I am a Lagosian and a beautiful Yoruba woman. I attended Supreme Education Foundation in Magodo, Lagos and got a degree in English from Lagos State University LASU.
You wear so many hats as an actress, voice-over artiste, and AGN executive, how do you combine all these?
The truth of the matter is they are all under the big picture called entertainment and there are ways of marrying them together. I have been shooting a lot of new soaps, movies but the latest side of me is being the Public Relation Officer of AGN Lagos Chapter. It’s been quite tasking because I’m the voice of the guild and the image maker. So I get to attend almost all the events, I get to talk and have a relationship with the media. What we’re preaching here is that there is a new dawn; the new executive under the chairmanship of Victor Osuagwu is geared to take AGN to a new life. Enough of bickering, enough of the infighting, enough of disorder, we should speak as one body. When we’re separated, we can’t go forward. When we come together, then that’s when things will take place and people will take us more serious. Apparently, I thought it was on AGN. I just finished a meeting with ANTP and they are in the same mess too. It’s very embarrassing and annoying.
How has your career been like?
All praise goes to the Almighty, it has been fine and I am enjoying every bit of it. They say slow and steady wins the race. I’m popularly known as Mama Ajasco of the Papa Ajasco & Company drama series from Wale Adenuga Productions. That runs on all local stations everyday of the week and is nationwide. That’s like large. I have been acting mama Ajasco for three years now.
How easy or tough has it been interpreting the role of Mama Ajasco?
Interpreting Mama Ajasco was kind of really critical for me in the first place. People know me as an English language student and I speak a lot of phonetics. So dropping my phonetics was kind of a major in-balance for me originally and kind of speaking normal English and pidgin. It was kind of tasking and that’s what makes you a fantastic actor. When people meet me and see the way I speak, my composure, and my dressing trying to relate with my character, they are normally shocked. I’m supposed to be given thumbs up. If I can transcend into that role and come back to myself, it says a lot about my talent. Outside of that, I’ve done a lot of movies. I’m running on some soap even right now as we are talking. I’m on Daughters of Eve, Famous Five, My Tomorrow and the latest is Oga madam which starts soon. I’m a soap guru because it features you and transcends you and keep you on the face of people permanently. People ask me and I say I am running on six different drama series at the same time because I want my face to be on your brain. I’ll probably concentrate on more movies for the rest of the quarter. Basically for me soap opera is supposed to sell you and it is only a series that entertains the house hold.
So how many movies and soaps have you done?
So you earnestly want me to start counting them …
Maybe because I doubt if many people know?
That is the challenge people have with me and it happens every time. Even as mama Ajasco, you can watch me now and not recognize me. My best hobby in life is to disguise. I hate people see me and recognize me easily. Like the role I played in Return of Jenifa as a cult girl, Ata trying to initiate Helen Paul, before people can say I am the one, the scene has gone. I always have this familiar look when people see me but they can’t place it. Before you start arranging yourself to place it, I have run away and I love it. And I don’t want it to change. I don’t look like my characters in all my movies and series and that’s fine for me. I need to have a life that I can enjoy without paparazzi.
How long have you joined the Nigerian movie industry and how well have you feared?
I started in 2006. I started out as the Next Movie Star and artiste manager for the Next Movie Reality TV Show and from there I went into a Reality TV show called 12 Ambassadors of Nollywood sponsored by Paul Obazele in conjunction with Unity Bank and I emerged as one of the 12 ambassadors and that’s how my career emerged.
So how has it been since then?
It has been fine and for sure challenging but I have been striving hard and not resting on my oars. I did not go through any of the scandals and the pressures. God has been faithful. As you know I like to talk, so I plan to have my talk show shortly. It’s natural for me to make people laugh.
Outside acting what do you do?
I’m a voice-over artiste and do a lot of master compeering at different events and it gives me jobs more than acting and being a voice over artiste put together. It pays the bills for me. I’m a member of AVOA, Association of Voice over Artistes.
You are on the big side, how do you feel about that?
Yes, an African woman is a big woman and I’m proud to be a big woman. I’m a beautiful sexy big woman and I love it. An African woman is curvy. I’m not preaching obesity but if you are big, embrace it, dress your curve, look nice and present yourself as sexy. African men love fully curvaceous women. I’m a plus size model. I don’t face discrimination instead I have a problem finding them off.
So what is sex to you?
(Sex is) That evil thing that God gave man that is causing commotion right now (Laughter). Somebody sang very good bad girl or sex is a very good bad thing between man and woman that is causing commotion in the world.
Can you tell me about your love life?
Ha! Journalist! Journalist! How many times did I call you? Free me. You people must go to wetin happen. No be wetin dem say you want talk you go talk?
Men that admire you would want to know or are you shy about it?
I’m a beautiful contented woman with my life. And if the right man comes along fine, if it doesn’t come, I’ll still be fulfilled doing what God has called me to do. People just think that you must have a man to be happy. I do not think so. I’ve since known that true happiness comes from within you. You have to be very happy with yourself to experience happiness with a partner or without. If you’re not happy when a partner walks into your life, he won’t still make you happy. There will still be a missing gap in your life. So the first thing every woman should is to embrace happiness, your inner peace and come to peace within it and when you find a partner it just blends naturally. A man does not fill an empty void, he complements it and I’m talking from experience not just ki le e le yi so (what is this one saying in Yoruba)? I am divorced.
Really?
Yeah, that’s what people don’t know about me. I’m divorced and have a daughter, Rereloluwa Stephany from my marriage. Her birth was my most joyous moment. So I have experience the bliss of partnership and marriage or whatever you people call it. I have since being out and I’ve also experienced loneliness, heartbroken and disappointment. I’ve also experienced love and plenty of admiration and respect. So I’ve come to a stage in my life that contentment and happiness is from within first. I’m
happy and satisfied in my sexuality as a woman and I know I’m an intelligent and hardworking mother. With time the right man will come.
For how long have you been divorced?
It’s over 7 years already. I have overcome everything that has to do with emotional trauma and I’ve escaped heart breaks. I’m a huge beautiful woman happy to groove and ready to love if it comes.
Can you date someone from the movie industry?
I try to stay away from them not because there is anything wrong with it. I don’t have a problem dating someone from my profession but I’ll rather choose someone in another industry that is quiet such that there are things we can talk about when we get home.
How fashionable are you?
I love all the jeweleries. I love flashy things. I’m big and love big things, big earrings, big blings, and big wristwatches. I ’m more comfortable with western clothes, my jeans, trainers, polo top and body suit. I’m not restricted in fashion. I wear what brings my sex appeal.
What is your life philosophy?
Do unto others as you want them to do for you. It is as simple as that. Live life because life is too short. Enjoy yourself. Do what is right. Let your conscience be your judge.
[Culled from Movie Moments]
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