Growing up in the ghetto made me –Ruth Kadiri

For actress, script writer and movie
maker, Ruth Kadiri, it’s a story of grass to
grace. Kadiri, who grew up in Africa’s
largest ghetto, Ajegunle, but who ended
up becoming a screen goddess recently
shared her story with The Entertainer.
Excerpts:
SOME PEOPLE SAY YOU ARE A BETTER
WRITER THAN AN ACTRESS, WHAT IS
YOUR TAKE?
In my opinion, it is not right for me to
judge my works. I appreciate every talent
that I have; both acting and writing. They
are uniquely different. I don’t see myself
comparing them in any way. It is my duty
to do my job and it is their duty to analyze
it.
WHEN YOU STARTED OUT, DID YOU EVER
SEE YOURSELF COMING THIS FAR?
Yes.
HAS THERE BEEN A COMMENT THAT HIT
YOU REAL HARD YOU BROKE DOWN IN
TEARS?
No, not yet. I have never had that
experience and I pray that it doesn’t get to
that level.
HAVE YOU EVER HAD TO KISS AN ACTOR
WITH BAD BREATH ON SET?
I hardly kiss in movies.
WHICH ACTOR WOULD YOU SAY HAS
GIVEN YOU YOUR BEST KISS EVER?
(Laughter) Are you kidding me? I don’t
know. There is no personal attachment
when you kiss in a movie; I still don’t
know why people don’t understand that
there is no attachment when it comes to
kissing in a film.
YOU RECENTLY FLAUNTED YOUR RANGE
ROVER SPORT. WHAT SPURRED THAT
MOVE?
No! I did not; I am not that kind of a
person. If you go to my Instagram page,
you will not find it there. I don’t even
know where or how they got that picture.
It was just a presumption from a blogger
that turned out to be true; I don’t post
pictures of my car online.
SO, PRESUMPTION WAS RIGHT JUST AS
THEY PRESUMED THAT THE GUY WITH
YOU WAS YOUR BOYFRIEND…
No, he is not my boyfriend! Are you
kidding me? Oh my God! I don’t even
have the strength. He is just a friend;
somebody I have known for like forever.
ARE YOU CURRENTLY IN A
RELATIONSHIP?
Yes
DO YOU HAVE ANY MARRIAGE PLANS?
Hopefully, we will get there by the grace
of God.
I AM SURE YOUR FANS WOULD WANT
TO KNOW…
I am a woman. I don’t know when the
proposal….
BUT WHO IS YOUR IDEAL MAN?
Every woman wants a good man; every
woman wants a God-fearing man.
BUT WHAT’S YOUR WISH LIST, THERE
MUST BE SOMETHING YOU REALLY,
REALLY DESIRE?
I want somebody who would respect me.
SO, WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF
SUCCESS?
Success is getting to a point where you
are comfortable with what you have and
who you are.
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN THE
NEXT FIVE YEARS?
I am running a production company
called Ruth Kadiri Productions and hoping
that in five years’ time, it would be a
household name and I am hoping that
Ruth Kadiri will become a brand. I see
myself as someone who inspires people
and I hope that I don’t disappoint them.
HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU INTEND TO
HAVE?
Maybe two…
BUT YOU LOVE KIDS. I WAS HOPING
YOU’D SAY LIKE 10 OR SOMETHING IN
THAT NEIGHBOURHOOD?
No! Loving kids does not mean you have
to have many of them.
YOU ADORE UCHE JUMBO, WHAT DO
YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT HER?
I think she is the most hardworking and
sincere person I know especially in this
industry. She is someone who is ready to
tutor you and I’m somebody who doesn’t
listen. For a colleague who could pick up
somebody and dust her up and don’t give
up on her no matter what speaks
volumes. That is a strength I know I don’t
have and I appreciate her so much for
that.
YOU’RE HONEST WITH THE FACT THAT
YOU’RE SOMEONE WHO DOESN’T
LISTEN. TELL US HOW THAT PLAYED
OUT WHILE GROWING UP?
