She may
not be mentioned in the same breath with A-list actresses who possess
lucrative endorsement deals with conglomerates; nonetheless, Idoma,
Benue State-born actress, Susan Peters is no push-over.
After playing a role in a 2002 movie entitled Wasted Effort, the dark-skin beauty has featured in more than 50 titles. The reigning Best Actress in Supporting Role at the Nollywood and African Film Critics Awards (NAFCA) is also a delight on the red carpet.
For her outstanding dress-sense, popular soft sell magazine, City People, recently dubbed her the Most Stylish Actress.
But when it comes to matters of integrity, Susan Peters doesn’t suffer fools gladly. Distancing herself from being involved with recent rumours of lesbianism, the star of Bursting Out, vehemently denies the allegation.
“They only made a description of me, they didn’t mention my name, but it was obvious that it was me that they were describing. I was the only black actress at that time that was driving a Range Rover, who lived in Ikoyi; it was me, nobody else. Sometime again on the issue of the Blackberry Porsche saga, somebody mentioned that I am a lesbian, I am not. I have even had more male friends than female friends.
People who are close to me know that, because male friends are more conducive or more accommodating, they are easy to relate with. There is no gossip, no backstabbing, they don’t have time. Somebody said they have never seen me with any man on any red carpet. That is because normal Nigerian guys do not want to follow his girlfriend or fiancĂ©e to the red carpet.”
The entertainer who recently celebrated her birthday with the less privileged further attributed the lesbianism tale to her status as a spinster. She also speaks passionately about her childhood, business, love life and many more in this no-holds-barred interview.
After playing a role in a 2002 movie entitled Wasted Effort, the dark-skin beauty has featured in more than 50 titles. The reigning Best Actress in Supporting Role at the Nollywood and African Film Critics Awards (NAFCA) is also a delight on the red carpet.
For her outstanding dress-sense, popular soft sell magazine, City People, recently dubbed her the Most Stylish Actress.
But when it comes to matters of integrity, Susan Peters doesn’t suffer fools gladly. Distancing herself from being involved with recent rumours of lesbianism, the star of Bursting Out, vehemently denies the allegation.
“They only made a description of me, they didn’t mention my name, but it was obvious that it was me that they were describing. I was the only black actress at that time that was driving a Range Rover, who lived in Ikoyi; it was me, nobody else. Sometime again on the issue of the Blackberry Porsche saga, somebody mentioned that I am a lesbian, I am not. I have even had more male friends than female friends.
People who are close to me know that, because male friends are more conducive or more accommodating, they are easy to relate with. There is no gossip, no backstabbing, they don’t have time. Somebody said they have never seen me with any man on any red carpet. That is because normal Nigerian guys do not want to follow his girlfriend or fiancĂ©e to the red carpet.”
The entertainer who recently celebrated her birthday with the less privileged further attributed the lesbianism tale to her status as a spinster. She also speaks passionately about her childhood, business, love life and many more in this no-holds-barred interview.
Let start with your business interests, tell us about it.
I started business when I was in the North long before I came into Nollywood. I started with a salon and a boutique. It began in the salon as far back as 1988 and I didn’t even learn the skill. I had a friend whose mother runs a salon. I went there every morning and by being there, I always saw what they do constantly, I started learning fast. I started offering some help, in between they started giving me some stuffs to do. Along the line when I grew up, I decided to do a business that I love, because I love making hair at that time.
Can you still do those things now?
I can do them, I don’t do them now because of my time, but the skills haven’t left me. I still do braids; there is nothing I cannot do. So I ran the salon and boutique for about two years. I had a lot of customers. In fact, I had a lot of patronage and started enlightening my younger ones. So I left it for them to be running it.
How about your plans to establish your business in Lagos?
I was planning to do that, but at a time it stopped because I realized that there were a lot of salons and boutiques in Lagos, but I still plan to do something, especially the salon business, because a lot of people admire my hair a lot, whenever I go on the red carpet, people love it, so I will start something on that very soon.
How do you combine all these, with your acting career and busy schedules?
