Talented Nollywood Actor Talks about how
he was attacked by a group of unknown
persons. Excerpt from the Interview with
Nollywood Actor Clems Ohameze.
Can we know you sir?
My name is Clems Ohameze, from Imo state
but born and brought up in Port Harcourt.
For how long have you been into acting?
Since 1995.
How many movies you featured in so far?
(Laughs) As about my last counting, it was
around 386 movies.
You have been away for two and a half
years now, what happened?
Well, well, well, in the year 2007…it was
actually 2006…I felt that I have fulfilled my
desire in the movie industry. After all the
movies and the awards, I just felt I needed
to move on and do something else, so I set
out for politics.
In 2006, I registered with the presently
ruling party PDP and contested for house of
reps in Imo state. I won the primaries and
immediately after that, I was faced with all
sorts of threats.
Some people felt I should not be a star in a
movie industry and a star in the politics as
well. So they said, “no, Clems, you are not
supposed to be here, go and face your
movie and leave us here.”
I felt that was what led them to do what
they did. My car was attacked. I escaped
their attacks severally. My cousin was killed,
my driver escaped with a bullet. It was that
serious. They thought I was inside the car
and they wanted to eliminate me.
I had to leave Owerri and escaped through
Enugu to Abuja, and travelled out of the
country to UK and from there to America.
In fact, I was just running around for my
safety. What helped me mostly is that I’m a
citizen so I do not have limits to what I can
do out there. But thanks to God, I’m back
home now for good. I came back to Nigeria
last year, because I believe everything is
calm now.
Since your return last year, how many
movies have you done?
I have done at least 26 movies.
Now that you’re fully back, what are we
expecting from you?
A lot. Yes…we are still doing what we do
because we have passion for it. I used to tell
my friends that I can’t leave film making,
because I want to make fame. This business
is the only one that opens doors. As long as
you are in this business, any door you
knock on, it will open without much stress.
I have a lot I’m doing. I have business
interests in U.S, U.K and Ivory Coast.
Now that you are back, what are the
changes you noticed in Nollywood?
There’s a revolution in Nollywood. Not the
kind of revolution with violence, we don’t
need violence.
I always tell people that the industry will
always evolve for good, which is why I
called it evolution. Now, with the aspect of
coming back to the cinema, we are heading
to the point where the professionals will
take over the business and things will be
done right.
Right now, the people in control of the
industry are not really the top professionals,
but I give them kudos, because without
them we won’t have come this far. But all
we ask them for is let there be some
finance, let there be some structure.
One of the biggest finance today in US is
Hollywood. The government here in Nigeria
got involved in Nollywood, because they
found out that Nollywood is mega money
business or structure. That is where they
got it wrong. You can’t just jump in from
nowhere and take over what people used
their life and money to build.
No! We don’t work that way. But anyway
the change will come and is coming
gradually. And it’s most unfortunate that the
people we helped are not the people that
will take us to promise land. There are
people who have not come out to talk about
the faring of the industry, those are the
people in due time will take up Nollywood.
Your general challenges?
The job itself is challenging. I can’t really
say…but we do experience challenges from
time to time, especially when you have to
go out to locations. But the most important
thing I can call challenge is the fact that you
have lost your private life. You are now a
public figure. You are limited in things you
can do.
What inspires you?
The fact that I want to affect people’s lives
through movies inspires me a lot.
Apart from acting, have you produced any
movie of your own?
Yes, have produced four movies. Two were
shot in Ivory Coast and there are French
movies, while two others are in English and
were shot here in Nigeria.
Turn off?
(Laughs) Women turn me off; I know you
will soon ask that.
Turn on?
Good food turns me on.
About your last job and this one you are
on?
I can’t talk about it because I’ll be selling out
the movie to readers. I can only talk about
the ones in the market because this is just
like piracy to me. I don’t have to break the
law.
How do you cope with fans?
Without them there is no me, because they
are the mirror that I see myself in. They’re
the most important thing in my life and my
career, because without them, you are like
every other person walking on the street.
They are the mirror in which when you are
getting older or younger they will tell you.
Anything else you want to tell us?
Nothing more to say, but the name of your
magazine scares me. I hope you don’t
gossip me (Laughs).
