More Sexual Abuse In The Banks Than In Nollywood

Eberechukwu Nwizu known as Bayray Mcwinzu started her journey in the movie industry after winning the third edition of the Amstel Malta Box Office in 2007. She was able to hold her own until an experience put her off the scene.

But Bayray is back, displaying versatility and unconventional role interpretations.   In this interview she tells her story of defeat and triumph and many more

How has the journey been so far for you and why were you off the scene for some time?

I had to attend to some personal issues. Besides that, I took two years off and came back    late last year.  Funny enough, the first film I did just got a ZAFAA UK nomination. With that, God has wiped away my tears.

What tears?

Tears of not working for a while. Not working for some time got to me emotionally down. Anyone     who knows me knows I am passionate about what I do. Acting is my life. Before  I won AMBO, I worked  for at least ten years with my mother. I started off on this job at the age of twelve. Even as a young person,  I knew I wanted to be an actress, I knew I wanted to be on stage.

But as a child I was helping my mum out. She was a barrister and owned a law firm. Looking back now, I am glad I went through all that because it has given me a business edge. All those tears were not wasted they were tears for the future to come.

How did your growing up contribute to what you are doing now?

For me, I am grateful to God for my late mother because she was the one who was always telling me to believe in myself no matter what. She was the one that kept telling me that looking good is always good business.

She told me if I maintained my good looks it would bring me nothing but something good. Hearing those words motivated me to take on the world. Her words encouraged me. As a young girl,     I didn’t have to depend on a man for money. It’s important to me as a woman to hone my craft and be an asset to the society

Would you say the Nollywood of today and actors of this generation are purpose-driven?

I cannot speak for them but one has to be purpose- driven. It is said that by a man’s actions you can tell what is in his heart. Looking at any actor you can know if they are purpose-driven by their actions. My business is not to busy myself with what someone else is doing.

For Nollywood, I think we are not there yet, but we are rapidly getting there. Look at the AGN under the leadership of Ibinabo Fibresima.

Now, I hear of producers and actors who under AGN leadership have been awarded scholarships to go abroad to study. I also hear of the government supporting the AGN .I think  its purpose driven. Now, we have insurance. We want the world to associate themselves with Nigerian movies. We are rapidly getting there.

What is your most challenging movie role?

I will say the stage played in Lion and the Jewel written by Wole Soyinka.  I played Sidi, an eighteen year old girl. My role in Tales Of Eve was also challenging; I had to switch from playing the role of a 13-year old to that of a 37 year- old lady. In addition, a film I just did where I had to play a woman who is completely frigid, who doesn’t smile and her back is completely straight.

That is another challenging movie role I had to play. After playing that role I had backache for a long time. As an actor if you take your business serious you must exercise frequently to keep in shape or else there are rolea you wouldn’t be able to fill. It’s quite challenging. I don’t blame some Hollywood actors who, after doing a very intense film, commit suicide.

As an actor, after doing a job you have to learn to relax, separate yourself from the character  and become yourself. You have to make sure you don’t lose your true identity. Most of the roles I have played are intense and I hope they come off as entertaining.

Do you subscribe to the injection of soft porn in our movies?

I will answer that question like this; for me as a future film maker a film has to have a meaning, it must have a message that it’s trying to convey to the society.

Infusing soft porn just for the sake of soft porn is wrong; it has to have a true connection with the storyline.

Can you engage in such?

I am not sure I can say I endorse such because if I say that  I will be giving a lot of people wrong ideas. Most people are looking up to me and listening to what I am saying.

I will not endorse it but I am also a realistic person; it depends on the storyline. There are some things that are expected of a particular scene.

You cannot afford to run away from it .If I am not comfortable with a scene I tell my directors. I have always had a very cordial relationship with my directors.

That‘s the thing about having formal education as an actor. There are different kinds of kisses. There is the ‘In love’ kiss, there is the ‘I cannot do without you’  kiss. When you are filming and your tongue comes out the director is showing the viewers something very sexual.

What attribute makes you special as an actress?

I am a confident woman and I do believe I am beautiful. I am blessed and I do not shy away from that. I am aware of my beauty and the effect it has on men. I try not to make it a defining thing in my life though. I love my body .

Some people know they are beautiful and they use it as a tool to get what they want. When a woman is not confident of herself whether she is fleshy or skinny it will come off in her actions. I am just comfortable in my skin.

Have you ever been a victim of sex for roles?

It’s called Casting couch. Of course, I have been approached; I have been asked this question and I have said ‘no’ because I never engaged in it. But the offers have come up.

How does it happen?

It happens the same way a man tells a woman “I like you; I will like to take care of you”. It’s the same thing. This one is not wooing though, they want to collect something in exchange for something .It happens everywhere even in the banking industry.

After working with Mr Obi Emelonye on his crime series Calabash which is about the craziness of the banking industry, I discovered that the movie industry does not even come close in sexual harassment in comparison to what happens in the bank industry.

But because we are in the open and on screens people see us more and adjudge us the worst. The person that is seen often takes the blame whereas everybody does it. It’s more rampant in other industries. Yes, it happens. Directors have tried to come to me and made such moves.

It’s been said that sex sells in entertainment, do you think it should be a major marketing strategy?

No, it shouldn’t be.  I believe for everything that somebody can do there are always an alternative .Like the Indian movies of those days. They never engaged in lips touching but you would find intimacy in their movies.

That for me is genius. For you to have engaged in such a scene without actually making it look like a gritty sexual scene is pure genius. For me, it doesn’t have to be a major strategy .Yes, these days everybody is half nude or naked.

Obviously, when you look at Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj they hardly have clothes on and they get a lot of viewers and you wonder why their society accepts that. It is their society; it is the way they were raised.

When you raise a child, making her believe that the only way she could get things done or be successful in entertainment is to show off her body or to have the right size of boobs;  what do you expect? No one wants to be cerebral anymore, they all want to be sexy and that affects the society.

Can you go naked in a movie?

I will be very uncomfortable. I am a very confident lady, even as I am right now; I only undress in front of those close to me, especially the female folks. I am a very shy person. It will take a lot for me to even undress in front of a person let alone a room full of directors, cameramen, people I don t know. I will be uncomfortable. I am not certain I will be able to do it.

What is the craziest thing you have heard about yourself?

The craziest thing was that I was in church one day and I got a tweet that read that I have abandoned acting for jewelry-making and I think my error was that I didn’t have my publicist send out a report to say that it was not true.

After a while people started to believe that, and thought I had left the scene. It hurt but thank God I am back and better. That is the craziest thing I have ever heard about myself. I    will never abandon acting.