28yearold O.C Ukeje is cute no doubt. To some girls, he is their dream guy while to others he is simply a fine boy which is probably the reason for his having the highest vote in the popular Reality TV show, AMTEL MALTA BOX OFFICE,AMBO where he emerged as winner in 2006. Born in a family of three in which he is the second born, the multitalented dude studied Marine Sciences in University of Lagos. He has featured in a movie and a sitcom and emerged as the best upcoming actor in the AMAA. He also sings as well as compere at weddings and events. In this interview, he tells ADA IGBOANUGO about his likes, lovelife as well as his plans.
To refresh a lot of memories, tell us what it was like for you in the AMBO house?
Hmmm! 2006. It’s amazing how long that has been. Well, it was fun and very interesting. Reality TV shows are things I think I don’t know if everyone wants to explore that. I think it was one of those experiences that you are like, “so you are in a reality show, sha?” (Laughs). You know living in a house with people you don’t know. So it was fun. The sleep part though was difficult for me because I love sleep. I have a relationship with sleep but they were cutting short sleeps seriously because there was a lot of task to live up to and also the idea of living with nine other people you don’t know and not knowing what to expect from that sort of skinny world was quite interesting for me. So yeah I had fun.
Looking back, is there anything you did then that you would have handled differently now?
When I was in the house, a lot of people thought I was, you know, this goody two shoesy kind of person. Now, it’s not like I would want to be a different person because at the end of the day that’s just how I am. So there is nothing. Even though I feel I would have liked the house to be spiced up differently. We had fun no doubt. We enjoyed what we did no doubt. But, um, something more fun, something more problematic if I were to put it that way. Everything worked really good. Everything worked out well but you know how a reality tv show is. Part of the content is when there are strange things happening and also I’d have liked the bit of the twist, you know, that kind of thing. Probably make it more talk and then maybe I’d have liked some other people to come visit in the house. But for me, I think I was just fine with how I was. Nothing I’d like to change. I didn’t need any strategy to do anything as cool as I was. (laughs).
Women being the main factor of your winning, do you still receive a lot of attention out there from them?
Oh yes I do. Definitely I do. Its normal and the truth is this has nothing to do with winning ambo because by virtue of good looks, if I didn’t say so myself, you know (laughs)I mean don’t you think I’m good looking enough? Now by virtue of good looks, I think that you are disposed to meeting women and I also sing. While I was in school, I was working with a fellowship. I was singing like every week and then people who knew told some other people who heard that there’s this guy who sings and who’s also good looking so you get the people coming because of that. So by virtue of good looks and the fact that I sing, I have that. So ambo was a plus, a major plus I must say because there’s a difference between playing ball in a small field and playing it internationally. So ambo opened up the national gates for me so I still have those issues where you gotta be away and its fun sometimes and also stressful sometimes.
Imagine guys calling women stress
(laughs) but it’s the truth. Even those who are doing it and are enjoying it have times when they’d say, “please. You people should Let me be.”
What have you been able to achieve after ambo?
First of all, the most important thing that I achieved is acclaim. Audience. This is necessary for anyone who wants to go into showbiz. You need the audience so that people are looking in on your zone. That’s the most important thing. Apart from that, the opportunity to have done a couple of good jobs came with that as well but I haven’t done so many but I have no complains with them because I’m happy with what I’ve done. Truth is attention is a very important thing especially from women, you know, because they help you spread your good news. (laughs). That really gives you an edge. So yes I’ve been able to achieve that but there are other things too. Winning an award after I did the movie with them. For the movie, white waters, I won best upcoming actor in Africa. Now that’s major. From the get go, I loved the script. The script held my attention and then working with people that I worked with like Aunty J (Joke Silva), rita dominic and the rest of the cast made the movie beautiful and it set me up for winning an award and obviously that opens up more gates. Another thing I was able to achieve is the network of people you relate with because the truth is nothing like walking into a place, for example, if ramsey noah is sitting there and I can walk up to him and say, “ramsey how far now” and he goes, “hey dude, how are you doing” and whether we like it or not those are the things that also gives you an edge because when they know that you relate with certain calibers of people, people pay attention to you. So that in its self is an achievement. The network of people I deal with and it’s not just for the people who are onscreen but also for those off screen too. People like you. People who write scripts, people who produce movies, people work in ad agencies, you know, the network of friends, it’s crazy.
You were in a musical group, Gospel According to rap, GA2R. What’s up with it? Is it safe to say its defunct?
