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Mercy Aigbe exclusive ‘I met my husband a divorcee’

Pretty actress, Mercy Aigbe-Gentry has carved a niche for herself as far as acting is concerned.  The talented thespian has completed her much talked about movie, Osas Omoge Benin.  However, since the completion of the flick, some movie buffs have been passing comments on the yet to be released movie, saying the storyline was drawn from Funke Akindele’s popular movie, Jenifa.

ENCOMIUM Weekly took up the Edo State born actress cum movie maker on this and many more including her matrimonial life…

 

What is the latest about your life and career?

To God be the glory, I thank Him for giving me the grace to see another year which is 2012.  My aspiration for this year is to be better in my career, produce better movies and all that.  But for now, some of the things I have in stock include my latest movie, Osas Omoge Benin.  It will hit the cinemas in April this year, it will be shown in almost all the cinemas in the country including the ones in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja, Edo and more.  Then, I have another one, Guchy Girl.  It is written and produced by me also.  We are going to premiere that in the UK.  I have a lot of other things in my plan for 2012, and by God’s grace, I will accomplish them.

Can you tell us again, what the movie, Osas Omoge Benin is all about for the benefit of those who will be reading your interview for the first time?

It is about a young Benin girl who got admission into University of Lagos.  Getting to University of Lagos, she met a guy she fell in love with and she tried to woo the guy. Let’s keep the rest for now.

Some movie buffs believe that the storyline of Osas Omoge Benin, is the same with that of Jenifa, what’s the truth about it?

I don’t have anything to say about that for now.  Maybe when the movie comes out and people watch it, they should be able to conclude if it’s like Jenifa or not.  But may be some people have already seen some similarities in the two movies, that’s why they are jumping to conclusion.

For instance, Osas is played by a lead character who is female, and the same thing goes for Jenifa.  And the lead character in Osas is me while the lead character in Jenifa is Funke Akindele, who is also the producer.   I think Jenifa was also in school just like Osas.  And those are the few similarities people may be talking about but Osas is totally different from Jenifa.

One thing I can’t understand is why people are concluding on a movie they have not watched.  They should have waited for it to be out first.

But it’s like the theme is the same thing with that of Jenifa?

No, the theme of Osas is that wherever we are from, we should be proud of our culture.  Osas believes in her culture fully.  The movie is about enjoining us not to sweep our own culture under the carpet and start putting foreign ones on our heads.

Osas is not condemning Western culture out-rightly but it is only canvassing for a balance between two cultures.

We also gathered that the movie was directed by the same person who directed Jenifa, how true is it?

That shouldn’t be an issue.  Muyideen Sasili is a director, it is his job to direct movies.  If he is given the job, I believe if it pays him, he will take it up.  And Osas is not the first job he directed for me.  My second movie was directed by Muyideen, and I love working with him because he knows his job very well.

Anybody can call him for such a job, I am not the only one nor Jenifa was the only movie he had directed.

How true is it that Osas is also going to be marketed by Olasco Films that handled Jenifa?

That’s not true.  Osas is going to be marketed by Lola His Grace.

Let’s digress a little. On Sunday, January 1, 2012, you threw a lavish birthday bash.  How old is Mercy now?

I am in my mid 30s.

But people said you actually celebrated 35…

I said I am in my mid 30s.  Is it necessary I tell you my actual age?  I don’t think so.  People are free to say anything.

What’s the significance of the celebration?

I hold it very important because my birthday is very special to me.  When people are wishing themselves Happy New Year, they would have to wish me a Happy New Year and a happy birthday at the same time because I was born on January 1.  So, I just thought it would be nice to celebrate in a special way. That’s actually what informed the celebration.

Let’s talk on another issue.  There was a time you told us in an interview that you’re aware your husband had a wife but you’re coping with the situation, no quarrel between you and the first wife.  But months later you granted another magazine an interview where you said your husband had divorced eight years back.  Which one do you want us to believe?

The truth is that my husband is divorced, he doesn’t have any wife apart from me.  I am the only one in his house.  My husband was once married and he has kids, but the woman had remarried.  They had separated and even divorced for like eight years before I came into the picture.

Does that mean you’re not well informed about the situation before you told us then…

Not really, the thing is that he was separated from his wife.  I didn’t want to start saying this and that.  I wanted them to be through with their divorce matter.  Now, the woman is remarried.  That means they are through with their divorce papers which also mean that my husband is also free to move on.

Are you sure she didn’t quit the marriage because of you?

She didn’t leave because of me.  They were separate for like eight years before I came in.

So, what you’re telling us is that you’re not an intruder?

I am not.  I met my husband as a divorcee and I chose to marry him.  And the woman had also remarried three years ago.

When did you get married to Gentry, your husband?

That was two years ago.  I didn’t snatch anybody’s husband.

The latest rumour in town is that Mercy Aigbe is pregnant for the second child, how true is it?

(Laughs)That’s not true.  I don’t believe in that rumour.  I am not pregnant yet.

Why are you not interested in getting pregnant now?

I just have to take my time.  Carrying a pregnancy is not difficult for me, I enjoy it but at least I should look like a young girl for a while before carrying another pregnancy (laughs).

In what area do you think you’re not satisfying your husband?

I satisfy him 100 per cent in everything.

Including romance and all that?

You can confirm that from him.

But most of you don’t stay at home for like a week or two, you may be on location…

(Cuts in) He understands the nature of my job and he is very supportive. Let me even tell you, my husband is my manager.  He knows everything about my job.

How does your husband feel any time he watches you kissing in a movie or the person is acting your husband?

If he watches my movie and he sees someone kissing me and the person couldn’t kiss me very well, he would condemn the person. He would say the kissing is fake, it doesn’t look real.  That he should have kissed me very well to make it real and believable.  All I can’t do in a movie is go nude.  Even if I wasn’t married, I would not do that.

  • This story was first published in ENCOMIUM Weekly on Tuesday, January 10, 2012
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