Popular Nollywood Yoruba actress, Funke Etti has revealed some very personal things about her marriage and husband.
The actress who has successfully been able to shield the prying eyes of the press from herself and her activities even with her pro inence in the Yoruba movie industry has come out point blank on some personal issues in a recent interview. She also shed more light on her career, fashion and husband. Read below:
Why is your face scarce on television?
It is a deliberate move and I have two reasons for my action. The first reason is piracy which is killing our industry. The second reason is because of my television programme which is taking a lot of my time.
Is it that acting is not so lucrative?
It is lucrative but we are branching out to other businesses so that we can have multiple sources of income. Also, piracy is killing our job. The last movie I shot, Owu Iyami, I spent about N2.8m on the movie but I did not make up to N1.5m because of pirates. I am thinking of taking my next project to the cinema. That is why most actors have something they do by the side like having a boutique or other businesses.
But what have you done to curb piracy?
On our part, we have done a lot. We have asked security agencies to come to our rescue but little has been achieved. I think it is only the government that can help us. We cannot fight the people in Alaba. I strongly suggest that government should shut them down and by doing so, piracy would reduce.
We learnt that some actors actually give the pirates their movies for a particular fee?
No; it is a lie. It is not possible. All that these pirates need is a copy of the movie. Once a movie is out, after a few hours, the pirates would have made thousands of copies. It is a very sad situation.
Can you tell us about growing up?
My childhood was not easy because I was an orphan. I had to squat with people to survive. I thank God for the way I was raised because it has really helped me in life.
But you have accomplished so much despite that, how did you do it?
God used some people to help me in life. People like my boss, Kolawole Olatunde and his wife. Also, I have an aunt that works at the censors board. She also contributed to my career.
Do you see yourself as a fashionable person?
Yes I believe I am quite fashionable. Everybody has their style and mine is to make sure I dress in a simple manner. I believe there is beauty in simplicity.
When going for an event, what are the things you consider?
My watchword is to be comfortable and also look very nice. I am not the type that would take extra measure to get dresses for an event. I go through my closet and I pick any dress that looks good on me.
What dresses do you feel comfortable wearing?
Most of the times, I love to wear mini dresses. I really love short dresses like mini-skirts. I also love wearing ankara tops with jeans. I feel so comfortable whenever I dress like that.
But some celebrities feel wearing ankara is local…
It is not. We need to appreciate what we have. I got used to wearing ankara because of my television programmme. Whenever I am on air, I always put on ankara fabrics. That is why I love ankara. Ironically, my husband does not like wearing ankara. He believes it is local but I normally make jest of him that he does not understand fashion. He loves wearing shirt and jeans.
Why do you love wearing mini-skirts and short dresses?
I love them because whenever I wear them, I feel very comfortable and sexy.
What is your fashion weakness?
I love shoes and bags and I find it hard to resist buying them whenever I walk into a shopping mall. As I speak with you, I have a lot of shoes and I am sure they would be more than a hundred pairs. Even though I have so many pairs of shoes, I still end up buying more. My bags are also many. I have over 60 bags of different shapes, sizes and colours.
Has motherhood changed your style in any way?
Not at all, I have a lovely son and he is my world. I love him so much. If I had known this is how beautiful motherhood is, I would have given birth since. Motherhood has not changed my fashion taste in any way. There is nothing I used to wear before I became a mother that I cannot still wear now.
What dresses does your husband like on you?
My husband knows that I love opening my cleavage and I love short dresses. So anytime he wants to shop for me, he tends to buy those kinds of dresses. However, he sometimes cautions me about exposing my body but he always concludes his sentence with ‘’I trust you.” He knows that I love mini-skirts a lot. (Oyatotalk).