The name Moji Oyetayo might not instantly ring a bell to
many but surely her role as Mama Ajasco in Wale Adenuga’s popular TV sitcom
Papa Ajasco and company, will give her away. This busty and fun loving graduate
of English Language from Lagos State University is a reporter’s delight and in
this chat with Movie Moments’ Mutiat Alli,Mama Ajasco opens up on her role as
the PRO of the Lagos State Chapter of AGN, her divorce state, love life, sex
and her world of acting.
Who really is Moji
Oyetayo
My name is Moji Oyetayo popularly known as Mama Ajasco. I am
a voice-over artiste; I am an actress and I ‘m also the newly sworn-in public
relations officer of the Lagos State Chapter of Actors Guild of Nigeria. I am a
Lagosian and a beautiful Yoruba woman. I attended Supreme Education Foundation
in Magodo, Lagos and got a degree in English from Lagos State University LASU.
You wear so many hats
as an actress, voice-over artiste, and AGN executive, how do you combine all
these
The truth of the matter is they are all under the big
picture called entertainment and there are ways of marrying them together. I
have been shooting a lot of new soaps, movies but the latest side of me is
being the Public Relation Officer of AGN Lagos Chapter. It’s been quite tasking
because I’m the voice of the guild and theimage maker. So I get to attend
almost all the events, I get to talk and have a relationship with the media.
What we’re preaching here is that there is a new dawn; the new executive under
the chairmanship of Victor Osuagwu is geared to take AGN to a new life. Enough
of bickering, enough of the infighting, enough of disorder, we should speak as
one body. When we’re separated, we can’t go forward. When we come together,
then that’s when things will take place and people will take us more serious.
Apparently, I thought it was on AGN. I just finished a meeting with ANTP and
they are in the same mess too. It’s very embarrassing and annoying.
How has your career
been like
All praise goes to the Almighty, it has been fine and I am enjoying
every bit of it. They say slow and steady wins the race. I’m popularly known as
Mama Ajasco of the Papa Ajasco & Company drama series from Wale Adenuga
Productions. That runs on all local stations everyday of the week and is
nationwide. That’s like large. I have been acting mama Ajasco for three years
now.
How easy or tough has
it been interpreting the role of Mama Ajasco
Interpreting Mama Ajasco was kind of really critical for me
in the first place. People know me as an English language student and I speak a
lot of phonetics. So dropping my phonetics was kind of a major in-balance for
me originally and kind of speaking normal English and pidgin. It was kind of
tasking and that’s what makes you a fantastic actor. When people meet me and
see the way I speak, my composure, and my dressing trying to relate with my
character, they are normally shocked. I’m supposed to be given thumbs up. If I
can transcend into that role and come back to myself, it says a lot about my
talent. Outside of that, I’ve done a lot of movies. I’m running on some soap
even right now as we are talking. I’m onDaughters of Eve, Famous Five, My
Tomorrow and the latest is Oga madamwhich starts soon. I’m a soap guru because
it features you and transcends you and keep you on the face of people
permanently. People ask me and I say I am running on six different drama series
at the same time because I want my face to be on your brain. I’ll probably
concentrate on more movies for the rest of the quarter. Basically for me soap
opera is supposed to sell you and it is only a series that entertains the house
hold.
So how many movies
and soaps have you done
So you earnestly want me to start counting them …
Maybe because I doubt
if many people know
That is the challenge people have with me and it happens
every time. Even as mama Ajasco, you can watch me now and not recognize me. My
best hobby in life is to disguise. I hate people see me and recognize me
easily. Like the role I played in Return of Jenifa as a cult girl, Ata trying
to initiate Helen Paul, before people can say I am the one, the scene has gone.
I always have this familiar look when people see me but they can’t place it.
Before you start arranging yourself to place it, I have run away and I love it.
And I don’t want it to change. I don’t look like my characters in all my movies
and series and that’s fine for me. I need to have a life that I can enjoy
without paparazzi.
