Without a doubt, Naija is blessed with lots of incredibly talented and beautiful actresses. They are all over the place, making waves in the entertainment industry. But in a society where actresses sometimes are perceived as hustlers who run various rackets ranging from pimping to prostituting, there are still a few dozens of them who stand heads and shoulders above the rest. This select group of ladies are rarely seen flaunting their bodies or  new acquisitions on social media. They can boldly hold their heads high and say they do not in any way live above their means. And their fans and the society respect them for that. Super talented and popular actress, Toyin Alausa, is one of such select few actresses who command such respect.

Those who know Toyin Alausa very closely will tell you how much of a private person she is. When she’s not on location working, she prefers to stay indoors and enjoy her quiet moments away from the glitz and noise of show business. This very pretty actress who speaks impeccable English loves her own space very much. Toyin Alausa, who has featured in so many Yoruba movies and English productions as well is one of the prefered actresses for television series. She has become one of the most regular faces in many of the popular television series curently shown on several teevee stations.

A couple of weeks ago, Toyin Alausa was recognised at the City People Female Achievers Awards for her remarkable contributions to the movie industry. She was hugely applauded when she stepped out to receive her award. Everyone loved her simplicity and the humility she displayed each time she acknowleged the greetings from her fans. She turned down not a single request from guests who wanted to have a selfie with her. Toyin had a warm smile for every one of them.

City People spoke to Toyin shortly after she received her award. We wanted to know how she felt about the recognition and award she just received?

“Well, for me, it’s an honour to receive an award from City People media group. I think it’s been a long time coming from Dr. Seye Kehinde, I have anchored some of their events in the past and I think I even presented an award at one of such events, so being a recipient of their award this time around, is a really good feeling. I thank God. I appreciate this a lot and I believe it will encourage me to do better,” she responded, her warm smile lighting up her face.

One of the questions many would be looking forward to asking Toyin if and when they get the opportunity to speak with her is her ability to handle celebrity life very well. What part of her background helped her prepare for stardom and handle it so very well, we aked her?

“I think I would say basically, being the only child of my mum, not of my dad, but my mum, I think she was able to fully concentrate on training me and raising me. I mean, I went through thorough discipline, I wasn’t spared at all, you know what they say, spare the rod and spoil the child. My mum didn’t spare the rod at all. I went to an Ibadan school, so it was totally from home to school and back home. The discipline was so intense that I couldn’t help but be straight and it really helped because, according to a Yoruba proverb, ‘ile la ma nwo, ka to ke so rode.’ So, when you have good home training and solid background, it automatically reflects as you grow older wherever you go, it just kind of reflects on you. So, it really shaped me. Because I knew you can’t afford to go out there and throw caution to the wind, misbehave, speak anyhow, dress anyhow. I couldn’t. I didn’t have the pleasure of growing up that way, if I may put it like that. This means that even when youthful exuberance comes to play, you’re still conscious of the child of whom you are. You’re still conscious of where you’re coming from, who your parents are, you just can’t afford to misbehave.”

So, how did her mother react when Toyin went up to her and told her she wanted to go into acting?

“She knew I was going into acting, she was the first person that took me to NTA 10. sometime in the 80s. Whenever a little girl was needed for a character she was playing in drama showcase, back then in those days, she would take me. I remember the first script I read in my life, it was with my mother,” she answered proudly.

So, she threw her weight behind you right from the very start? we asked further.

“Oh, yes, she did.”

So, how does she feel now, seeing her little girl become a celebrity and all that?

“My mum has just passed, that’s why I dediucated this award to her,” Toyin replied with a tinge of sadness in her voice.

“How long ago was this?”

“Just few weeks ago. She passed in April and I buried her May 3rd, which happens to be her 70th birthday.

We promptly expressed our condolences, thanking God that at almost 70, she did well and lived a good life and didn’t die before her time..

When asked if she feels more comfortable acting in TV series than home movies, Alausa, who is also passionate about catering, said: “The truth is, I will answer whoever calls me up for a job. I am an actor, so I don’t see any reason why I will be receiving some jobs and rejecting some. I attended a lot of movie casting in January and February and the producers said they would get back to me, but they never did. So, what do you want me to do? But if someone else calls me up and says he or she has a role for me in a TV series and everything else is smooth, won’t I do it? So, it is not a matter of choice that I don’t feature too often in movies. I will never reject a good script. People just assume I don’t like to do movies, but I think it is because they don’t want to pay. They are used to ‘Please, help me…” Therefore, if you say you can’t do such stuff, they tag you a bad person. I don’t have any issues with films or movies, as long as we are all in the same industry.”

Toyin went further, “Some of us don’t have any extra support from anywhere other than what we earn from our sweat which at times shouldn’t be heard of (contrary to what those outside the indus­try think), and from that little we earn we still extend love to those in need around us, take care of ourselves, family (for some who are breadwinners), mobility to and fro.

“It’ll be unreasonable for anyone to assume that Screen life is the same as Real life and expect someone like me to live the facade some people live. While I’m super thankful and grateful for the numerous blessings money can’t buy be­stowed on me I earnestly look forward to when every hard work will come with a match­ing reward,” she added.

Any new projects she’s currently working on?

“Well, I have done a couple of series, yet to be released. I also have a personal project I’m still working on, once they are done, the whole world will see it.,” she concluded.

– WALE LAWAL