If you want to do it alone, it will be difficult. For instance, I have a business in Kaduna, because I do contracts and supplies aside my salon and boutique. So if I have a contract in Abuja, I would not always be there, sometimes I get a sub-contractor; sometimes I put my sister there. The basic line is getting the job done. But when I have a job in Lagos, I do it myself. I even have assistants outside the country. So I have people who work with me.
Which of these careers is more lucrative for you?
I would say, it is all the same because the money is not there in acting but I still do it for the passion. I joined Nollywood because of my passion, not the money. The money will later come anyway, but the passion is the ultimate. Outside the shores of Nigeria, people even stop to ask if I am an actress because they find my face familiar. This gives me joy, and not all about money.
I heard about the emotional speech you gave when you received an award in North Carolina, US, why the emotion?
I made that speech because NASCA is like the Nigerian Oscar. That was my first award outside the country, so what do you expect? I was overwhelmed because I did not expect it. Besides, the nominees were good actresses, including the likes of Ini Edo among others. When I was announced as winner, I was like oh my God, I wasn’t expecting it. I did not even go there because of the award, I went there because of a job and accidentally I was nominated, so it wasn’t like I went there because of the award. It was when I got there that I was informed and I got the nomination letter. They called me apparently when they heard I was in the US. That was how it happened. The joy was something I could not express.
Which movie got you that award?
It was Bursting Out. My role in that movie wasn’t that big, but it was relevant to the movie. I was one troublesome girlfriend of Majid Michel, who played alongside Genevieve. In the movie Genevieve was this Lagos big girl and then Majid was trying to go out with this big girl, and was trying to dump me by the side. So I just came out as a woman that knew what she wanted and was going for it.
When you played the role, did you see any award coming?
No I did not expect it. Even on set, Daniel started directing it, and then Desmond came in along the line. And they put in a lot of efforts trying to make perfect that role, with their help, they got me there. When the movie came out, and we went for the premiere in London, that was when I first knew the movie was going to be huge, that it was going to make waves. In the cinema that day, the whole place was filled up, no space anywhere. After the movie, I got a lot of commendations. Also some people didn’t like me because of the role I played.
Of all the movies you have featured in, which would you say is the most memorable for you?
Yeah, I have done a lot of good movies, but I think because of good promotion the movies go places. I have also done a lot of good movies, with good story line, but they never went far. I believe that most times when people use a lot of effort and do background check and create more awareness, people would want to watch. Apart from having the best producers, directors, actors, you still have to create awareness for the movie. Even if you don’t want to watch Bursting Out, somebody will still tell you that, there is a film you have to go and see, that is why you have to create awareness and because of the pedigree of Royal Arts Academy, any movie that comes out under that umbrella has also been good.
Is there any other movie that is memorable to you?
Yeah, one of them is Sounds of Apology. It’s a movie about four girls that grew up in the slum and one among them made money, and in between the line she forgot where she came from, and treated the rest badly. I played the role of one of the girls and along the line I lost my dad and I went to ask her for money and she didn’t give me. As a matter of fact, when I was shooting the movie, I told myself, I will never be poor in my life, because I really hated my character. There were a lot of emotions. It was a good movie that could have gone places, but the awareness was not there, and it was not pushed. A lot of people on my fan page on facebook, they sent me mails, even from some African countries, and still talk about the film. Recently, I went to Benue State, to shoot a movie, a lot of people still watched that movie and cried, so it still touches people. The movie was done in 2005.
How much of you were in that role, have you had that kind of experience?
I have never had that kind of experience. That case was bad, they lived in one room apartment in a face-me-I-face compound. Here you will see a family of eight in one room with only one bed. And it was bad. People were sick but no money for treatment, unless we went outside to a guy to collect money. In this kind of situation, at that point, your neighbour becomes your brother. So those four girls, we grew up together, and we were helping one other, and one got a boyfriend that was rich, took her to South Africa and she came back, and she suddenly changed. But at last Karma caught up with her and she returned back to us. You see any movie that teaches a lot of lessons should go places because that is the reason we are actually making movies.
We would like to know about your dad?
