Veteran actress Maureen Solomon-Okereke has spoken about the decision that changed the course of her career, revealing that stepping away from Nollywood was a choice she made for the sake of her children.
Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Rubbin’ Minds, the actress explained that motherhood gradually made it impossible to keep up with the demands of filming. While she was able to manage work after welcoming her first child, things became much more challenging after her second child was born.
She said:
“It was a difficult decision to leave my work and take care of my family. When I had my son first, it was easy. I could take him to work, movie sets and the locations, but when my second child came, it was not that easy.”
Although leaving the screen meant putting a successful acting career on hold, Solomon-Okereke said it is a decision she has never questioned. Looking back, she believes dedicating those years to raising her children was the right thing to do.
“Regrets how? I have a 20-year-old and I have a 19-year-old now… I don’t regret it at all. It got to a point where my daughter was about 5 years, and it wasn’t just going well, so I had to stop and give my time to them”, she stated.
Now making her return to Nollywood, the actress said settling back into the industry has not been difficult. Even while she was away from acting, she kept an eye on how the industry was evolving, and her passion for the craft never faded.
She also shared how her acting journey began by chance. According to her, she had simply accompanied her older sister to an audition and had no plans of becoming an actress herself.
“The opportunity actually came on its own, I didn’t go looking for it. They were giving people script to read, it got to my turn and I read, that was it.my sister went to check for her name and saw my name”, she said.
Solomon-Okereke also addressed the growing emphasis on social media in the entertainment industry, saying she does not believe an actor’s value should be determined by the size of their online audience.
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