I believe that every child who hopes to be
independent must always have a mind of
its own. And I also know that in being
independent, not everybody will agree
with you. Mind you, having a mind of your
own means that you must be able to
define yourself. Like I said earlier, not
everybody will agree with you so if I
agree with you, you have to make me see
reasons with you. If I don’t, then sorry!
independent, not everybody will
AND HOW DID THAT PLAY OUT WITH
YOUR DAD, YOU KNOW, YOUR PARENTS?
My dad is a very patient person and he is
a complete gentleman; he never raised his
hand on me.
NEVER? A NIGERIAN FATHER?
Yeah. He never did but my mum, hmmm…
(Laughter).
HOW HAS YOUR BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATIONS SKILLS IMPACTED
YOUR ACTING?
I’m a businesswoman; I producing my
own films now and I also run a clothes
line called KR.
WERE YOU BORN WITH AT SILVER
SPOON?
No! Does anybody think that?
TELL US ABOUT YOUR CHILDHOOD?
Even as a child, I knew what I wanted to
be. In my bedroom then I had these
picture of what I would be when I turn 18.
I did a write up that when I turn 18, I
would rent my own house. And my dad
came by and saw it and he was like
‘where are you going by 18? Are you
thinking about school?’ I was like ‘Dad, I
want to be able to rent my own house and
make my own money when I am 18.’ He
just laughed it off but I think that decision
helped me; the desire to want to make
your own money the right way helped me.
When you grow up as a child in Ajegunle,
it’s either it’s lost on you or it helps you
find your way. Right now, there are so
many mistakes that I can’t make. I see a
lot of girls making certain mistakes that I
don’t see myself ever making today. If I
could discipline myself from childhood,
then I should have a high level of
resilience today. And then, growing up in
the slum helps you to define yourself and
it is either you are defined or you’re not.
I READ SOMEWHERE THAT A FEMALE
LECTURER ONCE ASKED YOU OUT. IS
THAT TRUE? COULD YOU RELIEVE THE
EXPERIENCE?
Yes.
BUT THERE WAS ALSO A DENIAL TO
THAT CLAIM…
Somebody denied it? No! I have never.
Hmmm… Okay, I was in school then. At
first she took special interest in me and
she was like ‘oh Ruth, you came to class
today? Oh Ruth, you look like this and
you look like that.’ In fact, the first time I
wrote her paper she saw me and she was
like ‘hmmm… you look familiar.’ And I
said ‘No.’ Buts she was like ‘what are you
even writing?’ You know that kind of
interest, and later she added, ‘come and
look me up in school.’ In fact, she knew
the day that I was admitted to school and
knew my scores. And then, one day, I
think I missed her test or something like
that and then I went to her office and she
told me to take a seat opposite her and
then she and she moved her legs and she
was like doing what do they call it? I was
pushing my chair backward and she was
like ‘where are you going, listen to me!’ I
was like ‘ah!’
DID YOU RUN OUT OF THE OFFICE
EVENTUALLY OR DID YOU JUST SAY NO?
No, I didn’t say no…
WHAT IS IT ABOUT YOU THAT
ATTRACTED HER TO YOU?
I don’t know.
SO, HOW DID YOU COPE?
I just started avoiding her. I knew her
daughter so I went straight to make friend
with her.
WHAT COULD MAKE RUTH KADIRI CRY?
(Laughs). I think I am very emotional-o.
Anything could make me cry.
THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED, WHAT
TRIGGERED IT?
It was something hurtful.
CAN YOU GIVE US SOMETHING
SPECIFIC?
When was the last time I cried? Guess
what, I cry so much that I don’t even
know what makes me cry these days?
DO YOU CRY WHEN SEEING A MOVIE?
Yea! I cry when I watch myself cry in a
movie.
RUTH KADIRI, DO YOU HAVE TATTOOS?