I am from a family of eight, raised from a military background, though my dad is retired now. We are four boys and four girls. I am the third, and we are from Idoma in Benue State. I did most of my nursery and primary schooling in Kano and Kaduna. Then I went to Government Girls’ Secondary School, Kano. At some point, I studied Computer Engineering at an Institute and at some point again I went to a TV and Film school in Kaduna, where we graduated in 2000 and this is where I am today.
While growing up, did you know you were going to become an actress?
No way, not at all. All I used to dream of was being in a cabin crew precisely an air hostess. People ask me now, how come you grew up in Kaduna, and you love wearing short skirts. I started wearing them before I came into the industry. So I had dreams of becoming an air hostess, but it didn’t work out. So I just gave up trying, it wasn’t meant to be. Along the line, some people came to my shop, because at the rear of my shop was an eatery, so they wanted to use there to shoot a scene. The director told me, that there was this space they were looking for whom to fill it. I called some girls and we did a small hangout scene. When the film came out, he came to me and asked, have you ever thought of acting. He advised I should go for a course; I went there, did an enquiry, registered and I started. The only problem I was having then was stage. It was so difficult that at a point my lecturer declared to me, that I can’t pass the course. He said, ‘you don’t have anything in this your head, the only thing you have is passion’. The man challenged me and I went home I asked myself why I can’t do this. We had our exams supervised by external examiners. I emerged as one of the best in my class.
How has growing up as a “Barrack Girl” shaped you?
First of all, I never lived in the barracks. My dad didn’t like it, so all through when he was in the Air force; we never lived in the barracks. We always lived in the town, not in the barracks. The only time my family lived in the Barracks I wasn’t born. We lived in the town under strict routines: go to school, do your home work and have your siesta. We grew up like that, no barracks life. I never had friends, because my dad does not like friends coming in. My siblings schooled away from home, some in Niger, some in Jos, so the house was quiet, so it was just me and my parents.
Did your acting career enjoy your parents’ support?
When it happened it was my mum I told first, I told her I was going to film school, because my mum loved Nigerian movies, there was no movie she did not know. So I think maybe that helped, she was like okay, if that is what you want to do no problems. My dad said the same thing too. So any time I am in a movie, people call them, I saw your daughter and it gives them joy, they are happy about it.
Who are the people you still look forward to working with in Nollywood?
They are Stella Damasus, Joke Silva whom I have worked with on the same movie, but not on the same set. I have not worked with Tonto and most of the new generation acts. Most of the old ones I have worked with like Mike Ezuruonye, Jim Iyke, Olu Jacobs and Justice Esiri.
Among the people you have worked with, do you have a favourite?
Ramsey Noah used to be my crush those days when I have not entered the industry, I like to work with him again. I like to work with RMD and Stella Damasus like I said before. I like to work with Genevieve again, Eucharia Anunobi, the list is endless.
What was it like when you first met Ramsey Noah?
When I saw him, I was just staring at him, wondering, is this human being created by God? He is not only handsome, he is pretty. On the first movie I did with him, Wasted Effort, directed by Andy Amenechi, Ramsey featured alongside Rita Dominic and we talked, and after that we became friends.
How much of a bad girl are you?
Susan is not a bad girl, I am a very simple person, I am a happy person.
What gets you angry?
I don’t really know, it could be any thing, I step on people’s toes too and such is life. We humans are not constant; it is not something we can avoid. People step on your toes; you step on other people’s toes too. The reason I don’t like the industry is that, people talk a lot, any industry has its own advantages and disadvantages. People write stuffs about me too, I don’t even buy papers. People will call me; somebody wrote this about you, do you have any problem with this journalist.
How do your parents and family members react to some of the things they read about you?
They know who I am, so they are not bothered. They have never called me concerning what they heard or read.
A lot of people were disappointed with you when you bought and posed online with a Blackberry Porsche, you also lost your cool with their comments, why?
