I Never Thought I would Give Marriage A Second Shot FOLUKE -DARAMOLA-SALAKO

SUPER SATURDAY 

She’s brainy as she’s busty. Gregarious and gorgeous; courageous and classy, rotund Nollywood actress, Foluke Daramola-Salako has no doubt come a long way in the movie industry. She began her career as an actress in 1996. As a versatile and popular actress, she has courted both fame and crisis but none of that has prevented her to become one of the most sough-after crossover artiste in Nigeria – regularly featured in English- and Yoruba-speaking movies. In an interview with Timilehin Ajagunna, the mother of two who recently turned 40, talks about her broken marriage, her hiatus in the movie industry, new movie, her pet project, new lease of life, and her quest to acquire more knowledge

How does it feel turning 40?

I am happy. I am thankful to God even though I have had my sad moments – especially losing some of my friends last year. But I am so thankful to God (to be alive and adding another year to my life). He has been very good to me because at 40 I am still hale and hearty and I can look back and say God has been definitely faithful in my life.

What has life taught you as you clocked 40?

Life has taught me first and foremost to be content; because if you aren’t content, you will definitely run into trouble. Life has taught me to depend on God to move because if you want to move at your own pace, you will keep on struggling. And life has taught me that true wealth is not what you acquire but in what you have been able to impact onto others. Lastly, life has taught me to take everything easy.

Has anything changed about you?

I guess I am learning to let some things change about me. I am someone who is very ‘hyper’ and now that I am getting older. I am learning to slow down. I am learning to take things easy. Bible says, ‘be slow to speak but be fast to hear.’ So, basically I am learning to take a chill pill and just generally take my time in doing things.

Can you tell us what’s your foundation, Passion Against Rape and Abuse in Africa, involved in?

At my foundation, Passion Against Rape and Abuse in Africa (PARA Africa), we are more passionate about abused and domestic violence victims. What we are trying to do now is to have a home for abused women and rape victims. We found out that there are homes for orphanages, blind people, people with Down syndrome, etc. But we don’t have homes for rape victims and domestically violated women. We thought that the victims of rape and broken marriage need a home where they can be helped to overcome their trauma by bringing in psychologist to talk to them. So we are working on having such a home. But in the meantime, we do a bit of empowerment through skill acquisitions.

What movie project are you working on at the moment?

I shot a film, ‘My Blood’ three years ago and it’s going to be released soon. I had already shot a movie before that one – ‘Cobweb’. But I needed to market ‘Cobweb’ better before I release ‘My Blood.’ So, it’s going to be out this year both in the cinemas and on DVD. Also, I am working on a biopic movie – it’s about me.

You metamorphosed into a film director a few years back. But you haven’t really done much as regards directing.

It’s because I was out of the country for about a year and half. I was in the U.S. studying. I was actually doing a course that’s not related to movie. It was more of an administrative course. So that kind of set me back a little bit. Prior to that period, I was shooting a series, ‘Tag Team’ with my husband and we are starting to take it up from where we stopped. The sitcom is about school. My husband is an educationist; he owns a school. I am going to be the sitcom’s director. I get offers to direct movies. It’s just that I am more interested in the ones that will add value to me.

You’ve been in the movie industry for years. How have you been able to remain relevant for so long? 

I started in 1996. The secret is just for you to be able to diversify. If you are doing something for 22 years and you have not been able to put a dynamic to it definitely people will get bored. I love to be different with what I do. If you are not professional enough, there’s the tendency that you will get bored and you’ll want to leave with the fact that you will be thinking that you are not going to make headway. I see showbiz as what has divergent opportunities. It’s just for you to look inward and say, ‘Okay, this is what I can do.’ I was running a talk show called, ‘The Morning After’ and I still intend to continue. I have a talk show and I direct too; so I can never be stuck with one thing.

Have you achieved what you set out to achieve?

For every individual, as long as you are living, you will aspire to attain more. So, I won’t say I have attained what I wish to attain. But relatively, for me to be in the industry for 22 years and I have been able to sustain my relevance with all modesty, I should be thankful to God.

What do you still looking forward to achieve?

I want to do have a PhD. I intend to be a lecturer much later and I still want to continue with my talk show. And I will probably take a course in a film school most likely in Vancouver, Canada.

How did your acting career get started?

It all started in secondary when I was about 14 years old. I started with a talk show. When African Independent Television (AIT) started, we were shooting ‘Our Time’. So during that period, I met my mentor, Tunji Bamishigbin, and he introduced me to ‘Palace’; that was around 1995/1996. My acting career began with ‘Palace’.

How have you been combining marriage with acting?

It’s just about placing things in order of priority. My family comes first. For instance, when we went on vacation the last time I had to leave a lot of jobs because I felt I needed to spend time with my family. A lot of times, some of us tend to leave our family because we are busy making money forgetting that our family is our backstage. You can’t always be the rave of the moment. There are times when things will slow down and all you will have to do is to go back to the backstage. So if you don’t take care of that backstage which is your home, what will you fall back on?

Your first marriage was said to have crashed on allegations of domestic violence. How easy was it for you to go into another marriage?

By the time I was going into my second marriage I knew I was ready for it because it was four years after I left my first marriage. I was prepared for it. I had enjoyed my singleness and I was convinced that I needed to go into another marriage.

Considering the fact that you have had two kids, one would have thought you would find it difficult to give marriage a second shot. Were you at any point fed up of marriage? 

Definitely, I was. If they had told me that I would go into another marriage I would have said no because marriage was the last thing on my mind then. Because I already had two kids – a boy and a girl – so what was I looking for? I just got to have another expectation and plan for my life which I have to channel.

Related Articles