An interesting fact about seasoned actors, they find ways to rise from whatever ruins they encounter in their careers. Nollywood thespian, Nse Ikpe-Etim has been relevant since the late 90s.
Decades down the line, she’s gone under the radar for a period and has buoyed up since the advent of Netflix and other digital movie productions.
The amazingly talented actress is back in full force. She has starred in blockbusters like Kemi Adetiba’s hit series, King of Boys: The Return of the King, and the movie Quam’s Money. Although, conspicuously missing in Netflix’s Blood Sisters series.
Nse Ikpe-Etim in an exclusive chat with Chude talks about her sabbatical from the industry and all that happened while she was MIA.
During the interview, Chude’s asked Nse Ikpe-Etim about the dry spell in her career and why she stopped getting movie roles. Nse Ikpe-Etim explained what happened saying:
If any actor says they haven’t been through that then I don’t envy them because the drought is also a time for growth. You can’t waste any moments and I think if you’re prepared, when the opportunity comes, if there was a drought, you’re ready. So there’s no moment that’s a drought for me. Yes they don’t come or yes they come and you’re not quite sure. But yes, I have had a drought, like massive drought, and this was during the period when I had a medical condition and I wasn’t available. And in life, no matter how you look at it, there are some things that are more important than other things. And so it was family time and it was necessary to at least understand that what it is that I had gotten myself into because I didn’t get married because it was fashionable. You’re living with someone, you’ve got to learn yourselves. It’s a thing, and if it’s a thing you’ve walked into, you’ve got to do what people do. Right? So it was during this period that I realized I had a health condition and I was going through so much in my head. So even when things came, I was enthused. Then they stopped coming altogether and that too was fine. Because really, it didn’t matter to me. I was done, mentally.
Nse Ikpe-Etim also talks about her medical condition which was the major underlying factor for her absence in Nollywood. The actress was diagnosed with Adenomyosis, an illness that occurs when the tissue that normally lines the uterus (endometrial tissue) grows into the muscular wall of the uterus.
She had to undergo a procedure to remove her fallopian tube to save her life. Nse Ikpe-Etim is arguably one of the most talented actresses in Nollywood and is well-decorated in terms of awards and acclaim
She “says she’s happy and that she has a good support system around her”. Noting that acting is like a drug she will always go back to.
