Unbelievable True Story of How I Ended Up as an Actress - Nse Ikpe-Item

Nse Ikpe-Etim is today recognized nationwide as one of Nigeria's top actresses. She is renowned by many as one of the most talented actresses our of the country and is well-decorated in terms of awards and acclaim. Throughout her extensive career, Nse has starred in a number of blockbuster movies including Reloaded, Mr. and Mrs., The Visit, Fifty, Quam's Money, and more.

But would you believe that Nse never actually wanted to become an actress. In fact, she literally stumbled into acting. Speaking during her appearance on Inkblot's Meet & Greet, Nse opened up about the wild story of how she actually ended up being an actress. It's a really wild story. Here's what Nse said.

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Speaking to Meet and Greet about how she got into acting and still struggles with it, Nse said:

After school I didn't think I was going to be an actor. It wasn't the first thing on my mind. I did it in a bid to run away from getting married early. I ran away from home with a backpack, it was the second time ever I had gotten on a bus. So I got on a bus and instead of going to Satellite Town where we lived at the time, I went the other way towards Badagri cuz I wanted to run away. Then, in some village along that road, I saw cameras. So I jumped down and that was the first time I met Kate Henshaw. That was 1996, when I graduated. That's how I met Julius Agwu, Francis Agwu, all of them were on that set. The movie was called Scars of Womanhood I think but for me it was not so much about the work, it was that I wasn't home. I got down from the bus and I told them I read theatre arts. They said oh okay, she (Kate Henshaw) needs a friend. I met her (Kate) and we formed a bond that has lasted till tomorrow.

Meanwhile my mother was looking for me. I got back home after about two weeks and my mother started washing me, "You are going to disgrace me!". I said "Ah, I don't want to marry." I didn't tell her about the movie set, I just told her that it looks like I'm going to (be an actress) and she said "Over my dead body."

But I never wanted to be an actress. Even when I was studying theatre arts, they teach administration which is where I said I would do admin work which is like a producer, I'm not doing acting. But they said you have to act (because you need to learn all sides before you can get a degree). I argued and argued. Eventually, I did my first stage play which had a lot of soliloquy. I refused to go for rehearsals. I didn't go for rehearsals till 3 days to the show and I thought I was going to fail. Somehow, I got a standing ovation which I still don't get. Then they told me to do a second night and I said no I'm not doing it. The first one was for my degree. I refused but they forced me to do the second night. And then I did that but after that I said I'm never getting back on stage.

I really didn't want to be an actor and I think it shows because I struggle with everything that it comes with apart from just my work.

What a wild story! The fact that she just stumbled into a village in the middle of nowhere and that is what gave her her big break. The fact that she didn't even want to become an actress and still struggles with it till this day. It's so interesting.

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