MARRIAGE STORMS

Why our marriages don’t last –Nollywood actress

A thespian , Tessy Ijeh , says that marriage breakups often experienced by actresses are mainly caused by the herculean task of combiningg the home front and acting.
Delta - born Ijeh, a Continuity Manager at Nollywood, told the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Lagos that combining the homefront and acting was a task many actresses found difficult to manage.
“ Acting really takes a woman out of her home because it is tasking ; most of our husbands don ’t recognise this as they mount pressure on us.
“ Some actresses , unable to cope with this task, often abandon their homes to face their career because even the husbands cannot provide all that their wives need .
“ Children are the most affected in relationship breakups, because once the parents are divorced , and the mother still goes on with her career, the children are left uncared for .
“ The children will miss their mother’ s affection more and this is one thing that we have yet to find solution to in this part of the world ; but others have gone ahead,’’ Ijeh said .
The actress , who had her secondary education at Eko Girls Grammar School, Okota , Isolo in Lagos , said that sexual harassment in the entertainment industry was real .
She said that she had faced one before but she took her stand .
“ Sexual harassment is real in our business but everybody has a choice to make . I once faced the devil and the deep blue sea before and I chose the one that I felt was right.
“ I was faced with sexual harassment when I first joined the industry . It is a sacrifice that I have to make because I started as a model .
“ The director made a pass at me and I told him if this is what I will face to be popular , I will rather remain in the background and I left.
“ Sometimes , some film directors ask for our bodies in return for a role , but it ’ s unfortunate that some ladies will even throw themselves at the directors . It is wrong on both sides ,’’ she said.
Ijeh said that roles played by actors and actresses in a film might have some spiritual undertone , while some might not, adding that it takes courage to stay off roles .
“ Roles that we play in movies sometimes come with some spiritual undertones which I have an experience about .
“ I acted in a movie called ` No Money, No Sex ’ , and in the movie , I acted as a bi - sexual which I have to put myself in it ; later I discovered that I’m having strange sexual feelings .
“ I quickly readjusted and pray against it and stayed off . It also affected me when I played the role of a witch in a film. There is spiritual side of every act ,’’ she said .
Ijeh , a product of Institute of Management Technology , Enugu , and a former teacher , said that though some roles in a film come with its inherent dangers, the dangers could be averted if adequate caution was adhere to .
“ The roles we often play in films are sometimes dangerous of which we should be extra careful in dealing with; nevertheless, we can take
precaution to counter the dangers.
“ Actors get roles based on their interpretation of previous roles played . This particular role may stick to them and be their favoured roles ; but actors must be dynamic.
“ For some playing the role of a gateman, it may be their strong point and they may never get other roles; likewise a witch or wicked person in the case of Patient Ozokwo .
“ Roles sometimes also define how far an actress will go. If an actor continues to get a role of a gatekeeper , how many gatekeeper roles will he get to make it ,’’ she said. (NAN )