12th June, 2021
By Taiwo Okanlawon
Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Theresa Edem has shared her views on how upcoming actors can achieve a level of prominence in the industry.
According to the voice-over artist, the lack of patience exhibited by some talents is a major deterrent to their success in the film industry.
The actress stated this during an exclusive interview with Pulse while talking about her experience in ‘My Village People’, a comedy feature film by ace comedian, Bovi.
“Some of them are quite impatient. You need to be patient with yourself. It is a process and journey. Give yourself time and put yourself out there,” the actress stated.
“Years ago when I was upcoming too, I mean we are still coming oh, do you get.. But back in the days, I used to go for a lot of auditions, open auditions and the hours used to be very odd. But trust the process, grow your talent, work on yourself,” Edem further shared.
Co-star, Bovi Ugboma also hinted on the lack of opportunity in the industry and why emerging talents need to invest more time in developing their craft.
“There is a bigger pool of actors right now so the challenge would be opportunity as everyone wants to be on the big screen but the spots are few so like Tessy said, you keep pushing. With time, if you stay positive, you will land a role.”
Born in Akwa Ibom State in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria, Theresa started harbouring a passion for the performing arts from a very young age. She displayed her passions in school dance troupes, drama clubs and in the church drama department.
In 2012, Theresa decided to follow her passion and pursue acting professionally. This decision led to her quitting her office job to attend the Royal Arts Academy, where she studied acting, graduating top of her class.
Notable for her roles in ‘Hotel Majestic’, ‘Tinsel’ and the Emem Isong produced ‘Ayamma’, Edem later quit her job, moved to Lagos and attended film school.
“Besides the acting school which I did for like 3 months, I am self-taught. I learnt everything online ( YouTube and masterclasses online),” the actress revealed.