Mimi Chaka on Acting, Grief, and Choosing Healing

Mimi Chaka doesn’t just tell stories; she holds space for them. Actress. Playwright. Filmmaker. Wellness advocate. From To Kill A Monkey to The Men’s Club, to creating Moments in the Sun, Mimi’s work lives at the intersection of culture, healing, and truth. Shaped by grief, guided by intention, she is on a mission to make us feel more, heal better, and talk honestly about the things we usually avoid. 

In this interview with MARY NNNAH, she talks about roles, vulnerability, Nollywood’s women, and how she protects her peace in a loud world.

You have played Tumini, Queen Mofe, Abigail, and most recently, “The Teacher’s Daughter”,  in To Kill A Monkey. What draws you to a character, and what part of you do you always bring to them?

When I receive an offer, I take on roles different from my last one to avoid typecasting. Sometimes, when you pour your all into your work, people love your performances, and then the casting directors know you will deliver, and that can be a catch-22, so I like some variety. I tend to bring authenticity to my characters no matter how ridiculous they might seem. I believe authenticity in their motive brings the character to life.

As both an actress and playwright, which feels more vulnerable: Performing someone else’s story or telling your own?

I would have to say that, in my experience, telling your own story feels more vulnerable. When it’s someone else’s story, you can only perform as much as they are able to understand and express the complexities of their experience or the story they want to bring to life. But when it’s your own, you’re in a much more vulnerable position – you understand the outcome you want while also having to assess your creative abilities throughout the process.

I’m currently working on a play about grief called The Things We Kept, and it has been a deeply vulnerable experience, from writing to casting. Because it draws from a personal experience, the emotional and creative stakes feel that much higher.

In addition, I also have a film that will be showcased at an international film festival in a couple of months. I’m really looking forward to audiences really feeling the depth of that story.

Theatre is such an intimate medium. What’s the most memorable audience reaction you’ve had during one of your plays?

I think that moment is still forthcoming. The Things We Kept delves into some profound emotional depths, and I believe it will take audiences on a real rollercoaster journey. There are moments of tenderness, tension, vulnerability, and perhaps even discomfort-moments that I hope will resonate with people long after they leave the theatre. I’m really looking forward to experiencing those reactions firsthand and seeing what stays with the audience when the curtain comes down.

From REDTV to Netflix to Showmax – how have you seen Nollywood’s approach to complex female characters evolve in the last 5 years? 

I believe the approach to writing more complex female characters still has a lot of room to grow, and I think it will. Women are having more honest conversations now about the responsibilities they carry, the choices they make, their relationships, and the increasingly different futures they are creating for themselves compared to the generations that came before them. As those conversations continue to evolve, I believe we’ll see that complexity reflected more authentically in the female characters we see on screen and on stage.

In your writing and plays, you explore grief, identity, healing, and love. Which of those themes feels most personal to you right now? 

Right now, I would say healing. This is my fourth year on my grief journey, and I understand now that it never truly ends. But after the shock, confusion, and anger, there has to be a healing of the different parts of yourself. And most times, healing starts with forgiving the parts of yourself that may still hold resentment. I don’t believe these are things we should shy away from. We are very much in our minds 24/7, so our minds have to be a safe space for us. I think that starts with understanding how we have been operating, forgiving ourselves for what we need to, and then permitting ourselves to draw up new rules for how we want to live going forward.

What inspired Moments in the Sun, and what was happening in your own life that made you need that space?

Grief and community were the biggest inspirations for Moments in the Sun. A shake-up like the loss of a loved one can be incredibly disruptive, and sometimes that grief is compounded by other things in our lives that we are also grieving. I felt a strong desire to create a creative community that could help people navigate these experiences together, while also entertaining them and demystifying some of the realities of life.

Fear can do a lot of damage, and sometimes, familiarising ourselves with real-life circumstances and seeing how others have navigated them can make those experiences feel less frightening and easier to navigate ourselves.

You’ve spoken about caring for a loved one through terminal illness. What’s one lesson from that season that still guides you today?

Patience, patience, patience. I used to be very impatient, and as hard a season as that was, I felt like it was a crucial life experience I had to learn. I have been able to reflect that in my career, my wellness journey, and almost every aspect of my being. Your state of mind while you wait is very pivotal to your quality of life, the decisions you make, everything. And we are all on a journey we cannot predict, so I think patience, even on the hardest days, is very rewarding on this kind of journey.

How do we have healthier conversations around grief in Nigeria without it feeling taboo or performative?

I think we just have to start. I don’t see how constructive conversations around grief can be performative. If death is guaranteed and, in the course of our lives, we will love, then grief is the receipt of that love. Avoiding conversations around it is almost as ridiculous as saying, “I will try to live and not love anyone.”

I believe there is a kind of restoration that comes from handling grief healthily and productively, even if it is not something we are used to. We are very much a “replace” culture here, and a lot of grief requires repair and reflection. So yes, these conversations may feel unusual, uncomfortable, annoying, or raw, but they exercise a new muscle-one that could ultimately make this life journey a lot better for us collectively.

