Toyin Adegbola, popularly known as Ashewo to re Mecca, is one of the most talented thespians in Nollywood but she revealed in this interview that acting wasn’t her first choice of career. She would have become a nurse but for some unpleasant occurrences which truncated that dream.
You are a successful actress but many Nigerians still want to know you more; please, tell us about yourself
I am one person to be called a proper Nigerian because I have links to so many places. I was born in a town called Offa in Kwara State. I had my primary school education and stopped midway into secondary school before I left Kwara State. My father was from Ilesa in Osun State while my mother was from Ogbagi-Akoko in Ondo State. Interestingly, my paternal grandmother was from Ogbagi-Akoko while my paternal grandfather was from Ilesa, he was even a chief in that ancient town. I also got married to an Ibadan man. I was born more than 50 years ago. I was born during the Yuletide period, December 28 precisely.
How did you get into the acting industry, and why did you choose to become a theatre practitioner?
Growing up, I wanted to become two things which were a theatre practitioner and a nurse. God didn’t grant me the opportunity to be a nurse but I thank God that my second child is a nurse in America.
I really wanted to be a nurse, I even sat for examinations two times to be able to get admitted but I was not considered. Do you know why? I failed during interviews because some of the interviewers would ask me if I could see them in hotels in town for hangouts. These things pissed me off and I would not hesitate to abuse them as a result, my name would not come out as part of the successful candidates.
So, I changed my target and went to technical school in Ibadan and focused on television. That was how I started out in television production and God answered my prayer, I met my late husband, and may God continue to grant him eternal rest, we met at the Oyo Broadcasting Services, I was in television, and he was working in radio. God saw my heart that there was a certain thing I still wanted to do which was theatre, there was a memo that year that members of staff with at least 10 years of service could retire and when you get to retirement age, you could still get your pension, I was the first person to resign immediately after the circular was out.
My bosses tried to dissuade me but I told them to allow me go so that I could face theatre because it is something I have loved to do since I was a child. That was how I left and chased my childhood dream. The truth is that if I was still in the broadcasting industry, I would have retired by now and would have become so old and what we do in the movie industry go from place to place I would not be able to do it by now and everyone is destined to be successful in one way or the other. If I were still there, I probably would not have achieved much.
Your husband died when your kids were still pretty young, how were you able to take care of them?
You see, if you trust in God and you have a pure heart, you will be successful in all your undertakings. Indeed, it wasn’t easy, don’t let me deceive you; it is tough when one person suddenly assumed responsibilities which were meant for two persons but because God was with me, He didn’t put me to shame, he helped me to train those kids, I wasn’t the one that did this, who am I? It wasn’t easy at all; this is why I always tell women who experienced what happened to me to focus on taking care of their children because when they grow old and can’t work again, it is those children that would take care of them.
You hear some of these women saying, ah, I am still young, what am I going to do alone? I always advise them that these men they want to meet probably have their own families and you will go and destroy that home even if that man has lost his wife, his children would be there as your enemies because they would probably think you have been with their father even while their mother was still alive.
And again, your own kids, you would not have enough time to take care of them. You see, these men can promise to take care of you and your children, don’t be deceived only five out of 500 will keep that promise. It would get to a point they would even ask why they should take responsibility when your kids are not theirs. I thank God my late husband did not forsake us; he was with us in spirit and ensured I took care of my kids successfully.
