Widely portrayed as garrulous, violent, eccentric and temperamental, actor and singer, Ernest Azuzu, is as controversial as they come. But in this exclusive interview, Ernest who became popular after his role in Rituals, a Kenneth Nnebue flick, dissect his character, unveiling his real identity. He also opened up on his love life and second love, music.
Can you tell us what you cherish most about being in Nollywood?
The sweetest thing is that it gives you the opportunity to feel different characters. Sometimes, you play the one you are not. And if you are a good actor, it can develop an intellectual mind. You go into research. İt also helps you relate with people. So, you know what to do at any given situation having experienced such character on set.
What about the saddest part of this profession?
You don’t have your privacy any more. Anything you do goes to the public. Any thing you do is blown out of proportion. But at the end of the day, it’s a big fun because you just laugh about it.
What’s been the best thing ever written about you?
Even the worst thing written about me, I appereciate, because at the end of the day, my fans and foes there find out they are not true.
What has pained you most?
None, I tell you the truth.
So, you have never been bothered by all the negative stories?
İ have got to a stage in my life where I don’t regret anything. I have something stronger than whatever they have written about me and that is God has given me at total different scope to life.
No matter what you write or say about Ernest Azuzu, one thing I’m 100 percent sure is that God loves me beyond comprehension and that makes my day every single minute. The fact that God loves me even more than I can understand, whatever they do to pull me down, He will always lift me up.
You are widely seen as aggressive, cantankerous, violent, garrulous, unstable and everything bad and ignoble, can you use this opportunity to tell the world who you really are?
The truth about it all is that Ernest Azuzu is a phenomenon. Like I always tell people, you don’t throw stones at a fruitless tree, you hit at the one that has something to offer. They say I’m violent and temperamental, but people who are very close to me know that I’m a totally different person from what they are portraying. By the time they leave, they say, “you are not what they say you are”. But they don’t need to know me because if they knew everything about me, that means I have nothing to offer. Like I said, I am a phenomenon and for you to know, you must have an orientation with God. Because if you have the intent of God in you, you will be able to see the big thing that God is doing in my life. İ keep telling people that I’m a living testimony of what God can do for anybody.
What gets you upset?
What really gets me upset are evil people injustice, when you are trying to say okay, “I am bigger than this guy, I can trample on him, or because I’m dealing with a public figure, whatever happens m he is the one they would write about”. İt gets me upset. Again, it get me upset when they say I’m a bad guy. İ can’t stand people that pretend, am real. People that try to be dubious also get me upset.
They said you are getting married to a Calabar girl?
İf a lady wants to marry me and am not aware of it, well, I still think that my fans still love me. Somebody somewhere is having a deep affection for me. And that goes a long way to prove that contrary to what you guys are writing, my fans still love me. Now, I need this girl who says she is in love with me. İ need to see her in my place, it is a man that marries a woman, a woman cannot marry me. When I see her and my mind accepts her, we talk and I will marry her.
Okay, who are you seeing at the moment?
İt’s between me and my God.
Are you truly getting married soon?
Pretty soon, watch out.
What then are you looking out for in a woman?
The only thing that strikes me in any woman is when I notice she loves God, and not what she pretends to be. You must love God. All my life now is all about God. İ love God more than my life.
Have you found her?
Like I said, just keep you fingers crossed.
Many still believe that your relationship with Obot Etuk affected you terribly?
How.
Your acting career, and your life generally?
No man or woman born of a man or woman is good enough to affect my life. The only being that I try not to lose my relationship with God Almighty, the father of Jesus Christ. The one that created heaven and earth. He is the one I fear most. He is the reason I’m living. Who is Obot Etuk?
Are you still on talking terms?
That’s not important.
They said you have dumped acting?
No, I have been paying more attention to my first love. My second love is music. But I have done more than ten movies in recent times. My album is about to be dropped. İ’m working extra-ordinarily hard to give something to my fans because they have been there for me. İ’m also working on my TV programme. Just watch out. God is using me.
Can you tell us the title of your album?
İt’s the Return of the Don. My album comprises hip-hop. We also have highlife, dance hall. İ’m collaborating with a whole lot of artistes.
What’s the message?
İt’s a conscious music. İ sing about oppression, injustice and things that affects the common man. İt also tells my story, all I have passed through in my life.
How many tracks?
About 15 tracks.
