She’s
the newest Ghananian actress who has become an item in the Nigeria’s
movie industry of late. Very sexy, tall, fair skinned and blessedly
endowed with long and slim fingers to complement her beauty. Ela
Mensah is no doubt one of the Ghollywood’s new faces to watch out
for in Nollywood this year. So far, she has featured in movies such
as, Dirty Marriage, Witches In Okoko, Blood & Tears, My Private
Part, Treated Like A Lady, Kukere Babes to mention but a few. The
mother of one who left her first love as a TV presenter for the
klieglights told your darling magazine, National Enquirer some of her
best kept secrets including the man in her life and what she
considered her most priceless asset. Here are excerpts of what
she told editor, Tunde Moshood during the encounter.
At what point did you decide to start acting and what's your first experience like?
I got into acting by accident, I was doing my national service at
Metro TV station because I study Journalism & Media Studies, in
Ghana, we call it attachment, so a friend of mine was going for an
audition and she asked me to drop her with my car, when we got there,
they were all asked to write their names and they started to recite
something, it was all funny to me, and whilst I was watching, the
producer approached me and said, ‘you so pretty, you’re
presentable, can you also try it’, I told him am not an actor, am a
journalist, he persuaded me and that was how I became an actor. My
first experience was so funny, though I’ve been in front of camera
as a presenter but it’s not the same as the news room, acting is
more fun, there’s make up, costumes, welfare and so on, its more
comfortable because you can wear whatever you want to wear according
to your role but in the news room, it’s just suits…lol. So that’s
my acting story.
What
exactly do you want in the movie industry, money, fame, the fun of it
or the fact that its a stepping stone to meeting people?
Of course am
in for the money, money gives fame, am not for the fun, though it’s
part of it, money makes you famous and the fame takes you to places,
if you’re famous, people feel comfortable and want to be around
you, being a celebrity takes you to places, it’s all in one package
but the main reason is for the money.
There has
been different versions of how you really became a hot item in
Nollywood, can you share the correct version with us?
Versions
how? I don’t know about versions, there’s just one person,
a Nollywood actor I met for the first time, his name is Eric
Stevenson, I met him here in my country at a movie location in 2012.
He was a director on that set, and to my surprise, after like 3
months, he called me up and invited me over to come and act in his
movie because he said he likes the way I acted in the movie we did
together with Van Vicker, so that was how I went to Nigeria to
partake in his movie and since then I have been coming and coming to
Nigeria. The first time I ever came to Nigeria was October 1st, 2012
and it was on his invitation. So I don’t know of any version,
please tell me let me clear the air.
Who're
your closest Nollywood male and female actors?
Ummm…I
don’t really have close female friends in the movie industry, both
Ghana and Nigeria, not at all, and as for the male, maybe because I
grew up with guys as the only daughter of the family, so I don’t
like hanging out with girl because girls are too dramatic, am a drama
queen myself so I don’t need an extra one. So my closest friend in
Nollywood is Mike Ezuruonye, he’s my body body and in Ghana,
they’re about three, Majid Michel is there, Prince David Osei is
there, ummm..and am kind of hello hello with John Dumelo and a couple
of them.
As a sexy
and provocatively endowed actress, how often do you get offer in
exchange for roles?
I don’t see
why I’ll be termed or tagged as provocatively endowed actress, no.
Yes, I agree I have body and my body comes out as oh wow, like she’s
hot, she’s this, she’s that but I don’t see that as being
provocatively, anyway, back to the question, nobody has ever and
nobody can never ask me for anything in exchange for roles, no, I
think they do it to those girls who’re desperate to be on the
screen, not me, and am sure nobody can ever try it because am not
desperate, I get my roles based on the fact that am a fantastic
actor, I act with passion, I act from my stomach because I love to
act and I know am talented very well.
How close
have you been to falling for that kind of "body for role"
drama because if you deny it, you're not telling us the truth?
Look, am very
serious about this, seriously, nobody has asked me, being a producer,
marketer or director, nobody has asked me, bring your body for a
role, of course I’ve seen it, I’ve heard it and I’ve witnessed
situations where they treat some girls like trash but not me, they
know the kind of girls they do it to, it depends on how you present
yourself, nobody will dare look at me and say give me your body for a
role, it has never happened and it will never happen. And that’s
the truth.
There's
this rumour that you're in a sizzling romance with an actor in
Nigeria?
Nooo, never,
am not in any romance with any actor and am never going to date any,
and you know why, I can’t date my colleague, two of us doing the
same business, its going to be hell, no. Yes, am not single, yes, I
am not married, yes I am not engaged and whoever it is am seeing is
not an actor, never.Who’s this lucky man, is he a Ghanaian or
Nigeria?Laughs…you want me to tell you, hell no, that’s too
private, I want to try as much as possible to keep my private life
private for security reasons, I can’t disclose his name but because
you’re my friend, I’ll give you a tip, he’s a Nigerian, that’s
what I can tell you.
Who's your
crush among Nigerian actor?
