Fast-rising actress Genoveva Umeh has declared she is not a role model for anyone because she does not want to be led by the impulse to make decisions based on public expectations, while using her sparkling acting talent to wow Nollywood viewers in blockbuster films.
In an exclusive interview with Midweek Entertainment, Umeh, best known for her performances as Timeyin in the film Blood Sisters and Zina in the Netflix series Far from Home, said she made the decision because she was against people attaching themselves to what she did or the decision she made.
“I think my biggest difficulty is that I still want to be myself, I still want to produce excellent work, and I don’t want to let the fame get in the way of those things,” she said. Those are the areas I want to pay attention to.
In spite of the fact that my work truly inspires people, I don’t see myself as a role model; rather, I just care about my work, and if that inspires other people, that’s wonderful.
“However, I don’t want others to take credit for everything I do or to hold me responsible for certain choices I make. Without the strain of others’ expectations, I want to live a free life, be myself, and still produce amazing work.
The actress claimed that her decision to pursue acting as a career was motivated by her passion for the field, but she also mentioned that she had obtained a law degree as a fallback.
“My career has just just begun, and I’m thankful for how varied the roles that I’ve played are and on such significant platforms as well,” she remarked. Obviously, I would excel in any role that would allow me to change. I enjoy pushing myself. I dislike playing the same role more than once. Every character is somewhat unique.
“I chose acting because I have a strong affinity for it. It was almost like I couldn’t get rid of it. In essence, I understood that it was what brought me the most joy. Nevertheless, I mistook it for a pastime. I believed I had great talent and was quite passionate about it.
Since I am a first-generation immigrant and am aware of how hard my parents worked to bring me to the United Kingdom, I wanted a legal degree as a backup. It would have been too selfish of me to let them down.
