jacksoniwuanorue@yahoo.co.uk
Barely a couple of years in the industry, Nollywood’s newest sexpot Keira Hewatch is already a household name.
She clinched the lead roles in two great films from Nollywod last year- Two Brides and a Baby and Kajola. She further raised the stakes in her burgeoning acting career with a sensational performance in the DSTV powered soap, Tinsel.
In this hearty chat with Jackson Iwuanorue a reporter with EE, the proud daughter of a pastor, shares the riveting story of her life and sojourn in the make believe world with us.
The Mercy Johnson look alike also made it clear that she’s not in Nollywood to compete with any of her colleagues, including Johnson. Enjoy the encounter.
May i know you?
My name is Keira Hewatch, I was born and brought up in Calabar, Cross River State. My mother is a teacher and my father is a pastor, so both of them are ministers of the gospel. I went to a Montessori school run by white nuns; in fact, I attended series of primary schools due to the nature of my parents’ job. I attended Command Primary School, Airport Staff School and later on, I got into Police Secondary school, Minna in Niger State where I finished my secondary education.
So how did the love for acting start?
Ever since I saw the movie Sound of Music, I have always wanted to act, and I was about six or seven years old then. Back then, I was much younger and probably didn’t know the nitty gritty of the movie industry. Though, over the years my mum tried to discourage me, she always said to me that a believer should not be found in such line of duty. At some point in my life, I almost gave up, but my grade in arts subjects during my secondary school days was excellent and it further motivated me to take acting as a career. I got admission to study Theatre Arts in Uyo, but due to some personal issues I moved to a British private school in Ghana where I took a course in Travelling and Tourism, because I was basically supposed to be an air hostess or primarily work with a travelling agency or something related to that. Focusing more on my acting career also affected my studies in school. Way back in Ghana, I tried my hands in acting in Ghana, but there was the language barrier, it’s like if you cannot speak the language, you are not able to transcend. So with all those challenges in trying to break into Ghollywood, I decided to come back to Nigeria. I came back to Nigeria in September, 2007. I attended lots of movie auditions, but no positive results.
So how did your breakthrough into Nollywood finally happen?
After all the negative responses I had from the numerous auditions, I finally struck gold one day, my first acting job professionally came through Emeka Ossai, a Nollywood actor and producer of the soap, Cross road. I starred alongside some Nollywood greats like Kate Henshaw and Emeka Ossai himself. After my first performance on set, Kate Henshaw called me side and asked if I had been doing this professionally before now I said no, she said “wow! You really did well”, that with this kind of performance that I would go far.
What was your role in the soap?
I was supposed to play a minor character in two or three episodes but the director kind of fell in love with my acting prowess. So, there was a long stretch of addendums and I started appearing more often and people were like oh! My God I remember her. Kate told me then, that she liked the way I was so comfortable with my role, that I was so natural, and there was no awkwardness in my role, she said I was born to do this. She inspires me so much.
Did you quit going to auditions after your encounter with Emeka Ossai?
No, I still went for auditions. Some of them will say, I will get back to you but they never did. Eventually I started getting roles through referrals.
Did you ever get any of these roles through auditions?
The truth is, I have never gotten any acting job based on auditions. That sounds so strange, every time I work on someone’s production it comes through referrals.
What other soap operas have you featured in aside Cross Road?
I have been in lots of TV soap operas in Nigeria. I was on the sets of Dear Mother, Everyday People, Just The Two of Us by Opa Williams. I was on the set of Tinsel, and played the role of Brenda’s receptionist before quitting.
How easy was it for you to adapt to Nollywood considering the fact that it was a bit tough for you in Ghollywood?
Even in Nollywood, it has not been easy for me adapting to the rigorous processes of shooting films, because my very first film was Kajola and it was a cinema flop because people didn’t like it. They said we were trying to copy Hollywood; we are not yet ready for Sci-fi films. But, I poured my heart and soul in shooting Kajola because it was something I was connected with. I read the script; I spoke to the director often who was a new a guy on the block as at that time. He was a fantastic guy, the role I played in that movie was quite very challenging for me, imagine me fainting twice on set.
What made you faint twice on set?
Acting in that movie was crazy; imagine wearing thick leather cloth in a locked room without an air conditioner, fan or window. Being on set in that movie was physically challenging for me, it was an experience of a life time. I don’t know if I have ever shot any film as physically challenging as Kajola was. What I meant is the stress of getting into the character of Kajola. But, it was so much fun; I would love to do that again. I also shot another film in Port-Harcourt entitled Monikem, which was based on the ills of female genital mutilation with the likes of Monalisa Chinda and Yemi Blaq. I have been in lots of other movies.