I lost my cool because a family member of the blogger that instigated the hoopla on twitter, got involved in it. If it were to be another person, I wouldn’t have reacted. A family member should not be doing that. They started attacking me from no where and they said I attacked my fans, which is not true. My fans will never go on any blog to insult me, they will never do that. I have almost 15,000 fans on my facebook page, I have fans on twitter too, I have a website, why didn’t they go there to insult me. My fans will never attack me. That picture was just taken innocently; somebody saw me and was like you have a Blackberry Porsche, I took the picture playfully. Then somebody took the picture to her blog. We have other blogs that celebrate people why post only hate. Buying a Blackberry Porsche is not a bad thing; I don’t know why that news escalated like that. I did a charity concert with children in December, why didn’t they report it. We raised N10 million for Stella Obasanjo’s foundation, you didn’t put it there. I got a couple of awards, she didn’t put it there. They were other stuffs she could have put there, for people to know about me, but she didn’t. A lot of average Nigerians will be angry, that why will she use N400,000 to buy a phone, and you don’t even know if it is a gift, it might not be me buying it, they didn’t think of that. I have a car that costs millions, she did not put it there, why put a phone. You can’t just come from no where and run down a brand that I built from nowhere. You have no idea how this brand came about to this level, you don’t know anything about it, and now you want to bring it down. That is why I did what I did with my publicist, to tell her that I am made of steel, you can’t just poke and break me. I have been there, I have seen it, I have conquered. And that was why she sent me an apology, and I had to screen it for people to see because her readers attacked me. Now the funny thing is that she went and published my own tweet and not the comments that people insulted me with. It is not done anywhere. Even in Hollywood. Everybody who knows Susan Peters knows she is very humble, anybody who is close knows that, people who have had the opportunity of coming close to me, know that, I help people, if I have I do. When I was growing up, my mum cooked and gave our neighbours, so I was brought up that way. When I cook here now in my own compound, I share with my gate men, I don’t give them leftovers, I give them full dish same with what I would eat, that is how I was brought up, so it is already a part of me to help. So I don’t see why some blogger will make people to just insult me, it is wrong. We have enemies everywhere, there are people who are angry that you are there, so they will use every opportunity to insult you, you shouldn’t aid them as a blogger. She posted it, I got like 800 hundred comments insulting me, people who don’t even know me from Adam.
Some people see you as being flamboyant, how do you see yourself?
I am a very simple person. From what you see in my house here, am I not looking simple? I am a normal person. I just dress when I am going out for an event, or if I am shooting in a movie that entails me dressing. Normally when I am at home I don’t wear make ups. I am very simple, things I wear like my wrist watch, might be expensive, but I am simple. My job entails dressing well, whether anybody like or not. Show business is show off, whether anybody likes it or not.
I saw reports where they say you are a lesbian, how do you react to that?
They only made a description of me, they didn’t mention my name, but it was obvious that it was me that they were describing. I was the only black actress at that time that was driving a Range Rover, who lived in Ikoyi; it was me, nobody else. Sometime again on the issue of the Blackberry Porsche somebody mentioned that I am a lesbian, I am not. I have even more male friends than female friends. People who are close to me know that, because male friends are more conducive or more accommodating, they are easy to relate with. There is no gossip, no backstabbing, they don’t have time. Somebody said they have never seen me with any man on any red carpet. That is because normal Nigerian guys do not want to follow his girlfriend or fiance to the red carpet.
So that means there is somebody in your life?
Yes, there is somebody there, but do I force him to come? No.
So when will your man be unveiled to the world?
(Laughs) you will know when the time comes.
So that means it will definitely lead to marriage?
I don’t know, when it happens, it happens, I am not God. But when it happens you will know.
How easy was it for your man to win your heart?
There is no easiness in winning any anything. In those days during the times of our parents, it was very easy, they will just use pictures, this is your husband; marry, but these days it is harder. ‘Your face looks familiar,’ that one does not work anymore. They use other means now, I don’t know that means.
What qualities do you look for in a man?
There is nothing like ideal man, nobody is ideal. My kind of man is the type who basically has the fear of God. When you have the fear of God other things just fall in to place. When you fear God, that is when you will learn to respect a woman, you will learn to love a woman; you will learn to be able to live with a woman.
In this age of increased violence against women, do you get scared of men?
No, I have never experienced it, maybe God gives you what you want.
If you find yourself in that type of situation, what will you do?
