I Became An Actor By Accident – Nkem Owoh

Veteran Nollywood performer Nkem Owoh, often referred to as Osuofia, revealed that pursuing a career in film acting was never part of his intentions.

In a recent discussion on the Selah Meditate podcast, he mentioned that his initial role was primarily as a scriptwriter behind the scenes, where he found joy in crafting comedic material without being in front of the camera.

According to Naija News, the actor clarified that those around him encouraged him to explore acting due to his humorous nature during his production roles.

He recounted that his first appearance on screen occurred when a brief comedy segment was developed for him in the 1980s, and gradually, viewers started to appreciate his acting, which eventually led him to embrace a full-time acting career.

Owoh remarked, “My entrance into acting and being in front of the camera was unplanned. I was originally focused on scriptwriting behind the scenes, but people encouraged me to perform on camera.

“I recall that ATV produced a 7-minute segment for me to do stand-up comedy back in the 80s. They asked me to step in front of the camera because I was entertaining people off-camera. After some persuasion, I made my on-camera debut. I realized that my work was well received by the audience, and that marked the start of my acting journey.”

He also addressed the challenges of being a public figure, indicating that his fame has significantly altered various aspects of his everyday life.

He observed that gaining recognition resulted in a loss of privacy and restricted his ability to engage in ordinary activities without being noticed by the public.