Mosunmola Filani Oduoye is a talented actress whose acting prowess
has endeared her to many people.
In a recent interview with Glitz, Mosun who was delivered of a baby boy some
weeks ago, speaks on motherhood, her career and fashion preferences.
See excerpts below:
Growing up
Growing up was a mixture of fun and struggle. I said struggle because
the struggling part was that I grew up in a not too wealthy family. We
didn’t have everything but we were contented with what we had. The fun
part of my growing up had to do with the fact that my siblings and I
created time to dance, sing, drum and play together.
Why I ventured into acting
I have always had a flair for acting, When I was in college of
education, I joined the school drama club and being in the drama group
was so interesting that when I finished from school, I decided to go
into the movie world. One day, some actors came to shoot a movie in my
house and I walked up to them and made enquiries on how I could become
one of them. I got the form from Waheed Ijaduade(Dimeji) and that was
how I joined the industry.
Challenges faced at the beginning
I faced a lot of challenges. As an upcoming actress, some directors
won’t give you the chance to take up a role simply because they have not
seen your performance before but I thank God today because God has been
with me all along. I was steadfast and prayerful because I knew I could
do it. I knew I had the talent so I persevered. Today, God has crowned
my efforts with success.
Most challenging role
Wth the help of God, I have never seen any role as challenging.
Whichever role I am given, I make sure I give it my all. I love all my
works but the movie that brought me to limelight was Ami Ayo by Muyiwa
Ademola.
The gains and pains of being a celebrity
The pain is that you can no longer live your life quietly while the
gain on the other hand is that people see you as a role model.
My husband and I (our Love story)
When
I first met my husband, the first attraction was his physical
appearance then, I realised he is God- fearing, cute and has a good
dress sense but most importantly, he is very caring. We have been
married for almost three years now. By God’s mercy, wisdom and
understanding, our marriage has been intact in love. He is in support of
my profession. He really likes seeing me on screen doing my thing, and
he has been very supportive of my acting career.
His opinion on my acting a romantic role
Actually, I don’t do romantic roles, so he has not really seen me do such and the issue of how he feels about it does not arise.
On motherhood
Motherhood is sweet and stressful at the same time. I enjoy it when
my daughter shouts mummy all the time and when I look at my children, I
feel so happy for I see them as priceless gifts from God.
Coping with competition in the industry
I don’t feel intimidated by other actresses because we are all unique
in our own way. With the grace and mercy of God, I have always been on
top of my game so, I don’t have to be envious or jealous of anybody in
the industry.
How I handle negative press
Well, I don’t respond to them at all.
Most embarrassing thing a fan ever did to me
That would be the day that a fan followed me all the way from Ikorodu
to Surulere in his car. It was not a funny experience at all.
Description of self
Well, I will describe myself as a loving, jovial, God- fearing and very strict person
Definition of style
My definition of style is wearing something that is classy but
decent. When I want to buy my fashion ensembles, I make sure that they
are classy, unique and they match my colour. It must also fit me
perfectly. I can say that it’s my profession that made me to become
fashion conscious because I used to be a tom boy.
Looking good
Looking good is expensive o! It usually costs me good money to look
good. I don’t have any routine that I follow; I just make sure that I
use any good product that I can lay my hands on. And I go for pedicure
and manicure. It is either I use a very light make- up or I don’t use
any at all.
Secret of beauty
God is the secret of my beauty.
Special treat
I go out to any nice restaurant with my husband.
Opinion on toning
Well, I can’t say much on that but I believe that everything should be done moderately. Excess of anything is not good.
What I will like to change about myself
Nothing, I love and appreciate how God created me. Everything that God has created is good and perfect.
My take on provocative dressing
I get irritated when I see ladies dress in such a provocative manner
because I believe you will be addressed the way you are dressed and your
dressing speaks so much about who you are. Well, I think one’s
upbringing matters because there is a saying that Ile lati nko eso r’ode
(charity begins at home). I remember that in my secondary school days,
my mum used to inspect our dressing before we go out and ever since, I
have learnt to dress well and decently.
My hair and nails
Well, I like basket weaving and I fix too. As for my nails, I don’t do much, I just make sure they are clean.
Favourite pastime
I like watching movies, dancing and singing. And I read books too.
Cooking is an every day thing as for shopping, I do that once in a while
because I don’t really like going out, so most times, I do it online.
Favourite holiday spot in the world
Well, so far, it’s Malaysia
Like and dislikes
I like it when you are honest, sincere and truthful with me. I dislike people without the fear of God!
If not acting
I would have been a professional dancer.
Awards
I won the best actress in 2010 by video club association owners, I
won the celebrity gold international award, best picture of the year
2010(Iku ewa) by TIMA, best actress in leading role by TIMA, best
picture in Yoruba movie 2010 by TIMA