Tamara Eteimo: The pains, gains and unforgettable moments of a Nollywood actress [+8 Photos]

There are very few reasons not to like rising Nollywood actress especially judging from the number of fans and friends she has made since she broke into the heart of the Nigerian movie industry.

She is nowhere close to the apex of her career but has clearly impressed on and off the camera and as those in the realm of creative optimism would say, ‘the future stands bright.’

In this piece, we will X-ray several aspects of this pretty actress with a particular emphasis on her career.

• She hails from Bayelsa
• She graduated from the University of Port-Harcourt where she studied Theatre Arts
• The actress also studied Acting For Screen at Del York
• Tamara Eteimo won the 2011 edition the reality TV show, ‘Next movie Star’
• Did you know that she did not register for the Next Movie Star until the last possible day?
• Barely a month ago, she premiered her own movie, ‘Somewhere Down The Line’ at the Silverbird Cinema, Ikeja City Mall in Lagos
• In addition to being an actress, Tamara Eteimo is also a singer – In fact, she began singing before picking up acting
• As an artiste, she performed at shows like ‘Crack Ya Ribs in 2009,’ ‘Carniriv’ and a few others
• The actress has made it clear that premiering her own movie does not stop her from doing what she loves; acting!
• In her movie, she worked with prominent acts like Rachel Oniga, Bukky Wright, Kingsley Ogboso, Yemi Blaq, Mary Lazarus, Yinka Ayelokun, Adetomiwa Kukoyi and Yinka Salau
• The year 2013 marked a very dark chapter as she lost her brother, Stanley (a music producer and student of Management Information Systems at the Girne American University in Kyrenia) in Cyprus
• Her brother was allegedly murdered by a jealous lover at an event
• Tamara Eteimo confirmed the unjust nature of his death in a grief-laden message, “...I love you so much. God is not asleep and he will surely bring justice... Getting there (the party), he saw a classmate of his and decided to chat with her, her boyfriend got jealous and threatened my brother that he would kill him and nothing would happen because he was in his country. They argued, after that, we didn’t hear anything from my brother until we received a call that my brother didn’t come back to his hostel. That was the last time my brother was seen until his body was found at a beach. They said he committed suicide, which to me, is a big lie. The hotel where the show was held refused to release the CCTV to show us what really happened.”
• The Bayelsa State government officially wrote to the Ambassador of the Cypriot Embassy but the case remains unresolved
• She earned herself a nomination at the AMVCA for Best Supporting Actress in the movie, Desperate House-Girls’
• She has a flair for rapping
• For those who have not seen Tamara Eteimo’s movie, she played two characters
• She enjoys healthy competition from colleagues and professionals in her field
• Speaking on some of the qualities that stand her out from the crowd, she considers herself “not short, not tall, not fat but slim and I am fair in complexion. I am sexy and focused, I am passionate. I am good at what I do and I have confidence.”
• Are you aware that when she was cast in the movie, ‘Itohan,’ she had to learn how to learn to play football with professionals?
• There are a number of things she will never do and one of is acting nude as she believes this has been thoroughly abused
• She enjoys a great deal, the dynamism and creativity that comes with her job as an actress
• She believes that it takes true talent to stand out from the sea of gifted actors and actresses in Nigeria
• When asked to name his 5 top Nollywood actresses in recent times, veteran movie director, Charles Novia pegged Tamara Etiemo at number two; only surpassed by multi award-winning actress, Mercy Johnson
• She inherited her love for music as her folks were members of the choir
• She was earned herself N100, 000 for her performance at Carniriv and enjoyed all the perks that come with stardom
• Tamara Eteimo found more fulfilment as an actress than she did as a performing artiste
• After winning the Next Movie Star, she went to a number of production houses to introduce herself. “The first place I actually went to was Wale Adenuga’s office. I dropped my picture and introduced myself as the winner of the Next Movie Star. So, they said they were going to call for auditions. I said no problem. I got a message and I went for the audition. When they saw me, they wanted to give me the normal, regular, girly role but the son, Wale Adenuga Jnr., said they should give me the role of a house help who has the Calabar accent. When he said that, for a moment, I thought of what his reason could be for giving me that role. A voice just came to me, saying, “You are an actress; this is more like a selling point for you that you can interpret any role at anytime.” After the audition, they said they were going to call me back. I later got a call that we were going to start shoot at a particular time. Of course, we negotiated; and then, I went to shoot. It was brief, but it kind of opened doors for me. This is because immediately after that, I began shooting with Stephanie (Okereke) on her movie Dry. While I was shooting Dry, they called me for Itohan, a Superstory series. The first one I did with them was ‘This life.’”
• She attributes her success to God’s grace. “...something I always believe in is, once you merit it, you’ll get it. I don’t believe in man-know-man, e go give am. Even if you know the person and the person gives it to you, that production might not sell because at the end of the day, you might not interpret it to the best of the viewers’ knowledge.”
• She owns a salon and that was primarily because she’s fascinated with the art of hair styling
• Her first job was Nollywood producer, Emem Isong was in the movie, ‘Mrs. Somebody’ and it happened by chance. “Actually, I wasn’t meant to be on that film. I went for something different. They had already done the casting; I think Chelsea Eze was given that role. So, she said she wanted me to just be on standby in case Chelsea is not around. So, after the audition and everything, she said: “But we are shooting upstairs. Do you mind?” Just four scenes…” and I said, ‘Why not?’ That was more like my first film with Emem Isong. I was acting alongside with Uche Jumbo. Immediately, I grabbed the opportunity and we shot.”
• One of her biggest strengths is her spontaneity and ability to play an incredibly vast array of roles on short notice. “In school and on stage, they can call you to cry now. Wherever you stored your ‘cry memory’ you have to open it and bring it back. So, it was more like I had been trained like that. Also, in the Next Movie Star, we had training and grooming session, where they trained us to be ready at any time. While in the house too, you know the voice will just tell you I want you to get ready for the red carpet. It was more like getting us ready for what comes at anytime...”
• One of the most demanding periods of her life was after she won the Next Movie Star. “I remember carrying my show reel to Divine Touch... I gave to a lot of people. But I didn’t want them to have that perception of, ‘Oh! She thinks she’s the winner.’ They were surprised. I think it’s the first time such a thing had happened. You see, wherever I went, I would say, ‘My name is Tamara. I won the Next Movie Star. This is my show reel. I’m an actress. I am a graduate of the University of Port-Harcourt. I just want to be in your production. Just give me a chance. You can watch my show reel... If you have any question, this is my number and my email address.’ It was more like I’m a brand, a product that is ready to be used. So, I made myself available. When they had auditions, I went. Of course, they saw that this girl is ready to act...”
• Tamara Eteimo is not as active on the social media as many would expect her to be and she once attributed this to her nature. “I am not the one who wants to be seen. It’s very different. That’s why I don’t really make much noise when it comes to the social media. A lot of people tell me all the time that I am just too dull there. I don’t believe in flaunting. I just believe in interpreting my role the best way possible...”

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By: SAMOD BIOBAKU