Veteran actress Iya Rainbow has shared how legendary theatre icon Hubert Ogunde convinced her to leave her nursing career and focus entirely on acting, describing the decision as one that transformed her life
During an interview on Feel Right News TV, the the octogenarian recalled balancing her work as a nurse with stage performances for the Osumare Theatre Group before Ogunde encouraged her to make theatre her full-time profession.
She explained that she worked at the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba, Lagos General Hospital and several other medical facilities while nurturing her passion for acting.
According to Iya Rainbow, Ogunde watched her performance in the Rabiatu Dance Drama at the Glover Memorial Hall in Lagos and was deeply impressed.
She recalled him saying, “Wasn’t it Idowu who performed so well just now? And she said she didn’t want to leave nursing? Go and resign from nursing and take up theatre fully. You’re good at it.”
Following his advice, she resigned from her nursing job in 1986 to fully embrace theatre.
The actress also reflected on Ogunde’s support after the de.ath of her husband, Augustine “Baba Osumare” Philips, founder of the Osumare Theatre Group, in 1984.
She said Ogunde discouraged her from wearing mourning clothes whenever she visited him, telling her, “You don’t mourn with the body but with the mind.” His wife even gave her a different outfit while the mourning dress she wore was torn. She added that Ogunde stood by both her and the theatre group her late husband left behind.
Iya Rainbow admitted that leaving nursing was difficult because many of her patients begged her not to resign.
“The patients I was taking care of refused; they said they would not allow me to resign. They said that even when they did something wrong, I would scold them but still take care of them.
“There are a lot of patients whose treatment in the hospital I paid for with my own money,” she said.
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