Why fans shouldn’t look up to me – Actress Genoveva Umeh

Despite using her scintillating acting prowess to mesmerise Nollywood audiences in blockbuster movies, fast-rising actress, Genoveva Umeh, has said she is not a role model for anyone because she does not want to be driven by the urge to make decisions based on public expectations.

Umeh, best known for her roles as Timeyin in the movie, Blood Sisters, and Zina in the Netflix series, Far from Home, in an exclusive chat with Midweek Entertainment, said she made the decision because she was against people attaching themselves to what she did or the decision she made.

She said, “I think my only challenge is I still want to be myself, I still want to do great work and I don’t want to get caught up in the fame. Those are the things I want to focus on.

“Also, as much as people are really inspired by my work, I don’t think of myself as a role model. I’m not a role model, I’m just someone who cares about her work and if people are inspired by that, that’s great.

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“But I don’t want people to attach themselves to everything I do or hold me accountable for certain decisions that I make. I want to live free, I want to be myself and I still want to do great work without the pressure of people’s expectations.”

The actress said she chose acting as a career path because she was passionate about the profession, adding that she bagged a law degree as a backup plan.

She said, “My career has only just started and I’m grateful for how versatile the roles that I’ve played are and on huge platforms as well. Any role that allows me to transform, I would obviously do well. I love to challenge myself. I don’t like to take on the same role twice. Every character is kind of different.

“I picked acting because I’m extremely passionate about it. It was almost as though I couldn’t shake it. Essentially, I realised that it was something that made me the happiest. Although, I thought it was a hobby. I figured that I was really talented and I was really passionate about it.

“For my law degree, I wanted it for backup because at the end of the day, I’m a first-generation immigrant and I understand how hard my parents worked to get me to the United Kingdom. I didn’t want to let them down because that would be too selfish.”