‘I was forced into acting’ – Nkem Owoh

Nkem Owoh, the renowned Nollywood comic actor widely known as Osuofia, has described his entry into the acting profession as an “accident.”

In a recent episode of the Selah Meditate podcast, Owoh recounted his initial desire to pursue a career as a scriptwriter. According to him, his colleagues recognized his comedic talent and encouraged him to perform on camera.

“My coming in front of the camera was an accident,” Owoh said. “I was a scriptwriter behind the scenes, and people started telling me to start performing.”

He recalled an early opportunity when Africa Television Network (ATN) created a seven-minute program for him to showcase his stand-up comedy in the 1980s. “They told me to come in front of the camera because I was making people laugh behind the scenes. With much pressure, I obliged, and I saw that what I was doing resonated with audiences. That was how my acting career began.”

However, Owoh also shared the challenges that accompany fame, noting that it limits personal freedom.

“Fame took away my freedom,” he said. “Many people want to be celebrities and understand only the benefits, but not the downsides. Once you become famous, you can’t do many of the things you once did freely. You become restricted in various ways.”

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