Stephnora Okere opens up on her relationship with Jim Iyke “He loves and understands me better”
Actress Stephnora Okere and Jim Iyke dated for a while many years back and according to an interview she granted Stella Dimoko Korkus of Encomium magazine, she says she’s still in love with him. Excerpts from the interview:
"I've been maintaining a low profile because of the fact that I wanted to re-arrange myself for the future having made one or two mistakes in the past. SDK: "What mistakes are you referring to? As an actress or your personal life?" Stephnora: "Both. First as an actress, I allowed myself to put on weight and that is not good for the kind of profession I'm in. When I gained weight, I lost a lot of offer for movie roles. My personal life mistake concerns my involvement in a marriage process that never scaled through. I got involved with someone who doesn't understand what the word love means. It took me being involved in that relationship to realise what true love really means. It made me realise that I had loved and still do love someone else."
Yep, you guessed right, she's still in love with Jim Iyke. I hope single Jim Iyke reads this blog...lol. Continue to see the rest of the interview...
SDK: Who exactly are you referring to that you still love? Stephnora: I still love Jim Iyke SDK: Wow, that's some revelation. I am sure even Jim Iyke will be shocked to read this. He must have impacted on you strongly.
Stephnora: Jim was and is still the best friend I've ever had. He was not just around, he was there as a friend, brother, lover, companion. He was always there. He understood me.
The Owerri-born actress who garnered fame and fortune at the nascent stages of Nollywood made the most touching revelation of her personal life in the interview
Meanwhile in another interview steph granted some journalist recently in Lagos, the University of Ife theatre arts graduate bares her mind on her perception of present day Nollywood and what she has in stuck for her fans.
Q: Being one of the few truly trained professionals in Nollywood, has Nollywood met your expectations
STEPH: At the beginning yes, Nollywood seemed like it would meet my expectations , my colleagues and I had hopes that we would quickly climb up the lather, but the intrusion of massive unprofessionalism into all facets of Nollywood has long truncated that growth, so as it is am not impressed at all and my expectations have long been quashed. Our dreams and ambitions seem dwarfed by this development.
Q: A lot of people are singing songs of praise with the level where Nollywood is now. We are regarded as the second largest movie producing culture in the world. Are you happy with that?
STEPH: I wonder what is there to be happy about. I wonder why we are celebrating mediocrity. Which Nigerian movie has won anything on the international stage? Is it not Indian movies that are winning International laurels? Those who are rejoicing that we have been voted as the third largest movie producing culture in the world, have they asked about the quality of work we are doing or is it only about the quantity. They did not say we are the second “BEST” movie producing culture but the second “LARGEST”, producing nonsense. Listen, where Nollywood is now is expected knowing that we came from nowhere to get to where we are now. The stage we have gotten to is such that we have to decide to either kill the industry or take a rain check and know how to salvage it.
Q: It looks like you have not been active in the industry for a long while now. What happened?
STEPH: Have been around the industry but I have been taking my time to study what is going on and looking for a way to make myself relevant in the industry in that, I am repackaging all the stuff I have to offer so that I do not end up like the rest of the people in the band wagon of mediocrity. The works I am preparing to do now are of international standards. So let's just say I have been around but just repackaging my stuff, taking a rain-check to know exactly what to come out with. I am a trained professional don't forget that. I have to hold up my training differentiate myself and set standards for others to follow.
Q: Are you saying that right now there are no standards for the industry to look up to?
STEPH: Yes, I strongly believe it is time for us to come back in truth and put down standards that will sustain the industry and also lay standards for whoever intends to join Nollywood. Not what has happened in the past where groups of people come together for their personal interest in pretence that they want to restructure the industry. It is not so difficult to restructure the Industry if we all are sincere to ourselves. If we are agree that there is a need to do things better then all hands should be on deck with a sincere heart and if we do not do that pretty soon, some other interested bodies might do it for us and trust me, we will be worse for it.
By:Joda Afolabi Tags:Stephnora Okere, Jim Iyke, Nollywood,Stella Dimoko Korkus. 03-04-2013