Veteran Nollywood actor Nkem Owoh, popularly known as Osuofia, has revealed that he never planned to become an actor, saying his journey into stardom happened unexpectedly after people repeatedly pushed him in front of the camera.
Speaking on the Selah Meditate Podcast, the comic legend said he originally worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter and had no intention of becoming a performer.
According to him, colleagues constantly encouraged him to appear on screen because of his natural ability to make people laugh.
“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,” Owoh said.
The 68-year-old actor recalled how a television programme created for him in the 1980s eventually changed the course of his life and career.
“They told me to come in front of the camera because I was making people laugh behind the camera. With much pressure, I came in front of the camera and people loved it. From there, I never left,” he added.
Reflecting on the growth of Nollywood, Owoh said he and several pioneers of the industry never imagined it would become one of the biggest film industries in the world.
“We never thought it was going to get to the height it has gotten to now, but thanks to God, we have pushed it to this stage,” he said.
The actor also opened up on the hidden cost of fame, revealing that celebrity status took away one thing he values deeply — his freedom.
“Fame took away my freedom. A lot of people want to be celebrities; they only know the benefits but not the downsides,” Owoh stated.
“When you become famous, you can’t do a lot of the things you were doing freely before. You become restricted in many ways.”
Owoh began his entertainment journey as a writer with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) before getting an unexpected acting opportunity that launched his screen career.
He later became a household name after writing and producing the movie “Ikuku” in 1995, where he played the unforgettable character Osuofia, a role that cemented his place in Nollywood history.
Today, Osuofia remains one of Nigeria’s most respected and beloved actors, with a career spanning more than four decades.
Source: Selah Meditate Podcast