IF NO, WHY?
No! I don’t, I just don’t like them-o.
A TATTOO WILL SIT WELL ON YOUR
ARMS SO WHY DON’T YOU LIKE
TATTOOS?
I am indifferent about tattoos but I don’t
just like the idea of having one on my
body.
YOU DON’T HAVE ANY ISSUES WITH
PEOPLE HAVING TATTOOS, DO YOU?
No! But when it is too much I have a
problem. If you have tattoo it is okay as
long as you can handle it.
YOU DON’T SEE YOURSELF TATTOOING
YOUR LOVER’S NAME ACROSS YOUR
BACK ANYTIME SOON, DO YOU?
Haba! Let me ask you a question. Did it
favour all those that did it? Why should I
go and do the same thing (laughter)?
WHAT IF HE DECIDES TO TATTOO YOU
ON HIS BODY? WHAT WOULD BE YOUR
TAKE?
Who will date a man that would want to
tattoo you on his body?
SO, YOU WON’T DATE A MAN WITH
TATTOOS?
I didn’t say that-o.
BUT YOU DON’T DRINK AND CLUB AND
DO STUFFS LIKE THAT…
Ah, I drink alcohol-o.
A PHOTO OF YOU CLUTCHING YOUR
BOOBS HAS GONE VIRAL ON SOCIAL
MEDIA. WAS IT A PUBLICITY STUNT?
Guess what, the funny thing is that
anytime I want to take a photo, I just find
out that my hands are drifting
unconsciously towards my boobs. But
that, picture is causing a lot of
controversy, hmmm…I don’t know-o.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR
FAVORITE PART OF YOUR BODY?
I don’t know. I love every part of my body
but probably, my head; yeah, that is my
favourite part.
I READ SOMEWHERE ONLINE WHERE
YOU CLAIMED THAT A PARTICULAR
STALKER TRACED YOU TO YOUR
CHURCH BUT ENDED UP GETTING
CONVERTED. AND THEN, THERE WAS
THIS OTHER STORY OF A FEMALE
LECTURER MAKING ADVANCES AT YOU.
DON’T YOU THINK THAT IT IS YOUR
FAULT THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE AFTER
YOU BECAUSE YOU GIVE THEM SIGNALS
THAT MAKE THEM COME AFTER YOU?
DO YOU SWING BOTH WAYS?
You see, that was the first time it has ever
happened but wait a minute, are you
kidding me? Swing both ways? If you visit
Unilag any day, you’ll notice that there are
certain dresses that are allowed there. My
favorite dress was a pair of jeans trousers
and a top. What signal will somebody
wearing a pair of jeans trousers and a top
send? I hardly make up. I had to make-up
because I was coming to meet you guys.
YOU GREW UP IN THE GHETTO. TO WHAT
EXTENT HAS THE GHETTO MOULDED
YOU INTO THE PERSON YOU ARE
TODAY?
Coming from the ghetto helps you make
certain decisions. For instance, lots of
girls are doing hard drugs like heroin,
marijuana, ecstasy, crack and cocaine
today. I am not a judge but coming from
where I grew up, I couldn’t engage in
such things because I grew up in a place
where smoking and sniffing of hard drugs
was the norm. It didn’t influence me back
then so I don’t see anybody or anything
influencing me right now. I think growing
up in the ghetto helps you; it has helped
me tremendously. A lot of people had to
make mistakes before learning their
lessons; I grew up in the mistakes. Now
the question is, if I was able to chart my
course through all that, wouldn’t it be
difficult to find myself ending up a victim
today?
I HAVE THIS FEELING THAT RUTH IS A
GOOD GIRL. HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN A
GOOD GIRL?
No, I am not a good girl and I am not a
bad girl either. What makes one a good
girl by the way?
HAVE YOU DONE ANYTHING THAT YOU
ARE NOT PROUD OF?
We all have. But I don’t regret anything; I
don’t think I regret anything.