It won’t happen. It will not happen, because people give room for this thing to happen. You know these things show up at the beginning of the relationship; for instance you are having an argument with a guy and he raises his hand on you, why? These things cannot be hidden. If though you don’t get to know in a day, there are traits from the beginning, so you have to notice. And when you notice, just run, don’t say he will change, he will never change. It is already inside him. I have never experienced it and will never, and God will not bring somebody that will hit me.
We hear actresses enjoy a lot of lavish wealth from rich politicians and business moguls. What has been your experience?
That is not true. Before I came into the industry I had already made my money. My first car was an SUV and it was not bought by any man. Some people think Susan Peters was made in the industry. No, I already had that business sense way before I came into the industry. That is why I can’t suffer, I don’t bank on acting alone, I make money else where, decent money. Maybe it is a choice for other people, but not for me, because I was not brought up like that. In my house you can’t come and look for a girl, my dad is ready to come out with his gun. I told you earlier that it was not easy for even girls to come visit me. People have different upbringings, some made their money in Nollywood, but mine was different, I made money way before I came into the industry.
How do you handle attention from men?
There is nothing we can do about it. Our private life is now an open thing, but it is something that comes with the job. Some say I am not Nigerian.
Do you do anything extra to stay in shape?
No, I just live normal, I drink a lot of water, rest well and that is it, nothing extra.
How do you manage to keep up with red carpet?
Right now we have a network. I have a stylist that does all those things for me. I don’t even need to bother again about what to wear and all that. So that reduces the work for me.a
I started business when I was in the North long before I came into Nollywood. I started with a salon and a boutique. It began in the salon as far back as 1988 and I didn’t even learn the skill. I had a friend whose mother runs a salon. I went there every morning and by being there, I always saw what they do constantly, I started learning fast. I started offering some help, in between they started giving me some stuffs to do. Along the line when I grew up, I decided to do a business that I love, because I love making hair at that time.
Can you still do those things now?
I can do them, I don’t do them now because of my time, but the skills haven’t left me. I still do braids; there is nothing I cannot do. So I ran the salon and boutique for about two years. I had a lot of customers. In fact, I had a lot of patronage and started enlightening my younger ones. So I left it for them to be running it.
How about your plans to establish your business in Lagos?
I was planning to do that, but at a time it stopped because I realized that there were a lot of salons and boutiques in Lagos, but I still plan to do something, especially the salon business, because a lot of people admire my hair a lot, whenever I go on the red carpet, people love it, so I will start something on that very soon.
How do you combine all these, with your acting career and busy schedules?
If you want to do it alone, it will be difficult. For instance, I have a business in Kaduna, because I do contracts and supplies aside my salon and boutique. So if I have a contract in Abuja, I would not always be there, sometimes I get a sub-contractor; sometimes I put my sister there. The basic line is getting the job done. But when I have a job in Lagos, I do it myself. I even have assistants outside the country. So I have people who work with me.
Which of these careers is more lucrative for you?
I would say, it is all the same because the money is not there in acting but I still do it for the passion. I joined Nollywood because of my passion, not the money. The money will later come anyway, but the passion is the ultimate. Outside the shores of Nigeria, people even stop to ask if I am an actress because they find my face familiar. This gives me joy, and not all about money.
I heard about the emotional speech you gave when you received an award in North Carolina, US, why the emotion?
I made that speech because NASCA is like the Nigerian Oscar. That was my first award outside the country, so what do you expect? I was overwhelmed because I did not expect it. Besides, the nominees were good actresses, including the likes of Ini Edo among others. When I was announced as winner, I was like oh my God, I wasn’t expecting it. I did not even go there because of the award, I went there because of a job and accidentally I was nominated, so it wasn’t like I went there because of the award. It was when I got there that I was informed and I got the nomination letter. They called me apparently when they heard I was in the US. That was how it happened. The joy was something I could not express.
Which movie got you that award?
It was Bursting Out. My role in that movie wasn’t that big, but it was relevant to the movie. I was one troublesome girlfriend of Majid Michel, who played alongside Genevieve. In the movie Genevieve was this Lagos big girl and then Majid was trying to go out with this big girl, and was trying to dump me by the side. So I just came out as a woman that knew what she wanted and was going for it.
