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| Tonto Dike |
In this scintillating encounter, the 2005 runner up of the TV reality show, Next Movie Star was grilled by an Entertainment Express team and she made no bone about answering questions about her life. Just as she bluntly confess that: “I love to make mistakes,” she also blurts her only regret.
The result is a provocative interaction that provides a new perspective about the Tonto Dikeh persona. Here, we present the interview, raw and uncut.
Recently, you had a get-together for students and also gave your Twitter followers a treat. What inspired all these love?
I love to give and I love to make people happy. I just sat down and thought about my fans being there for me all these while and I thought I should make them happy as well. As a matter of fact, everywhere I have been today, I think my fans have been really helpful. They have been the ones projecting me. So, I am grateful and just wanted to give back to them in my own little way.
Do you have a foundation?
I don’t have a registered foundation; I am just doing it my own way. I used to have, but I have a problem with the name. I am still trying to change it; I am just doing everything my own way for now.
Many people often see Tonto Dikeh as a bad girl and in contrast some say that you are just another misunderstood girl. We put it to you, who is the real Tonto Dikeh?
Tonto Dikeh is a simple girl. I love trying new things. I love to make mistakes, and it makes me learn. I love to make my mistakes my kind of way, and that is just me.
Why do you love mistakes?
I love to make mistakes because I learn from them, and when I mean mistakes, it is not like I see a mistake and I would want to make them and do them. But when it comes I learn from them.
What would you consider your favourite mistake(s), so far?
Talking about having a child early, I just see a lot of my friends these days and they have kids and the kids are almost half their heights, strolling and shopping together, it is a cute idea, but that is not a mistake, and it is just the only thing I just regret.
Doesn’t it bother you when you see your friends and their kids?
No, it does not bother me at all. It is a thing of joy. I am happy for them, I am just happy. I don’t have much of female friends, but I am sure some of them just cope well and I don’t judge them. It doesn’t mean I am scared, not being ready is not being scared. I wish I have one (baby), so I could stroll with the baby right now.
What are your plans for settling down?
For now, I have no plans, I just concentrate on my work, do the best that I can do and make myself happy, along the line, that could come in, for now, it is not what I am looking forward to.
Do you think that marriage is a dark side to maintaining relationships?
I think irrespective of your profession you can keep a healthy relationship or marriage. Being a star does not limit the happiness you get from them, it depends on the way you carry it or handle it. But if you ask me, I would tell you, it contributes a lot to a large percentage of broken home, because you are famous, and probably the person is not famous. Maybe because she stays out late, because of her work, she travels so much, all these can actually bring strains to the marriage or relationship. Like I would always say, marriage is an institution where you have to learn, you have to sacrifice to do a lot of things. You have to come to an agreement with your partner. But all the same, you can be a celebrity and have a healthy marriage.
What do you think is the cause of breakups of Nollywood marriages?
Lack of good communication and commitment are what kills a relationship. You need good talking relationship and understanding. At the end of the day, that is one thing, good communication, if I cannot relate to you and you cannot relate with me, if I cannot pass my message to you, if I cannot tell you the reason I have to go and shoot, and if you cannot give me a good reason I cannot go and shoot, then things won’t be easy. So, I feel communication is like a rope that ties two people in a relationship.
What do you think about Kate Henshaw and Tchidi Chikere’s marital crises?
You know what different individuals with different problems. The truth is, I am not even sure it is true, it can be a rumour. I have not heard from my friends yet, if I have heard from them, I can confirm. I think I heard about Kate Henshaw’s case but I am not sure. It was what people have been saying.
How is your relationship with Tchidi Chikere faring?
How do you mean by faring? It has always been a rumour, it has been there for years and it will always go on I think. He is my friend, like I said I don’t even know about that story.
What story?
I don’t simply know about his divorce story please.
What is your advice to him?
I don’t have any advice for anyone. I am not in their positions; I am not worthy to give them any advice, because I am not married.
What do you think is the best way to handle bad press?
I just think I am careless about all those things. I have always been at the centre of attraction. But you get used to it after a while, then nothing bothers you again. I don’t even bother to read about them again. I just hear it, people tell me. ‘Oh they said this again or they said that.’
Is it painful sometimes?
It has not been painful for a long time now, I have stop listening for a long time too.
What has been the secret of that transition?
Loving yourself more and appreciating who you are and what you do. I think of it this way: if I am not an actress I won’t be as popular as I am, so I appreciate that. I try to work more, get more success out of it, and that is it.
I am a fan of your fan page, I don’t know if you are the one in charge?
Yes, I have a fan page it is called Tonto Dike fan page. I do not have an account on Facebook; I just have a fan page.
What fond memories do you have about your childhood?
Everything was fine.
How did acting start for you?
I think it was my third year in the university when I had contacts from the Next movie Star show, that was when the thought that probably I can do this also began. I have always seen people on TV, especially Rita Dominic, and I will be like, well, I like them. I like the way they dress, I like the way they talk, so I have said I could do it, then when that opportunity came in I grabbed it.
You never had any background in theatre?
I used to be among an organisation where we do stage films, but I never really got to do a stage play with them, but as a child, I could remember myself doing one or two children drama probably in school or in church, but I can’t really remember.
How did your parents take your career choice?
Naturally, they may not be happy, but I try to make them happy. My dad particularly was very angry and didn’t want me to venture into acting. He was very livid with anger when I told him that I wanted to be a full-time actress. But I made sure I came out a success so that he could be proud of me and my profession.
And is he proud of you now?
Of course, he is more than proud. He is proud of me because of my success. I just made sure I was successful and I often give my family members my movies to watch. And that made them to accept and love what I do. There is nothing like going for what you want. This is what I want and this is where my heart lies. I am so glad to be an actress and I don’t think I would have done better doing something else.
You seem to talk more about your dad, is he your favourite?
Yes, he is my favourite because he is the only one alive. I never knew my mother, she died while I was young, I think I was two years or so.
How was growing up like without your mum?
It was very beautiful, I had a lot of love around me, I had my grandmother, I had my father’s and mother’s friends around, it was so good. I think I had the best childhood.
Do you wish your mum was alive to see what you have become today?
I wish.
What was your driving force as a budding actress when you first started?
It was simply the hugeness of my dream. The size of my dream drives me to success. My dreams has always been so large I just want to be successful, and since I had this big dream, I cannot just sit down and wait for people to give me free things. I want to make the money myself, so I think that’s what drives me to success.
Have you ever thought of breaking into Hollywood?
I would really like to venture into Hollywood. I think that’s like the biggest dream for me right now, and I am hoping it would happen, and it will happen soon.
Tell us your Next Movie Star story
I was picked for the audition and I went for it. As God would have it, I came out second, and after that I also met one girl and I featured in her movie, Secret Pain and her second movie. After that I went to AMAA Awards with my very close friend, Larry Koldsweat, who handed me over to Amaco and Amaco is my godfather. That’s just how everything started and the rest is history now. This was actually in 2006.
What should we be expecting from Tonto Dikeh in the nearest future?
I have a lot of dreams, I really have a lot of them, but it is not something I would really want to talk about, because they are projects I am trying to work on. But it is going to be in the open very soon. As for now, I am working on a movie, My Life My Damage, which is a movie I am co-producing with Uche Jombo, we are going to do a tour, then the premiere, before putting it in a cinemas. We have done the movie, we are actually laying the soundtrack, in fact, we have finished everything.
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