How long have you
joined the Nigerian movie industry and how well have you feared
I started in 2006. I started out as the Next Movie Star and
artiste manager for the Next Movie Reality TV Show and from there I went into a
Reality TV show called 12 Ambassadors of Nollywood sponsored by Paul Obazele in
conjunction with Unity Bank and I emerged as one of the 12 ambassadors and
that’s how my career emerged.
So how has it been
since then
It has been fine and for sure challenging but I have been
striving hard and not resting on my oars. I did not go through any of the
scandals and the pressures. God has been faithful. As you know I like to talk,
so I plan to have my talk show shortly. It’s natural for me to make people
laugh.
Outside acting what
do you do
I’m a voice-over artiste and do a lot of master compeering
at different events and it gives me jobs more than acting and being a voice
over artiste put together. It pays the bills for me. I’m a member of AVOA,
Association of Voice over Artistes.
You are on the big side,
how do you feel about that
Yes, an African woman is a big woman and I’m proud to be a
big woman. I’m a beautiful sexy big woman and I love it. An African woman is
curvy. I’m not preaching obesity but if you are big, embrace it, dress your
curve, look nice and present yourself as sexy. African men love fully curvaceous
women. I’m a plus size model. I don’t face discrimination instead I have a
problem finding them off.
So what is sex to you
(Sex is) That evil thing that God gave man that is causing
commotion right now (Laughter). Somebody sang very good bad girl or sex is a
very good bad thing between man and woman that is causing commotion in the
world.
Can you tell me about
your love life
Ha! Journalist!
Journalist! How many times did I call you? Free me. You people must go to wetin
happen. No be wetin dem say you want talk you go talk?
Men that admire you
would want to know or are you shy about it
I’m a beautiful contented woman with my life. And if the
right man comes along fine, if it doesn’t come, I’ll still be fulfilled doing
what God has called me to do. People just think that you must have a man to be
happy. I do not think so. I’ve since known that true happiness comes from
within you. You have to be very happy with yourself to experience happiness
with a partner or without. If you’re not happy when a partner walks into your
life, he won’t still make you happy. There will still be a missing gap in your
life. So the first thing every woman should is to embrace happiness, your inner
peace and come to peace within it and when you find a partner it just blends
naturally. A man does not fill an empty void, he complements it and I’m talking
from experience not just ki le e le yi so (what is this one saying in Yoruba)?
I am divorced.
Really
Yeah, that’s what people don’t know about me. I’m divorced
and have a daughter, Rereloluwa Stephany from my marriage. Her birth was my
most joyous moment. So I have experience the bliss of partnership and marriage
or whatever you people call it. I have since being out and I’ve also
experienced loneliness, heartbroken and disappointment. I’ve also experienced
love and plenty of admiration and respect. So I’ve come to a stage in my life
that contentment and happiness is from within first. I’m
happy and satisfied in my sexuality as a woman and I know
I’m an intelligent and hardworking mother. With time the right man will come.
For how long have you
been divorced
It’s over 7 years already. I have overcome everything that
has to do with emotional trauma and I’ve escaped heart breaks. I’m a huge
beautiful woman happy to groove and ready to love if it comes.
Can you date someone
from the movie industry
I try to stay away from them not because there is anything
wrong with it. I don’t have a problem dating someone from my profession but
I’ll rather choose someone in another industry that is quiet such that there
are things we can talk about when we get home.
How fashionable are
you
I love all the jewelleries. I love flashy things. I’m big
and love big things, big earrings, big blings, and big wristwatches. I ’m more
comfortable with western clothes, my jeans, trainers, polo top and body suit.
I’m not restricted in fashion. I wear what brings my sex appeal.
What is your life
philosophy
Do unto others as you want them to do for you. It is as
simple as that. Live life because life is too short. Enjoy yourself. Do what is
right. Let your conscience be your judge.