Well the truth is, it is safe to say that it’s been defunct for now and reasons simply are these. You’re working on a group together and you guys are doing your music and footing your bills yourself which most people are doing that’s the truth but I guess at the end of the day everyone will account for how they are getting their resources and you and I know that the music today is expensive but I think that beyond the fact that it’s quite a challenge getting your music out with respect to financial resources there’s also the issue of the group itself. I think one of the things that affected us is the timing of our lives. I for one got the edge with acting that I was hoping music will give me but music didn’t give me that edge but acting gave me the edge but of course I got me busier. It didn’t pull me out of the group because the truth is when I’m available, I’m available and when I’m not they understand and for them too priorities changed because I mean two members of my group work 9-5 jobs and if you are doing showbiz full time, 9-5 will not favor you. One of them is doing his masters outside the country and the last person is still doing his production work so it’s safe to say that the two of us are fully immersed in showbiz as it were and for my music with, GA2R it’s safe to say to its defunct now whether there are plans to do anything together haven’t been discussed lately and then family comes in. two of them are married now and the third one will get married before the year runs out. So hey, that’s another level of priority. But as far as my music is concerned I’m still very much interested in doing it. I’m working on my own song. I have a few things that are on ground now, so yeah, music is still in the business.
So you plan on continuing with music?
That’s a big plan. A major plan and like I said I hoped its one of the things that’ll give me the platform that acting gave me but yeah I would.
You have featured in just a movie and a sitcom, how far do you tend to go with acting?
Truth is I think that everyone who goes into showbiz has one thing that they want to do or probably enters by trying to do one thing which later ends them up in the acting biz laterally trying to do one thing but when you go into it first of all along the way either of two things will make you do different things because, one you have diverse talent. Two, you get in there and realize that u need to diversify so at the end of the day you’ll know how to do your thing.
I’ve been doing that for four years now since 2004. Because of my talent I can do a lot of things but then again common sense will tell you to diversify. Truth is while you are perfecting one art you can also learn the other while still in showbiz and its important for you because you don’t know how long you are probably gonna be upfront . You might also want to train on being backstage, being offscreen so its good to diversify because it makes you ambidextrous. You are able to do more than one thing even though usually one thing works for the other but as long as you have learnt in one thing if you can diversify it would work. so really I’m into the acting thing but I’m looking at the music very seriously and I’m also thinking of going into TV too. Those are my plans.
You compere…
Yes I do that without consideration. I got robbed of two jobs recently. When I say robbed I mean I lost one of them to some guy who’s hosting the show now and the other one I got wind of the information that they wanted to work with me but they paid someone else who a lot of us are not in agreement with but I obviously cannot disclose that.
Which do you prefer; acting, singing and compeering?
That’s a very difficult question because music, you wake up and the voice is there and it just goes but obviously you build on your keys and then acting, there’s a rush when you sit in front of a good movie and you see how an actor is delivers. It’s like its plaiting your head inside out, you know, like you are growing cornrows. When you see certain movies that you probably haven’t seen the entire package of cinematography, the edit and sound tracks, but when you see how the actor delivers something in the movie you sort of go crazy. I saw a movie recently that put me off my toes. It’s called obsessed. The entire movie was good but I was moved by the lead actor’s performance. His attitude and demeanor were great. Another movie that really had my attention is 7pounds. Apart from the sound track and other things, this is just people acting and brilliantly too. It felt like 7pounds wasn’t about will smith but about somebody else. These are the things that make it difficult for me to decide which I prefer. Then for the broadcast, those are things you improve on by virtue of good diction, good language etc. you watch a tv show and you how the cameras work and how they edit and it just makes you feel like you wanna be in that spot. So they all work well for me.
You studied marine sciences. Do you have any plans of continuing with what you studied in school?
Truth is I do. I really would like to do some sort of investment with it. Maybe a fish farm or ship transportation, or oil or anything related to marine sciences. That’s going to be my investment angle.
Shed some light on your love life.
For the record I’m in a relationship. I’m happy with it I’m hoping it leads to marriage.
What are your views on politics?
We cannot overemphasize the fact that The Nigerian politics is a man-know-man, man-eat-man, man-chop-dog, man-slaughter dog kind of politics. What I like though is that there are some certain states that the governors are making a difference though it’s still on base level because what they are fulfilling are just mere necessities. We haven’t really gotten to polity of what constitution should be like. The last I heard they are stopping importation of cars that were manufactured from the 90s upward. That’s why cab drivers if you notice are using recent cars. I think that’s a good thing as far as there are proper structures put in place to make sure that happens. The point is Nigeria is still at rockbottom level.
What has been your lowest point in life?
When my family was going through a tough time. It was the worst time of my life. My dad lost his job and my mom at some point had to be the bread winner of the house.
What is your greatest possession in life?
Me.
What is your favorite color?
Brown. I love brown.
Who is your favorite actor/actress locally and internationally?
Denzel Washington/ Nicole kidman, Genevieve Nnaji/ RMD
Favorite musicians locally and internationally?
Alicia keys/ usher, wande coal/ waje
Favorite hotspot?
Mcafe.
If you were to thank your parents for one thing what would it be?
Freedom. I thank my mum especially for giving me the freedom I needed to do what I wanted to do.
Describe yourself in three words.
The right guy.
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