When you played the role, did you see any award coming?
No I did not expect it. Even on set, Daniel started directing it, and then Desmond came in along the line. And they put in a lot of efforts trying to make perfect that role, with their help, they got me there. When the movie came out, and we went for the premiere in London, that was when I first knew the movie was going to be huge, that it was going to make waves. In the cinema that day, the whole place was filled up, no space anywhere. After the movie, I got a lot of commendations. Also some people didn’t like me because of the role I played.
Of all the movies you have featured in, which would you say is the most memorable for you?
Yeah, I have done a lot of good movies, but I think because of good promotion the movies go places. I have also done a lot of good movies, with good story line, but they never went far. I believe that most times when people use a lot of effort and do background check and create more awareness, people would want to watch. Apart from having the best producers, directors, actors, you still have to create awareness for the movie. Even if you don’t want to watch Bursting Out, somebody will still tell you that, there is a film you have to go and see, that is why you have to create awareness and because of the pedigree of Royal Arts Academy, any movie that comes out under that umbrella has also been good.
Is there any other movie that is memorable to you?
Yeah, one of them is Sounds of Apology. It’s a movie about four girls that grew up in the slum and one among them made money, and in between the line she forgot where she came from, and treated the rest badly. I played the role of one of the girls and along the line I lost my dad and I went to ask her for money and she didn’t give me. As a matter of fact, when I was shooting the movie, I told myself, I will never be poor in my life, because I really hated my character. There were a lot of emotions. It was a good movie that could have gone places, but the awareness was not there, and it was not pushed. A lot of people on my fan page on facebook, they sent me mails, even from some African countries, and still talk about the film. Recently, I went to Benue State, to shoot a movie, a lot of people still watched that movie and cried, so it still touches people. The movie was done in 2005.
How much of you were in that role, have you had that kind of experience?
I have never had that kind of experience. That case was bad, they lived in one room apartment in a face-me-I-face compound. Here you will see a family of eight in one room with only one bed. And it was bad. People were sick but no money for treatment, unless we went outside to a guy to collect money. In this kind of situation, at that point, your neighbour becomes your brother. So those four girls, we grew up together, and we were helping one other, and one got a boyfriend that was rich, took her to South Africa and she came back, and she suddenly changed. But at last Karma caught up with her and she returned back to us. You see any movie that teaches a lot of lessons should go places because that is the reason we are actually making movies.
We would like to know about your dad?
I am from a family of eight, raised from a military background, though my dad is retired now. We are four boys and four girls. I am the third, and we are from Idoma in Benue State. I did most of my nursery and primary schooling in Kano and Kaduna. Then I went to Government Girls’ Secondary School, Kano. At some point, I studied Computer Engineering at an Institute and at some point again I went to a TV and Film school in Kaduna, where we graduated in 2000 and this is where I am today.
While growing up, did you know you were going to become an actress?
No way, not at all. All I used to dream of was being in a cabin crew precisely an air hostess. People ask me now, how come you grew up in Kaduna, and you love wearing short skirts. I started wearing them before I came into the industry. So I had dreams of becoming an air hostess, but it didn’t work out. So I just gave up trying, it wasn’t meant to be. Along the line, some people came to my shop, because at the rear of my shop was an eatery, so they wanted to use there to shoot a scene. The director told me, that there was this space they were looking for whom to fill it. I called some girls and we did a small hangout scene. When the film came out, he came to me and asked, have you ever thought of acting. He advised I should go for a course; I went there, did an enquiry, registered and I started. The only problem I was having then was stage. It was so difficult that at a point my lecturer declared to me, that I can’t pass the course. He said, ‘you don’t have anything in this your head, the only thing you have is passion’. The man challenged me and I went home I asked myself why I can’t do this. We had our exams supervised by external examiners. I emerged as one of the best in my class.
How has growing up as a “Barrack Girl” shaped you?