How did you land the lead character in the movie “Two Brides and a Baby”?
A producer whom I worked with in the past (in 2008) on the set of a soap opera entitled “Disclosure” introduced me to Blessing Effiong, the producer of “The Two Brides and A Baby”. So, that was how we got to meet. Later, she called me and was like she was shooting a film and that she would want me to be part of it. I was originally supposed to play a supporting role in the film; I cannot really say what happened. One day she told me that she is actually looking for new faces and that I should give the lead character role a shot. She invited some new actors and actresses; we all read through and interpreted the script. But she was not satisfied with what she was getting. She told me to read a script, by the time I was done with reading it along with some other new guys, she said forget it, Keira you are the one that is playing this role. Though, lots of people tried to discourage her from using me as a lead character in that movie. They were like “Blessing, you are going to kill your film, using an upcoming actress as a lead character in a movie worth about 15million Naira was risky”. But thank God, today it paid off. She said to them sorry, but if they don’t like it fine, this young girl has interpreted the character the way I want. That day I was so excited because that was like an elevation to me. But trust me, that movie was quite challenging to me because it had more of emotional scenes with disappointments and heartbreaks.
What was your experience growing up as a female child; was it all rosy for you?
Really it was not, I grew up in a middle class family. We were not rich but my parents could provide for me. I really appreciate what my mum went through when I was growing up, to make me who I am today. She gave me so much care, love and support which in turn made me an individual that can stand on her own, respectable and responsible. Though as I said earlier, it was not rosy at all, but I would not want to go back and change anything because if do, I would not be where I am today.
Who is your role model in the movie industry?
I wouldn’t say I have a role model, but I have people that I respect and appreciate their works. People like Stella Damasus, Genevieve Nnaji, Kate Henshaw and Mercy Johnson.
People say you also talk and look like Stephanie Okereke?
Yeah, it first started out in the industry; they said I share some striking features with Stephanie Okereke. And then Mercy Johnson came out, because back then I was still in Ghana when Mercy became popular in Nigeria. So, I didn’t really know who she was until I got back to Nigeria and started going for auditions. So, I used to tell some of my friends then, why can’t you people just say, I am Keira, why would you always compare me to a star. At a point, the story that I looking like Mercy Johnson became a topical issue among my friends. I told them Biko! Ejoo! For crying out loud, I am taller and bigger than Mercy Johnson, besides she is physically endowed than I am, she is cute. I would want to steal her body curves. Besides, I’m not in competition with Mercy or anybody in Nollywood.
But people still insist you have a striking resemblance with Mercy Johnson?
People always say we look alike. She is a fantastic actress, I don’t know why some people don’t like her, but I think it’s all these issues surrounding her getting married to someone that was married before. Like I used to say to some of my friends, why are they not killing the man, after all he is the man who is getting married to the woman. Why would someone say he stole somebody’s man? He is a human being; nobody can steal him unless he wants to. They dated for up to three years before this whole marriage saga, they should please spare her.
Judging from the role you played in Two Brides and a Baby, was it in any way related to the true life story of Mercy Johnson?
No, not at all, it was not related to her story, but I will tell you this. The story of Two Brides and a Baby has been written a year before and the script has been ready for long. The producer was just looking for people who could play it. It just goes to show that it’s the everyday life experience we talk about. The only reason people make such topic an issue is because Mercy Johnson is a star. You know, we women we have issues, we always need attention. You can imagine, ex-wife discovers that ex-husband wants to marry a star, so she decides to come and make noise. This was also applicable to Ini Edo’s case too. There are lots of men who marry other women and they have ex-wives and we do not hear anything about them, because those men are just getting married to regular girls. But because this girl is in the limelight, these other ones want to feed on her stardom.
What do you hate most about the many criticisms of entertainers in Nigeria?
It pains me so much when I read comments or articles in our national dailies and the internet where people are just insulting stars, calling them derogatory names like bitches. How do you know they sleep around? Are you there in the bedroom with them when they sleep with a governor or senator or even the president according to how they normally say. Do they have any video camcorder? So why would you abuse them like that. They worked to get where they are today. So when they accomplish something you should be proud of them. Let’s learn how to appreciate our own like they do in the western world.
Do you have any regret since you started acting professionally?
Honestly, I would say that I might have some regrets, but they are not regrets that will suck my life. People always say that oh! I wish I had done certain things in the past better or differently, but for me I think I had lived my life according to how I was supposed to live it. Because, the truth of the matter is nothing is random, if you do something or you make a mistake, it only means one thing- you can learn from it. So, basically I don’t have regrets in my life.
Do you have any embarrassing moments?
