‘I have committed my marriage To Gods hand” – MERCY AIGBE GENTRY
Beautiful And elegant Yoruba actress Mercy Aigbe Gentry started where so many people thought she would not do well but, she has churned out great productions like “Osas Omoge Benin” and many more. In a chat with Sahara Weekly at her 1, Adeyemo Akapo Street, Omole Estate Phase 1 office, about her business, marriage, scandals and the secret of her ageless beauty. Enjoy it…
How will you describe a good actress?
A good actress is someone who can actually interpret the role she is expected to play to the best of her ability. A good actress should internalize that role and always be convincing. A good actress must always be professional; a good actress won’t be forming a diva and showed up late to sets.
You would have done well in English movies, why do you choose to act Yoruba movies?
It is not like I choose to be more popular in Yoruba movies, because I do English movies as well. Maybe it is fate. I started with English movies before I crossed over to Yoruba movies. After ‘Ara’ I started getting
scripts from other Yoruba film makers. Because I just started, I couldn’t turn down offers. Before I knew it, I became popular in the Yoruba genre of Nigerian movies and I am ok with this. I am a film maker; very
soon I will produce my own English movie.
You do well in movies. When was your turning point in the industry?
My turning point was when I became known in the movie called ‘Ara’, it was produced by Wemimo Olu Paul, a producer based in Ibadan. That was a turning point for me, I got recognized as an actress and people actually
took cognizance of me.
Why do you think some actresses find it difficult to sustain their fame?
I feel some people are not consistent. People tend to forget things easily, if fans don’t see you for a while, they forget you. So I think it is all about consistency.
People believe actresses don’t know how to manage their marriage. How have you been able to manage yours despite stardom?
I have committed my marriage into God’s hands. I believe it is only God that make marriages work. Although the spouses play their part but it takes God to make a marriage work. I am playing my part by being prayerful and being well-behaved. It is not about knowing how to do it right, it is just God.
Do you agree that entertainers live fake lives?
Yes, some of us do because the society expects too much from celebrities. When you see a celeb at the bus stop trying to get a bus, people make fun which may cause the celebrity to rather be seen in a borrowed car. Nobody can force me to live a fake life because it is all about me. I don’t live according to the
dictates of people. I don’t live above my means.
Most celebrities read scandalous stories about themselves and broke down, how do you handle scandals?
I have been lucky when it comes to scandals and at the same time, I try to be very careful because I know I am in the public eye and my actions would be scrutinized. But you can’t totally be free of scandals because I have read untrue stories about me. At times I laugh over them and at times I wonder why people would want to tarnish my image. I believe every cooked up story has a source.
Which was the worst scandal you have ever heard about yourself?
I don’t t think I have had any terrible scandal and I don’t think I will have any, so help me God.
How do you go about your beauty routine?
I try to take care of myself. I exercise when I am free. When I am not busy I do my indoor exercises, take lots of water, eat more of fruits and once in two weeks I take myself to the spa to be pampered. I get a massage, facials and exfoliate my skin.
You are into fashion business with MAG Divas concept. What informed this decision?
It all started from my passion for fashion. I love looking good, I love being trendy, I believe you have to look the part and look the way you want to be addressed. Your outward appearance matters a lot before people
really get to know you. People get a perception of you from seeing your outward appearance.
Where do your order for your goods?
I travel to get my stuffs from Italy, UK, US, Turkey and France.
Who constitutes your target audience?
When I decided go into this business, I had to think of the kind of customers I expect to have. I discovered that Nigerian women are stylish; a lot of them have clothes but don’t know how to put them together. A lot
of them have the money but don’t know where to get good clothes from. A lot of them know where to get good clothes but end up not being able to afford them. My target audience is the average Nigerian woman. MAG Divas is dedicated to dressing every class of Nigerian women irrespective of the class. Here you can get good and quality clothes for as low as N1,000 and at the same time we have clothes for N8,000. So, it depends on what you can afford; but the bottom line is that what you get here is of top quality.
How do you intends to cope with this?
It was challenging, shopping for this kind of materials because, I wanted very good quality clothing; I wanted people to look good without having to break the bank. It wasn’t easy but because I was dedicated I went all out to get good things for my boutique.
How do you intend to juggle your career, marriage and your business?
I just started and I’m sure I will be very good because I have a very supportive husband, he is very understanding and always there for me. I have also put up a very strong team. With my husband and my team, all will go smoothly.