Acclaimed actress and filmmaker Omoni Oboli has opened up about her early struggles in the film industry, revealing how she traded her scripts for acting roles in the beginning stages of her career. In an interview with Radionow FM, Omoni shared her journey from actress to director and the inspiration behind her decision to take charge of her own films.
Reflecting on her early experiences, Oboli explained that she often exchanged her scripts for opportunities to act, forgoing payment in favor of securing roles.
“I was trading my scripts for movie roles,” she recalled. “I’d say, ‘you know what, don’t pay me, just give me a role in the film.’”
However, it wasn’t long before she realized that her vision wasn’t fully coming to life in the films. As a writer, Oboli saw her stories in vivid pictures, and the final product often didn’t align with her original intent.
“When I’m watching the movie, it’s so different from what I had in my head when I was writing. Not to say that it wasn’t good, because no two directors will direct the same script in the same way,” she explained. “But I said to myself, if my stories are going to have my DNA, then I’m going to have to direct them myself.”
Though the idea of directing her own films was initially intimidating, Oboli pushed herself to pursue her vision. Drawing on her Warri roots, she confidently embraced the challenge: “I said to myself, ‘Warri no dey carry last, na. Wetin dem get wey I no get?’ I told myself, I will do this thing.”
Her determination led her to study directors closely while acting on set, and she soon realized she needed formal training to enhance her skills. “I started understudying directors, watching them closely while acting. Then I said, maybe I need some formal education on this. So, I went for a short course at the New York Film Academy,” she added.
Today, Omoni Oboli is celebrated not only for her acting but also for her directing, having successfully made the transition she once only dreamed of.
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