First of all, I never lived in the barracks. My dad didn’t like it, so all through when he was in the Air force; we never lived in the barracks. We always lived in the town, not in the barracks. The only time my family lived in the Barracks I wasn’t born. We lived in the town under strict routines: go to school, do your home work and have your siesta. We grew up like that, no barracks life. I never had friends, because my dad does not like friends coming in. My siblings schooled away from home, some in Niger, some in Jos, so the house was quiet, so it was just me and my parents.
Did your acting career enjoy your parents’ support?
When it happened it was my mum I told first, I told her I was going to film school, because my mum loved Nigerian movies, there was no movie she did not know. So I think maybe that helped, she was like okay, if that is what you want to do no problems. My dad said the same thing too. So any time I am in a movie, people call them, I saw your daughter and it gives them joy, they are happy about it.
Who are the people you still look forward to working with in Nollywood?
They are Stella Damasus, Joke Silva whom I have worked with on the same movie, but not on the same set. I have not worked with Tonto and most of the new generation acts. Most of the old ones I have worked with like Mike Ezuruonye, Jim Iyke, Olu Jacobs and Justice Esiri.
Among the people you have worked with, do you have a favourite?
Ramsey Noah used to be my crush those days when I have not entered the industry, I like to work with him again. I like to work with RMD and Stella Damasus like I said before. I like to work with Genevieve again, Eucharia Anunobi, the list is endless.
What was it like when you first met Ramsey Noah?
When I saw him, I was just staring at him, wondering, is this human being created by God? He is not only handsome, he is pretty. On the first movie I did with him, Wasted Effort, directed by Andy Amenechi, Ramsey featured alongside Rita Dominic and we talked, and after that we became friends.
How much of a bad girl are you?
Susan is not a bad girl, I am a very simple person, I am a happy person.
What gets you angry?
I don’t really know, it could be any thing, I step on people’s toes too and such is life. We humans are not constant; it is not something we can avoid. People step on your toes; you step on other people’s toes too. The reason I don’t like the industry is that, people talk a lot, any industry has its own advantages and disadvantages. People write stuffs about me too, I don’t even buy papers. People will call me; somebody wrote this about you, do you have any problem with this journalist.
How do your parents and family members react to some of the things they read about you?
They know who I am, so they are not bothered. They have never called me concerning what they heard or read.
A lot of people were disappointed with you when you bought and posed online with a Blackberry Porsche, you also lost your cool with their comments, why?
I lost my cool because a family member of the blogger that instigated the hoopla on twitter, got involved in it. If it were to be another person, I wouldn’t have reacted. A family member should not be doing that. They started attacking me from no where and they said I attacked my fans, which is not true. My fans will never go on any blog to insult me, they will never do that. I have almost 15,000 fans on my facebook page, I have fans on twitter too, I have a website, why didn’t they go there to insult me. My fans will never attack me. That picture was just taken innocently; somebody saw me and was like you have a Blackberry Porsche, I took the picture playfully. Then somebody took the picture to her blog. We have other blogs that celebrate people why post only hate. Buying a Blackberry Porsche is not a bad thing; I don’t know why that news escalated like that. I did a charity concert with children in December, why didn’t they report it. We raised N10 million for Stella Obasanjo’s foundation, you didn’t put it there. I got a couple of awards, she didn’t put it there. They were other stuffs she could have put there, for people to know about me, but she didn’t. A lot of average Nigerians will be angry, that why will she use N400,000 to buy a phone, and you don’t even know if it is a gift, it might not be me buying it, they didn’t think of that. I have a car that costs millions, she did not put it there, why put a phone. You can’t just come from no where and run down a brand that I built from nowhere. You have no idea how this brand came about to this level, you don’t know anything about it, and now you want to bring it down. That is why I did what I did with my publicist, to tell her that I am made of steel, you can’t just poke and break me. I have been there, I have seen it, I have conquered. And that was why she sent me an apology, and I had to screen it for people to see because her readers attacked me. Now the funny thing is that she went and published my own tweet and not the comments that people insulted me with. It is not done anywhere. Even in Hollywood. Everybody who knows Susan Peters knows she is very humble, anybody who is close knows that, people who have had the opportunity of coming close to me, know that, I help people, if I have I do. When I was growing up, my mum cooked and gave our neighbours, so I was brought up that way. When I cook here now in my own compound, I share with my gate men, I don’t give them leftovers, I give them full dish same with what I would eat, that is how I was brought up, so it is already a part of me to help. So I don’t see why some blogger will make people to just insult me, it is wrong. We have enemies everywhere, there are people who are angry that you are there, so they will use every opportunity to insult you, you shouldn’t aid them as a blogger. She posted it, I got like 800 hundred comments insulting me, people who don’t even know me from Adam.
