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Juliet Ibrahim Unviels New TV Series


Dame of Ghollywood, Juliet Ibrahim’s charm in art and persona endears her to a huge fan base. Little wonder the ease of her entry and acceptance within the Nigerian entertainment sphere. In this interview with Debola's Blog, she speaks about movies, men and family

How would you say you have you fared in the industry?

I would say great; it has been a wonderful experience. It’s a little over 10 years now and I’m still standing, ready to do more. This is just the beginning for me; there are more fields to be conquered.

Would you like to share your best and moments of gloom in the acting industry?

I would say my best moments are when I’m able to interpret my roles perfectly and when I get recognised for my efforts. As for the not too rosy moments, I don’t think I have any.
Maybe days that I’m tired, moody and stressed are my downtime. One is not always in a good mood certainly, not on a daily basis but when it comes to your job one has to be ever ready to get into character. You can’t bring your personal issues on a movie set as a professional.
Your roles in movies mostly seem glamorised; tell us about your most challenging one.
My roles are not always glamorised. I have played the role of a pauper before, the role of a village ghost seeking revenge, the role of an obese imbecile, the role of a snake princess and so many more.

How would you define your personality in and outside movie?

Well, my personality on stage has to fall in with the script I’m supposed to interpret. Off stage, I’m just me, a happy, reserved and down to earth woman.

Have you always wanted to be an actress, and how did you really come on board?

Music has always been my dream. When I was a little girl, all I dreamt about was being on stage and singing in front of millions of people. I performed in several school talent shows; and back then, Celine Dion was my role model. I sang in the choir for many years, so I just thought that it’s about time I do what I have always wanted to do.
I stumbled on acting in 2004 after I won a beauty pageant and was crowned “Miss Ghana institute of languages” (Queen of languages). I went to try out my luck at an audition for one of Ghana’s biggest film production companies and I never knew that was going to be the turning point in my life. I got the lead role and was given a script to feature in ‘Crime to Christ’ where I played the role of the girlfriend of a notorious armed robber. That’s how it all started.

Which of the movies you have featured in so far remains your favourite and what character did you play in it?

Films that remain my favourite will be my personal movies because I invest a lot into my productions to make sure they are topnotch. I take pride in my own products.

You are a cross-over actor who has acted in Yoruba films despite being a Ghanaian. How challenging was the role you played in Yoruba?
There were really no challenges on Mercy Aigbe’s set. I just had to learn to speak some Yoruba while on the set and I think I coped well. The crew and cast were amazing to work with.
They made it so easy. I am a versatile actress so I could be acting Yoruba movies today, and tomorrow I’ll be speaking Igbo or Hausa. I am always ready to challenge myself. I also love languages as you know I already speak French fluently as well as Spanish, hence learning a little bit of Yoruba in the movie didn’t really become an issue.

Who are your favourite Nigerian and Ghanaian actors?
Olu Jacobs, Patience Ozokwor, Pete Edochie, Majid Michel, Kofi Adjorlolo and Kalsome Sinare.

You act, sing, produce films, and you have a background in journalism; which of these is taking most of your time, and have you been coping with others?

For the records, I went to Ghana Institute of Journalism but studied marketing, advertising and public relations. Then for acting, singing and producing, they are all intertwined, so it’s not as if I’m doing anything different, and by the grace of God, as for the others which include running a boutique, House of Glamour, my Jewelz Production outfit, the Juliet Ibrahim Foundation, an NGO focused on creating awareness on kidney cancer, malaria, HIV AIDS, Ebola and other diseases and providing necessary interventions to ensure a society free of such issues in Ghana and Africa, I’m doing a pretty good job!

What do you find interesting about your family?

My childhood was very eventful because we grew up in war torn countries; so my family and I were always relocating. I grew up in Liberia, Lebanon and Ivory Coast, before we finally moved back to Ghana.
My family and I have gone through a lot together; things you can’t just imagine but we are ever so resilient. There were happy moments when I was in school but most of my childhood moments are not quite exciting and worthy of recounting.

You are one of the few scandal-free actresses both in Ghollywood and Nollywood, what is your magic wand?

Really? That’s contrary to a lot of stories I read often times online about myself. Sometimes, I discover new relationships that I’m supposedly having online.
What comes to your mind when you hear about actresses sleeping their ways to fame?
Well, nothing really, I don’t hear about that because I keep my nose where it should be, in my own business. If it doesn’t affect me, it doesn’t concern me. As adults, we are all responsible for any action we take.
What was your most interesting encounter with men?

I once had a stalker; it was scary but that was handled before he became a menace.
Tell us about your upcoming big project?
I’m releasing my 4th music video. I’m also unveiling my new TV series, ‘Every Woman Has A Story’, EWHAS, and a Reality TV Show which will be in the news any moment from now. So just keep your fingers crossed.
If you had the opportunity to be in your teen again, would you have a different plan for the future?
Not really, I must say I’m living my dream. Everything is falling in place for me, I couldn’t have asked for more.

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