.Uche Jombo

How does it feel finding your lost jeep?
It feels so good. At least, I did not have to worry about buying another car.

You told us you would find the car because you pay your tithe and true to your word, you did. Your tithe must be an effective talisman.
Bible says, he would rebuke the devourer for our sake. God is faithful to his words.

How did you recover it?
I was home when the policemen called me to come and check if one abandoned SUV is mine. My documents, complimentary cards and the rest was in the car where it was abandoned at Maroko. That was how I recovered the car.

This must be your shine time. You seem to be almost on every location
No, but I give God the thanks for that, everybody has his or her day, may be this is mine.

You must be savoring the moment
I really do not believe in the rave of the moment kind of thing. I have always maintained that I’m a regular artiste and I still think that is what I am.

You are also one of the few actresses that writes, tell me about that aspect of you.
I have passion for writing. But when I started writing, I got really discouraged by a lot of things and was encouraged by some other things. Writing is something I love doing, though it doesn’t pay me as much as acting. There is something special about seeing the character you created come alive. My first script was produced six years ago.

What is the title of the movie?
‘Ordained’ by OJ Productions, the second was ‘To love Forever’ by Ralph Nwadike and there was ‘Girls In The Hood’, which I co-wrote with Emem Isong. There was also ‘Endless Life’, ‘Perfect Planner’ and some others.

When will you produce your own movie?
That is the headache I’ll leave for the likes of Emem Isong and co., it is not my focus.

So where is your focus?
My focus is more technical; I’ll probably retire as a director.

What were you doing during the lull period when movie roles were not as frequent as is the case now?
I was writing and doing my show, MMS on NTA and was also into interior decoration.

Give us an insight into your television show.
It is about music and movie in Nigeria. It is about celebrating our entertainment culture. But it is rested now because it was a live show and my schedule was not helping matter at all.

To some people, you are just wasting away acting with your degree in mathematics and PGD in computer programming.
I am not wasting away because I have some classmates who are not acting. So you can’t call what I’m doing wasting away.

Tell us about the beginning of your acting career.
I started early. Actually, I got an acting scholarship for three years while in secondary school. I belonged to a drama group in the church and that was where I got my scholarship due to what they call my extra-ordinary talent.

What has acting afforded you that no other profession would have given you?
There have been some benefits no doubt.

We are sure more men would have wooed you because you are an actress.
First of all, I’m a fine girl and they could be ‘toasting’ me because I’m a fine girl not because I act. Seriously, everything that has advantage has disadvantage; there are places where they treat you in a special way because you are an actress.

You started from the church and your acting to an average church person means you have departed from the way of the truth.
Hell! No. What we did then was more of bible quotations in a dramatic way. Basically, for me it was a training process. Religion is a matter of the heart. I have a personal relationship with God, so I totally disagree with that.

We are almost sure you’ve forgotten those Bible quotations.
No. I still remember them, you know the things you learn from childhood are those things that stay with you through your adulthood.

When did you have your first boyfriend?
I won’t answer that because it is personal.

Is it because you started too early or too late?
That would give me up if I answer.

How did you get into acting?
I started acting in 1998. I was more like a behind the scenes person when I started; I was trying to put a small production company together. I did commercials for Manny Bank and was also doing something for Academy for Art, Reel Awards. I was marketing for the award and in the process took a letter to Fidelis Duker who was having an audition that day. I was given a script to read but I protested that I was there to market Reel Award, but Fidelis said he would have sworn I was an actress because of my mannerisms. I eventually did the reading and left the place with a role that day.

What was the title of the movie?
It was supposed to be a soap called ‘Images’, but he later turned it to home video, Visa To Hell. That was my first on screen acting. After that I did Adure, which was my first lead, I did Ibinabo, Girls’ Hostel, which gave me a bad girl image. And here we are today.

Have you given up clubbing?
As you can see I don’t have time for that. The thing is not about clubbing, it is just that I love dancing and I can dance anywhere, it does not necessarily mean it has to be at a club. And I think people just blew the club thing out of proportion. A friend called me on a weekend and was surprised I was home. I am not a club freak but I am a dance freak. It is two different things and don’t forget I can dance in the house. The way to know a club freak is, if he or she can go to a club all by himself without company.

When will you dance with us?
When I have the time and you guys are playing good music.

Who’s the best dancing partner you’ve ever had?
My boyfriend.

What does he do?
And you think I will tell you, no way!

Is he in the industry?
(Hesitates) No, I can call what he does entertainment.

We are taking that as a half-truth.
What do you expect? Don’t you know relationships had crumbled by mere mention of it in the press? And this one is too precious to me to want to crash it by myself.

So you are in love?
I don’t know about that.

From the way you are blushing, it shows love is in the air.
How did we get to the love issue? Well, I have a boyfriend; I have a relationship. People think all relationships are supposed to end in marriage, but it is not so. There are some relationships that might end in marriage and there are some that don’t. If this ends in marriage well, that is it, but if it doesn’t well, I have a good relationship.

When we met about two years ago you did not speak about love this way, it means you must have fallen in love recently.
I had not met him then. That time, I wasn’t in a relationship and I told you so.

Poor me, why didn’t you go out with me?
I don’t know, you didn’t ask me out did you?

How did he capture your heart?
He did not even know what he did to capture my heart, and I’m not about to let him know through the pages of a newspaper.

Where is this leading?
Like I said I am having a good relationship and it can lead anywhere.

How old is Uche?
A girl is as old as she looks.

When will you start telling us your age?
What do you want to know my age for?

People say it is because you feel you are too old.
What has that got to do with it? We have a 14-year-old girl refusing to tell her age. That is one aspect of me I want to keep secret.

When will you walk down the aisle?
It will happen when it will happen; worrying about it will not make it happen. Anything that will happen in life will happen; there is no need to worry.

You’ve been romantically linked to everybody…
(Cuts in) that is not true except that you journalist have been giving me boyfriends on the pages of newspapers.

What about African China?
He is my friend and the fact that they wrote that will not stop him from being my friend. They’ve also spoken about Righteous man and that will not change things too. The most important thing is that I know the person I’m dating.

There is usually no smoke without fire.
You people get it wrong this time. There was no fire not to talk of smoke.

How many times has your heart been broken?
I think you can’t be too careful.

So you are saying your heart has been broken once or twice?
I’m sure I’ve broken some too. The wonderful thing about love is how you can be heart broken and you say you will never love or trust again and you find love again. It can start like a joke and suddenly develop into a relationship.

What does true love mean to you?
It is give and take, you are not perfect but I’m ready to take you for who you are and you do the same as well.. In love you can’t get 100 per cent.

What does sex mean to you?
Like I told you, sometimes ago, it is just two bodies satisfying themselves if you remove the love side of it.

How often do you get to satisfy yourself with a man?
How can you ask me that kind of question Samuel? You too, how often do you do it? I’ve always said it, I am still a virgin, may be I’ll lose my virginity when I get married next week. Ok, I am not telling.