For
star of Secret Mission, Mary Data Uranta, her first foray into
Nollywood was unpalatable. When she started out as a green horn, it was
not easy finding her feet in the industry because most times she ended
up with people who were only interested in taking her to bed rather than
exploiting her talent.
In an exclusive chat with The
Entertainer, the actress opened up on her ordeal in the hands of film
producers and declared that the sexual harassment was so much she
decided to take a walk from Nollywood. That decision took her to the UK
where she studied at the London School of Arts.
“At a point, sex
became a condition for getting movie roles so I just took a walk. There
were times when I missed getting roles because I wouldn’t succumb to
pressure so I left and did other things including studying at the London
School of Arts. But the passion was so strong I knew I just had to
return so, I took time to look for professionals; people who would be
interested in my talent and not taking me to bed,” she recalled.
However,
the United Nation’s Peace Ambassador declares that sexual harassment is
not a big deal today because it is a thing of choice. Hear her: “It’s a
natural thing in the industry; men will always chase women so I don’t
think it’s peculiar to Nollywood. It’s the same thing everywhere you go.
I think those in the banks and other sectors also get harassed. So,
it’s not what I love to discuss.
“Definitely, harassment will come
but it’s a thing of choice. Movie or no movie, a producer can see you
and get attracted to you. Same thing goes for an actor or marketer, so
for me, it’s not a story to talk about.”
Childhood
Mary
is an indigene of Okpobo but grew up in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State
capital. She lived all her life in Port Harcourt before relocating to
Lagos to pursue a career in acting.
Commenting on her childhood,
she said: “I had a great childhood. I never had it rough or tough
growing up. Fine, I’m from an average home. But it’s never been bad. I
had all I wanted as a child. I’m from a family of 13. Seven kids from my
mum and four step brothers including mum and dad. It was fun growing up
with my brothers and sisters, we were one happy family.
Passion driven
Right
from childhood, Mary had always dreamed of being an actress so when she
was in her teens she started shuttling between Lagos and Port Harcourt
just to attend auditions.
“I’ve always loved acting,” she
recalled. “I have been very passionate about it. I used to come to Lagos
then from Port Harcourt just for auditions, my friends and I actually.
We used to go to Asaba, Enugu, Owerri and even within Port Harcourt just
to get auditioned. But after a while, I said to myself, ‘If Lagos is
the place where it’s happening, I think I should just move to Lagos
instead of coming and going.’ And that was it.”
Challenges
According
to Mary, her journey into acting came with a lot of challenges because
her parents were not down with it. “They had a way of coming up with
good excuses about why I shouldn’t act so, I never had the full support
at the initial stage from anyone around me. Actually, my parents didn’t
have a problem with me doing it as far as it was in Port Harcourt.
Probably that was because I was very young at the time,” she says.
Consequently,
Mary had to sneak to Lagos to attend auditions and also get an
apartment in view of her plans to finally relocate to Lagos and pursue
her dreams. “My coming to Lagos was even a problem. Initially, I didn’t
tell my parents that I was relocating to Lagos. I came quietly, got a
house, furnished it and was still going to Port Harcourt and back as if I
was around.
But later I had to tell my mum. And she was like ‘how
would you cope all by yourself?’ But I assured her that I would cope.
So, that’s how I became a Lagos girl. Ever since, I have never looked
back,” the actress stated.
First break
Mary
got her first role ever in Port Harcourt and it was in Girls Hostel, a
movie also starring Olu Jacobs, Ngozi Ezeonu, Uche Jombo, and Empress
Njama. “I was still in school then. The movie was shot in Port Harcourt
and the director came for an audition there, so I went with my friends
who were in the Theatre Arts Department.
They actually forced me
to come with them. When we got there they each got a role in the movie
and the director now turned to me and said ‘hey you, don’t you want to
act?’ And I said ‘yes, I want to act’. I was very shy. He auditioned me
for a role and surprisingly I did well. That’s how I got the role of a
hall president in the movie. After that, we were brought to Lagos for
another movie entitled, Silver Spoon and then another one entitled,
Church Committee, and ever since I have never looked back,” she
narrated.
Recounting further those years, the actress said:
“Movies were very big then but at a point I stopped because I was still
in school and my HOD was not down with my acting so she was always
giving me problems. In fact, I had an extra year because of that and
that was a big problem for me. But after school I took up the challenge.
I told myself this is what I wanted to do and nothing could stop me.”
Secret Mission
However,
Mary pointed to Secret Mission as the movie that gave her the big break
in 2005. Hear her: “I played the lead in the movie. I played the role
of Ngozi Ezeonu’s younger sister. There were also Desmond Elliot, Tonto
Dikeh, Chioma Chukwuka and others. That movie stands out for me because I
had problems interpreting the role.
“It was so bad I had to go to
the producer twice to return the script. At a point, I went to the
producer and pleaded with him to look for someone else to play my role
because it was so difficult for me. I wasn’t just getting it right at
all. I was just fumbling. At a point, I fled to Port Harcourt and they
were looking for me everywhere.
“They called and asked me to come
back to Lagos because I had already shot the film half way. The lesson I
learnt from that experience was that it’s not about someone giving you a
big role; the real challenge is interpreting it. But I guess it’s
because it was my first lead role. Now I’m a pro. My work speaks for
me.”
So, how’s the man in her life coping? The
actress responded thus: “Men are just beginning to come to terms with
the reality that a woman has dreams which she wants to actualize. They
are beginning to realise that acting actually pays because people are
becoming famous and rich from acting.
“Then, when we started, it
was for the love of it. We never knew that we could make money from the
industry. Nobody ever wanted his girlfriend to do movies but I am happy I
have a man who believes in my talent and is giving me all the support.”
Who is that man in her life? “I don’t want to talk about my relationship,” Mary says with a dismissive tone.
As
an independent career woman, does she sometime scare men? “Sometimes
yes, you know men will always be men. When you are independent they
worry. They are like ‘am I sure if this one will stay?’ When you are
dependent on them they are like, ‘this girl, your bills are too much.’
So, it’s like that. But when the right person comes, he will understand
that you are doing what you have to do and accept you the way you are.”
