(A Grantee of US State Department, US Embassy, Abuja)

Punch

Toyin Aimaku is one Nollywood actress risinggradually to the top of the movie industry, especially in the Yoruba genre.

She came on the scene barely three years back, but her face has become prominent in many movies including Etanu and Lion of Magun series of Super Story.

The movie industry had gone sensational before Toyin came on the scene, but it wasn’t the bling bling and the razzmatazz associated with the show biz industry that attracted her. She told Spectacles that the passion she had for the make-believe industry even as a young girl made her to become a part of it.

Toyin said, “It has always been a part of me right from my childhood. Initially, I wanted to become a singer. But that didn’t work out. I knew I was going to become an actress one day.”

The opportunity of becoming an actress came in 2004 when her uncle introduced her to Bukky Wright, a popular actress.

“My uncle, a marketer, introduced me to Bukky Wright. That was the first chance I got into the acting world.”

Since then, Toyin has remained unstoppable; as she forges on and on.

Though she loved acting, when it was time to fill the university matriculation forms, Toyin chose to study Marketing.

Why didn’t she go for Drama, Spectacles asked?

“It doesn’t really matter what I study in the university. You and I know that in Nigeria, you can study anything and work anywhere, which may not even be related to the course you studied in school. My studying Marketing does not mean I do not know anything where Drama is concerned.”

Toyin however said it had not been easy, confessing that stardom had practically made her live a fake life.

She said, “You have to fake who you really are, you have to fake your lifestyle. I don’t have to lie about it, that is what we do; we live fake lives. I used to be a very playful person, but this profession has turned me to be a reserved person, otherwise a lot of people will take advantage of you and say negative things about you. Let me tell you, we live fake lives.”

Indeed, her lifestyle has changed. To ‘belong’, Toyin said she now goes out of her way to shop at exclusive places; something she wasn’t doing when she was coming up.

“Everybody knows the economic situation of things. Before now, there were places were I could go and get my things at a cheaper rate. You may see a top for N2, 000 at that shop and in another shop, that same top will be N6, 000. What do we do? We would still go to the shop that is selling that top for N6, 000. We have to go to exclusive salons to do our nails. If we don’t do that, people will say that we are suffering.”

Toyin is one of the very few actresses who do not have much scandal trailing them. She thanks God for that, and believes that she will not be involved in any scandal throughout her career.

“I don’t pray for a scandal. It will affect my profession. I will no longer have fans. I try as much as possible to live a decent life so as not to bring any scandal to my person.”

Since she has no intention of acting nude, Toyin would not be scandalised in that aspect. Pay her a billion pounds to act nude and she would throw the money into the bin, according to her.

“Even if I am paid a billion pounds, I can never act nude. This is Nigeria; I don’t have any other home. Our culture does not permit such. I want to have a family of my own one day.”

She may not act nude, but when it comes to dressing ‘hot’, Toyin takes the lead. She is one of the actresses who are daring when it comes to skimpy dressing, and she can give men something to ogle after.

“I like dressing ‘hot’. It is not all the time I dress that way, but I can be hot when I want to be.”

Her status and her dress style, coupled with her career could account for the one thousand and one admirers she has.

Toyin said, “I tell you, I get an admirer every minute. I am not exaggerating. People call me every moment, saying they want to meet me and all that. Well, they can only call, nobody is going to kidnap or rape me.”

Of all the millions of admirers that she has, she was able to single out one of them as her boyfriend, the main guy in her life.

“I have a boyfriend, he is doing well. He has asked me to marry him though he has not done that in the proper way. In any case, I know we will get married.”

The boyfriend, Toyin disclosed, does not mind the incessant phone calls and numerous admirers that she has.

“He understands. I tell you, my boyfriend and I are like brother and sister. In fact, he is my best friend. He picks my calls at times and he does not get offended if a fan calls me. We have been dating for a long time.”

She is so much in love with her guy that she can sacrifice anything for him, even her profession.

According to her, “I don’t know if I will remain an actress for life. Everything depends on my man. If he asks me to quit, I will definitely quit. My man will always be my man”.

 

Read Articles By: Godwin C. Nwaogwugwu

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