When you host Moments in the Sun, what’s one small moment from a past gathering that stayed with you?   

I had a Christmas Village called “Tinsel Town” at the 2025 Lagos Foodie Festival, and Moments in the Sun had a theatre space within it where we staged Christmas plays for children. It was a real success, and I loved seeing the Christmas spirit come alive for younger people and children. It’s very easy to overlook that demographic in this day and age, so creating a space that was solely for their entertainment felt particularly meaningful to me.

I also enjoyed seeing young adults have a space created specifically for them. A lot of Lagos’ hospitality and entertainment culture sits heavily on the clubbing axis, and I think younger people deserve to be entertained, inspired, and given experiences that speak to them too. That moment stayed with me because it reinforced why creating these kinds of spaces matters.

For people navigating difficult seasons, what are 3 intentional practices you personally use for emotional well-being?

Tough it out: Understand that this might be the worst thing you’ve experienced after a difficult experience or phase, but it will pass. And no, it’s not punishment. It’s refining, and you are about to become the most precious gemstone.

Do not compare: We are not all supposed to live the same lives. It’s small-minded and, frankly, strange to even want that. Maybe your journey starts alone and you meet your tribe a little later; it doesn’t mean you are doomed. Hold your head high and learn to understand the life experience you are having, rather than comparing yourself to others and moving yourself further away from your purpose.

Be grateful for you: I have always heard, “Be grateful for what you are given and for where you are,” but I’d like to say that gratitude for who you are and where you are in your journey goes the longest.

What does a “rest day” actually look like for Mimi Chaka? Walk us through it.

I usually get up between 8 and 9 a.m., read my devotional, and meditate. Then I’ll have some tea-no coffee-and spend some time journaling outside on my balcony. Sometimes I just write down my thoughts, plan my week, or map out events for Moments in the Sun while listening to a motivational podcast.

I usually get a workout in at some point during the day. Nothing crazy-I go to the gym three times a week, and on the other days, I do an at-home workout. Physical wellness has been so helpful to me over the last four years. Sometimes, it’s necessary to quiet your mind.

I usually have my first meal around noon. I like to fast a little, and then I’ll record some content for my page or Moments in the Sun. I used to do an “Ask Me Anything” segment, and I should probably bring that back!

Afterwards, I’ll probably run some errands for my home or work, head back home, make dinner, and have some doom-scrolling time or catch up with a friend over the phone.

I’m usually in bed by 10 p.m. I like to read before bed, sometimes a chapter or three, and that’s pretty much my rest day.

As a wellness influencer, how do you protect your own peace and mental health while being so visible online?

I’ve come to understand that I function better when I use the internet the way I did when I was a teenager. I’m a millennial, so I grew up with all the “stranger danger” talks about the internet, and access wasn’t as robust as it is now. One of my hacks is to consume certain things online with a sense of balance. I don’t read comments, lol.

I also actively enrich my life offline, so I’m not compelled to seek validation online. I have a tea line in the works that focuses on helping the body from the inside out, with edible teas and tea baths. I do a lot of research online, but I also try to experiment and experience things for myself. So many people share their opinions online, and I think it’s important to balance that with figuring things out for yourself.

Sometimes, that experience might put an end to your plans, but at least it’s your experience. I try not to take everything I see online as absolute truth.

You’ve spoken at Sony Music, PCOS Awareness Conference, and OkayAfrica. What’s one question from the audience that changed how you think?

I would have to say moderating the PCOS Conquers event by Seyi Amao. A lot of young women were asking questions about how to incorporate indigenous foods and practices into managing PCOS without developing some kind of eating disorder.

That experience actually inspired me to begin my own herbal learning journey afterwards, because I realised how important it is to be curious about ways to manage something happening within your body without feeling like you are doomed by it.

As a Nigerian woman working across film, theatre, and wellness, what’s something people assume about you that isn’t true?

I think, for me, people will always have preconceived notions, even before I started working. I’m often not perceived as who I really am, and those assumptions can take a lot away from your creativity and potential because you find yourself trying to move through the world while also proving that you aren’t who people think you are.

I learned quite early on to drown out the noise, and that has worked in my favour. I’ve realised that I don’t have to constantly prove people wrong; I just have to stay true to who I am and keep moving

Outside of work – film, theatre, wellness,  what are three things that bring you joy and make you feel most like yourself?

I love playing golf. I’ve been playing since I was a teenager, and I love that it’s a great way to tire yourself out while still having fun and playing a sport.

Pottery is another new favourite. It’s been taking up a lot of my creative time lately, and I’ve really been loving it. There’s something so enjoyable about creating something with your hands.

I also love learning. Whether it’s taking a writing class or learning a new language, sign me up! I see learning as exercise for the brain.

If your younger self could see you now, what do you think she’d be most proud of? And what’s the one truth you want her to know?

I believe she would be so proud of my ability to do hard things and follow through. That can be challenging when you’re still discovering who you are in the world, and it takes time, but I know that ability to keep going and see things through has been a defining part of this chapter of my life.

And the one truth I would tell her is: “Until death, all defeat is psychological.” So, get back up, girl!