Yes, I have had lots of them but the one that will stick to my head till I die was an experience I had in 2009 here in Lagos. That day I was going out for an assignment, got to the bus stop to board the BRT bus, I was about getting into the bus when my skirt tore from the back, it ripped right up to my butt. I was like oh my God! I immediately put my hand bag behind me and was blinking my eye lashes. I just alighted and got on a bike and rushed home.
Are you in any relationship?
I am single, but not searching and that does not mean I have a man in my life at the moment. Lately, I have been so busy, working on quite a lot of movies, but that does not mean I don’t have friends; I have lots of male as friends.
Are you tribalised or not when it comes to choosing your life partner?
Yes and no, but I won’t mention names. There are certain tribes that I would not want to get involved with because they have certain kind of principles and beliefs that I might not be comfortable with. Aside from love, having a mutual understanding matters a lot, because to me, love is not just what keeps a relationship going. Most people always make this mistake of thinking that having all this butterfly feelings is what makes a relationship works, but basically it’s about hard work, determination, dedication and the choice of who you are staying with, someone you would accept to be your husband. I can marry a Chinese guy, an American, no matter what as long as he is a decent person, God fearing man and kind.
He must also be very rich?
I believe that a man should be physically, financially and psychologically okay, someone who should be able to take care of a woman. If I am with someone who is smaller than I am, I will feel that I am emasculating him. I want to be with someone who is bigger than me, someone who I am safe with. I am 6ft tall, so you can imagine what I am talking about. Every woman needs a man who is physically appealing, but for me it goes deeper than that, I need a man that can make me laugh, I need to have that feeling of heart-to-heart connection and having a strong conviction that we both understand where we are coming from and where we are heading.
What is your philosophy of life?
Do unto others as you want them to do unto you, for me that’s what relationship should be all about. It does not matter if it is in the office, between mother and child, boss and staff, husband and wife. Treat people the way you would want them to treat you. If we can actually imbibe that culture, life would be so much better.
Going down memory lane, are their remarkable memories of your past you would want to share with us?
There were times in my life, I actually learnt certain lessons, I watched people change, I watched supposedly best friends become outright enemies and total strangers become best friends. I learnt that life is most time not the way we think it is, Sometimes, there are people who will come and be there for you when you did not expect that they will. I have been through lots of stuffs in my life, but it is always good to be good.
Quoting Teco Benson, the director of ‘Two Brides and A Baby’, he recently said there are people in Nollywood who have been here for over 15 years and not relevant, yet you are just like five years in the industry and have made it this far in Nollywood, what has been the secret of your success?
The desire to succeed and I have not been lazy about what I want to do. Even when I don’t get jobs, sometimes when I attend auditions and don’t make it through, I will go home and stand in front of the mirror and tell myself it was just a bad day, I will say to myself Keira you are not going to give up on this .Common, you are going to get up, you are going to do it again. I will look in the mirror and tell myself, you cannot quit, you know why? Because this is what you know how to do best. Anytime I fail in an audition, I would do a monologue standing in front of the mirror and emulate the expression of the character of the person in the film. Certain times, I would go online, read Hollywood scripts and interact online with people who want to break into Hollywood. I would read tedious books on how to be able to motivate yourself when you are acting. It is not always easy doing all of that, it was downright boring sometimes, but I kept telling myself this is what I want to do. A lot of people are lazy about what they want to do and they expect that they would go forward. One needs to always work at it.
Where do you see yourself in the next five years in Nollywood?
That is a tricky question, in the next five years; I hope to have gotten to a point where I must have made an impact. I want to be able to have produced my own films, because i plan to get into movie production soon.
We would like to know more about your roots?
I am partly Cross-River, partly Edo State. My root is a bit complicated, I don’t like talking about it, hope you don’t mind.
They said you are also into music; we would like you to share that aspect of your life with us?
Yes, I am actually working on a few musical stuffs right now. I have actually done a couple of gospel songs. I say gospel because it will give it another kind of connotation. I have done songs talking about my life. As I said earlier, my dad is a missionary and we are actually a music loving family. But, I have not released any of my works yet. Watch out for them very soon.
I worship in a new fellowship my dad just started. It’s called ‘Soul Moon Ministry’. It’s like a ‘True Worshippers Assembly’.
Did your parents give their maximum support when you started acting professionally?
Initially, there was a fight, eventually they gave in, when they saw I was doing pretty well. Now, they give me all the spiritual and moral support they can afford.
Lastly, my candid advice to several of my colleagues who are still struggling to make it is, if you are sure this is what you want to do, stick to it and eventually it will pay off. Nobody has ever stuck with something that did not get to where he is today, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and several others are good examples of what I’m preaching.
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