Veteran Nollywood actor, Nkem Owoh, widely known as Osuofia, has shared that he never originally planned to become a film actor. He explained that his early interest was actually in writing scripts and working behind the camera instead of appearing on screen.
He made this known during an interview on the Selah Meditate podcast. In the discussion, he said people around him noticed he had a natural ability to make others laugh, and they kept encouraging him to try acting in front of the camera.
Owoh said he was comfortable staying in scriptwriting until his colleagues continued to push him to perform. He described his entry into acting as something he did not intentionally plan.
“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,” he said.
He also remembered that during the 1980s, Anambra Television (ATV) created a short seven-minute comedy programme just for him after they saw how funny he was.
As he began to appear on screen, audience reactions were very positive. This response eventually convinced him to fully embrace acting, which later became the foundation of his long and successful Nollywood career.
Talking about life as a famous person, the Actor also pointed out that being popular has its downsides. He said fame changed his everyday life and limited his personal freedom.
“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 said.
Today, Nkem Owoh is still regarded as one of the most popular comic actors in Nigeria, with many memorable roles that helped shape the Nigerian film industry.