The
actress who has successfully been able to shield the prying eyes of the
press from herself and her activities even with her pro inence in the
Yoruba movie industry has come out point blank on some personal issues
in a recent interview. She also shed more light on her career, fashion
and husband. Read excerpts below:
Why is your face scarce on television?
It
is a deliberate move and I have two reasons for my action. The first
reason is piracy which is killing our industry. The second reason is
because of my television programme which is taking a lot of my time.
Is it that acting is not so lucrative?
It
is lucrative but we are branching out to other businesses so that we
can have multiple sources of income. Also, piracy is killing our job.
The last movie I shot,
Owu Iyami, I spent about N2.8m on the
movie but I did not make up to N1.5m because of pirates. I am thinking
of taking my next project to the cinema. That is why most actors have
something they do by the side like having a boutique or other
businesses.
But what have you done to curb piracy?
On
our part, we have done a lot. We have asked security agencies to come
to our rescue but little has been achieved. I think it is only the
government that can help us. We cannot fight the people in Alaba. I
strongly suggest that government should shut them down and by doing so,
piracy would reduce.
We learnt that some actors actually give the pirates their movies for a particular fee?
No;
it is a lie. It is not possible. All that these pirates need is a copy
of the movie. Once a movie is out, after a few hours, the pirates would
have made thousands of copies. It is a very sad situation.
Can you tell us about growing up?
My
childhood was not easy because I was an orphan. I had to squat with
people to survive. I thank God for the way I was raised because it has
really helped me in life.
But you have accomplished so much despite that, how did you do it?
God
used some people to help me in life. People like my boss, Kolawole
Olatunde and his wife. Also, I have an aunt that works at the censors
board. She also contributed to my career.
Do you see yourself as a fashionable person?
Yes
I believe I am quite fashionable. Everybody has their style and mine is
to make sure I dress in a simple manner. I believe there is beauty in
simplicity.
Whengoing for an event, what are the things you consider?
My
watchword is to be comfortable and also look very nice. I am not the
type that would take extra measure to get dresses for an event. I go
through my closet and I pick any dress that looks good on me.
What dresses do you feel comfortable wearing?
Most
of the times, I love to wear mini dresses. I really love short dresses
like mini-skirts. I also love wearing ankara tops with jeans. I feel so
comfortable whenever I dress like that.
But some celebrities feel wearing ankara is local…
It
is not. We need to appreciate what we have. I got used to wearing
ankara because of my television programmme. Whenever I am on air, I
always put on ankara fabrics. That is why I love ankara. Ironically, my
husband does not like wearing ankara. He believes it is local but I
normally make jest of him that he does not understand fashion. He loves
wearing shirt and jeans.
Why do you love wearing mini-skirts and short dresses?
I love them because whenever I wear them, I feel very comfortable and sexy.
What is your fashion weakness?
I
love shoes and bags and I find it hard to resist buying them whenever I
walk into a shopping mall. As I speak with you, I have a lot of shoes
and I am sure they would be more than a hundred pairs. Even though I
have so many pairs of shoes, I still end up buying more. My bags are
also many. I have over 60 bags of different shapes, sizes and colours.
Has motherhood changed your style in any way?
Not
at all, I have a lovely son and he is my world. I love him so much. If I
had known this is how beautiful motherhood is, I would have given birth
since. Motherhood has not changed my fashion taste in any way. There is
nothing I used to wear before I became a mother that I cannot still
wear now.
What dresses does your husband like on you?
My
husband knows that I love opening my cleavage and I love short dresses.
So anytime he wants to shop for me, he tends to buy those kinds of
dresses. However, he sometimes cautions me about exposing my body but he
always concludes his sentence with ‘’I trust you.” He knows that I love
mini-skirts a lot.
But why do you like revealing your cleavage?
I do it very often. It is just my style. At times I just want to look provocative. I like looking provocative.
Do you style yourself?
When
it comes to dressing, I wear anything that looks nice on me but for my
make up, I have three make-up artistes that help me with my facials.
How often do you go to the salon?
I don’t frequent beauty parlours. I love looking natural and sometimes I make African hairdos like
shuku, didi and the likes.
You don’t feel odd when your friends are wearing brazilian hair and you do shuku?
I
don’t feel odd at all. I live a very simple lifestyle. Even if my
friends wear gold and I wear local beads, I am very comfortable like
that.
What would you never be caught dead wearing?
I
don’t think there is any dress I cannot pull off. Maybe wearing pant
and bra on the street, that I cannot do. Even bikinis, I don’t like
wearing them whenever I go to swim.
Why do you love tattoos?
I
have only one tattoo. The tattoo I have is a very small one and it is
the picture of a star. Most of my friends in the industry have tattoos
and one day, they came to me that we should go and get a tattoo. When we
got to the shop, the artiste showed me a picture of a big tattoo he
wanted to draw on my body. When he put the needle on my skin, I began
shouting, telling them that I was not interested in having a tattoo
anymore. When the artiste saw that I could not endure the pain, he said
that he would draw something small and that was how I got the little
star.
Can you still get another later in life?
Never,
it is too painful. I don’t think I can endure such pain again. After
the pain I went through, I always imagine how people with many tattoos
on their bodies did it.
Most people believe that fair girls easily get roles in films…
That
is a huge lie. If you are fine but have nothing to offer, you cannot
get roles. You have to be talented and have something to put on the
table before you are given roles. It does not matter how beautiful you
are. It is just a misconception.
You don’t seem to like wearing jewellery…
It’s part of my style, I like being simple. I have lots of jewellery but I hardly use them.
How about make-up?
Although
I have three different make-up artistes that style me, it is only when I
am on set or I have an outing that I make up. I like looking natural
and because of that; I hardly use make-up.
But do you bleach your skin?
Often
times I have heard people say I bleach but it is a lie. Don’t mind
them. They believe that once you are fair, you have bleached and I try
to correct them that it is not so. I am naturally a fair skinned person.
How do you combine being an actress with your marital role?
It
has not been easy but God has been my strength. I still find time to
cook for my family. My husband’s favourite meal is yam and egg and I
always find time to cook other dishes for him.
On July 18, 2012, Funke Etti gave birth to a bouncing baby boy, Oluwajomiloju Akerede Tolulope, in a top Lagos hospital.
The
soft spoken and respectful actress secretly got married to the father
of her baby in 2012. According to the buzz her handsome hubby brought
her a jeep when she got pregnant and bankrolled a movie for her.
Reportedly, Funke Etti’s husband is based in America.
Funke Etti is known for her role in Idamu akoto (2009).
READ MORE: http://www.naij.com/436894-i-love-provocative-dresses-actress-funke-etti.html
I might be over reaching here but I couldn't help but notice what happened this afternoon and you know me, I will put one and two together and arrive at 10. Lol. So here's what I observed. Y'all remember a few weeks ago when Tonto Dikeh and luxury shopper Pearl Chuks came for each other on social media over some bags the shopper bought for Tonto Dikeh that she refused to pay for?