Some people see you as being flamboyant, how do you see yourself?
I am a very simple person. From what you see in my house here, am I not looking simple? I am a normal person. I just dress when I am going out for an event, or if I am shooting in a movie that entails me dressing. Normally when I am at home I don’t wear make ups. I am very simple, things I wear like my wrist watch, might be expensive, but I am simple. My job entails dressing well, whether anybody like or not. Show business is show off, whether anybody likes it or not.
I saw reports where they say you are a lesbian, how do you react to that?
They only made a description of me, they didn’t mention my name, but it was obvious that it was me that they were describing. I was the only black actress at that time that was driving a Range Rover, who lived in Ikoyi; it was me, nobody else. Sometime again on the issue of the Blackberry Porsche somebody mentioned that I am a lesbian, I am not. I have even more male friends than female friends. People who are close to me know that, because male friends are more conducive or more accommodating, they are easy to relate with. There is no gossip, no backstabbing, they don’t have time. Somebody said they have never seen me with any man on any red carpet. That is because normal Nigerian guys do not want to follow his girlfriend or fiance to the red carpet.
So that means there is somebody in your life?
Yes, there is somebody there, but do I force him to come? No.
So when will your man be unveiled to the world?
(Laughs) you will know when the time comes.
So that means it will definitely lead to marriage?
I don’t know, when it happens, it happens, I am not God. But when it happens you will know.
How easy was it for your man to win your heart?
There is no easiness in winning any anything. In those days during the times of our parents, it was very easy, they will just use pictures, this is your husband; marry, but these days it is harder. ‘Your face looks familiar,’ that one does not work anymore. They use other means now, I don’t know that means.
What qualities do you look for in a man?
There is nothing like ideal man, nobody is ideal. My kind of man is the type who basically has the fear of God. When you have the fear of God other things just fall in to place. When you fear God, that is when you will learn to respect a woman, you will learn to love a woman; you will learn to be able to live with a woman.
In this age of increased violence against women, do you get scared of men?
No, I have never experienced it, maybe God gives you what you want.
If you find yourself in that type of situation, what will you do?
It won’t happen. It will not happen, because people give room for this thing to happen. You know these things show up at the beginning of the relationship; for instance you are having an argument with a guy and he raises his hand on you, why? These things cannot be hidden. If though you don’t get to know in a day, there are traits from the beginning, so you have to notice. And when you notice, just run, don’t say he will change, he will never change. It is already inside him. I have never experienced it and will never, and God will not bring somebody that will hit me.
We hear actresses enjoy a lot of lavish wealth from rich politicians and business moguls. What has been your experience?
That is not true. Before I came into the industry I had already made my money. My first car was an SUV and it was not bought by any man. Some people think Susan Peters was made in the industry. No, I already had that business sense way before I came into the industry. That is why I can’t suffer, I don’t bank on acting alone, I make money else where, decent money. Maybe it is a choice for other people, but not for me, because I was not brought up like that. In my house you can’t come and look for a girl, my dad is ready to come out with his gun. I told you earlier that it was not easy for even girls to come visit me. People have different upbringings, some made their money in Nollywood, but mine was different, I made money way before I came into the industry.
How do you handle attention from men?
There is nothing we can do about it. Our private life is now an open thing, but it is something that comes with the job. Some say I am not Nigerian.
Do you do anything extra to stay in shape?
No, I just live normal, I drink a lot of water, rest well and that is it, nothing extra.
How do you manage to keep up with red carpet?
Right now we have a network. I have a stylist that does all those things for me. I don’t even need to bother again about what to wear and all that. So that reduces the work for me.a
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