My sexy shape embarrasses me a lot + Why I have a crush on Alexx Ekubo - Actress, Amaka Destiny

Amaka

Born to a Nigerian father and white Tanzanian French mother, Destiny Amaka first caught public attention at the tender age of 14 with a BAFTA nomination for a teen documentary on human rights issues.
In this interview monitored by SHOBIZPLUSng, the curvy and multi-talented beauty shared her fears, dreams, challenges and the pains of being blessed with a curvy physique by God among other riveting issues.

 

 

Who is the real Destiny Amaka, aside the one we see on TV?
I'm just a young ambitious girl, who has the passion to make a change. I was born in Nigeria but after like three to six weeks of birth I moved to France with my mum. So I have been in France and England the better part of my life. I came into Nigeria last year.  I appreciate my culture as much as I don't speak Igbo. My dad is from Anambra State, while my mum is not Nigerian but I want to learn the culture that’s why I'm here.


Where is your dad from?
My dad is from Nnewi South in Anambra State.

And he is still married to your mum?
Yes! He is still married to my mum.

You all moved back to France?
No! He didn't want to, he stayed. He is a retired political god father although he is old now. My dad wouldn't want to stay back in UK even if you give him all the money in the world.

So he's been here all this while?
He visits but even when he visits he complains a lot and then dashes back to Nigeria that's my dad for you.

So, you are more of a mummy's girl?
Hmmmmm! Well it depends, if daddy buys me a car I'm his and if mummy buys me a house I'm mummy's girl and I look like both of them. 

Are you the only child?
No! We are four from my mother’s womb.  I come from a polygamous home; my mum is the second wife.

All of you moved back to France?
I'm the youngest of my mum’s four children that went with her, but my other siblings were able to finish schools before coming over. But now they have moved back and with me here.

What brought you back home?
My dad did. You know when you don't know something, you want to know it. My other siblings, they grew up here, went to schools here and speak the language so my dad wanted me to come down and learn more about our culture. 

When you came back, did you have any plan of wanting to be in the entertainment industry, especially Nollywood?

I have been in entertainment my whole life. I went to theatre school from the age of three. So I have always been on TV. I am full of energy, attention seeker, and my mum she's been busy she's like where can I put this child to exercise her energy so theatre art came in. I think I started having Nigerian friends when I was 16-17. I started mingling with Nigerian and speaking Pidgin English then. I met JJC and 419 Squad and started working with them on songs as a backup singer. I did some back up tracks for them. I met Dbanj and Don Jazzy during that time too, so I have always been in the scene. Moving to Nigeria many years later it wasn't too hard to continue from there. Ruke Amata was a good friend of mine also in London. I did my Youth Service here and I passed out February last year. I was posted to Oyo State.  I went to Lagos to collect my form and they said Oyo State, I was like a fish out of water because I don't know where Oyo is.  I turned to the person next to me and asked if Oyo was close to Ikeja, Surulere or Ajah because I haven’t heard the name before. They just laughed at me and said it's Ibadan. And at that point I was like where is Ibadan and they said it about two hours by road. That was like a shock of the year for me.  It totally disorientated me and I didn't want to do it. But all thanks to my dad for his encouraging words. I'm so proud I served my country.

What was your first major hit in entertainment?
My first major hit is a cinema movie entitled ‘Dream Walker’, directed and produced by Neville. I acted alongside Nse Ikpe Etim, Alexx Ekubo; sexy Alex, he is so hot; my brother from another mother. Then Jackie Appiah and Femi Jacobs. So definitely from my first film I was in there with the big names.

How did that make you feel?
I felt slightly intimidated I have to say because things are done differently. Over there we are so used to technical things, so if you are giving me a script it is a complete offence to the writer to add your own; your script is your script you can’t change it even if you feel you can add a little to the script you still have to discuss with the director. But here I was trying to work as though I was in abroad, Nse was amazing she knew I was new and she knew I was foreign and she was there to guide me through. My first production was very interesting.

Aside that, have you done any other movie?
I have done ‘Keeping my man’, it is still showing in the Cinemas, starring alongside Ramsey Nouah, Ini Edo, Monalisa Chinda and Alex was also in it. It was so awesome. I love acting but I want to expand right now.  I want to go into productions. I want to start producing my own films. In the next 5-10 years, I hope to change the face of TV programmes in Africa through documentaries.
Back in London, I was nominated for BAFTA Award at the age of 14. I got that nomination through a documentary I anchored. We went to West Africa and filmed the way teenagers lived their lives.

 

It is so obvious you and Yaw have a strong chemistry, anything else going on?

That means we are great actors. It is nothing more than that. Definitely, Yaw is a fine boy and I am a fine girl, young and single. But I don’t think Yaw is as single as I am. Our chemistry is a kind of bond. It is strictly professional.  We are just comfortable with our company.

I had a crush on Ebuka Obi Uchendu. When I first saw him, he was looking so dashy. But that was it, nothing else. Then Uti and Alex Ekubo are just so cute, but I am close to them so we are more like family.

 

Are you single, but hooked or single and seriously searching?

I am single but not searching and not emotionally available.  Relationship requires a lot of time and attention. I don’t have time for that now.  That is the more reason I am still single.

 

May be, it is also because you have been heartbroken several times?

Being heartbroken is inevitable, but as for my kind of person, I don’t stay down for too long. God has been so faithful to me in that aspect. My life is a testimony because it is a beautiful life. My ex before I came to Nigeria, I left him because it was my decision at that time to let go. I am a very expressive person.

 

 

Since coming back to Nigeria, have you had another relationship?

No! person nobi firewood na. (laughs). Since I came back to Nigeria, I have tried to date twice and it didn’t work out.  From my own calculation, 98 percent of Lagos men are married, one percent is still very young and hustling guys, and the other one percent is young, rich and arrogant guys.  But if the right person comes, I would give him a chance, as much as I want to face my work. Life is beautiful, I need to enjoy it.

 

 

How do you manage female admirers considering your body structure and curve?

Sometimes, I see my shape and curve as a curse than a blessing. Whenever I enter an office or any public place, the first thing they notice is my physique. And Nigerian men stare a lot and it makes me so uncomfortable.  I want people to see me and the potentials in me not just stare at my curvy physique. I want to be taken for what I am not how I look. Sincerely, I often feel my physique bring me so much embarrassment than blessings.

 By RITA OKOYE- ENTERTAINMNT EXPRESS