Ummm…my
crush among Nigerian actors? Ummm…who’s my crush? No, am not
crushing on anybody, though I respect them, I like them, the truth is
I don’t have a crush on anyone, and like I said Mike Ezuruonye is
my friend but no crush on anyone. I have a crush on an American
actor, a very sweet guy, yes, very very sweet, an Hollywood
actor.
And who’s
this Hollywood actor?
Laughs…you
just want to know everything…ummmm…anyway it’s Idris Elba, he’s
so cute and I like the way he acts and does his things.
What about
back home in Ghana, who's your suitor?
Ummm…back
home in Ghana, I don’t have any suitor here, like I said I am not
single, I don’t have any crush on any of my colleagues here either,
ummm…obviously I have a lot of men at my beck and call, but I have
only one person and he’s not an actor.
How
professionally daring can you go in acting...will you take a nude
role for a million dollars?
This
question, I’ve been asked a thousand times and I keep giving same
answer, yes Tunde dear, not even a billion dollars will make me go
nude, and you know why, this is Africa, our cultures are different,
if it’s Hollywood, if it’s in America, you can go nude and its
nobody’s business, look! People have become top shot celebrities
for going nude, talk of Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton, a lot of them,
I can go on and on and on, they’re big successful people because
they go nude but this is Africa, our culture is different, it is not
acceptable to go nude here, the worst anyone can do is to show small
small cleavage based on even the role you’re being given, you
understand, so no amount of money can make me go nude and I will
never go nude, never!
Are you
presently in a serious relationship? Who's this man after your heart?
Umm…yes, am
in a serious relationship… should I even call it serious, ummm…am
in a relationship my dear let me re-phrase myself, am in a
relationship, ummm…me I like him and he likes me back but we’re
taking it one day at a time, I don’t know how serious we’re but
am enjoying the relationship, we’re okay.
If you
have your way, when will you like to be married?
Of course I
want to marry, every woman wants to get marry including me and am
going to get married, yes I’ll be getting married very very soon
and trust me Tunde, you’re going to be the first to get the news
exclusively first when the date is set, yes, very very soon.
There's
this belief that, good food, being caring and great sex are parts of
what keep a man, what's your own private secret in a relationship?
Yeah,
everything is true, yes, good food, being caring and great sex might
make you keep a man but then, you can only keep a man who wants to be
kept, like I always tell my friends, no woman can change a man unless
a man wants to change himself, the only men you can change are the
ones who wear diapers, that’s our babies, so you can’t change any
man, you can even give him ten kids, if he doesn’t want you he
doesn’t want you, but I think if a woman really want to keep a man,
even though its painful, it’s a man’s world and in African, men
will always want to be in charge but in my own relationship, my
private secret is I allow my man to be in charge, I step back and
allow him to be the captain even though he also allow me to have my
opinions because he knows am a strong woman, am an independent woman,
that not withstanding, in the relationship, he’s the boss and am
the secretary, you know men have this ego, so you have to allow them
to take the charge but if you know how to play your card, I think
it’ll also work out.
You're
blessed with nice boobs, flat tummy, curvy hips and an inviting bum,
which of these would you say is your most priceless asset?
Ummm…(lol)
I don’t really know why people always see my boobs, my curves, my
ass or whatever but I think my lips are so sexy, can’t you see it
yourself, please my lips are my priceless asset, you can get your
boobs done, your curves, ass and so on but lips are different, I
think my lips are so sexy, you guys should be looking at it, they’re
so sexy and am liking them…(in a sensuous bedroom voice).
Which part
of your body is the most sensitive to touch?
Ahahaaaaa…(lol)
Tunde am not gonna say this, for obvious reasons noooo, am sorry am
not gonna say it.
Are you
planning to make your own movie soon?
Yes, am
planning to make my own movie, hopefully this year, am going to be a
producer, I’ve registered my company, so this year am sure am going
to produce my first ever movie.
What do
you look out for in a man?
Ummm…of
course my man has to be funny, you know my job is so stressful and
being a single mum and the only daughter in my family with all these
guys around me, sometimes am stressed, sometimes am so pressured, you
can’t do everything on your own as a woman you know, so I love
funny guys, I want a guy who’ll make me laugh, just make me laugh,
make me smile, make me happy, not too funny though, he has to be very
funny.
How rich
are you or better put what would you say you've achieved as an actor?
I’ve achieved a lot, knowledge, a lot of things about my country, a
lot of things about other people’s country, I’ve achieved wisdom,
I’ve learnt a lot, I’ve got to know how to handle life
difficulties, I’ve got to know that life is not bed of roses and I
think my greatest achievements is the fact that, if I want anything,
no one can stop me but only God because, am so confident about me, I
believe so much in myself, I am more ambitious, I am more detailed
and of course the money, the cars make you comfortable but those I
can really boast of is the knowledge and my self confidence that has
boosted like…am 100% confident of myself. Its been nice
sharing your time ElaYou’re most welcome, thanks so much Tunde.
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