Renowned Nollywood actress, Shaffy Bello, in a recent interview with VJ Adams on his podcast, shared candid insights into her life and career, while also offering thoughtful perspectives on love and relationships. Excerpts:
When you wake up in the morning, what’s the first thing you do?
Before I pick up my phone, I speak into the day. I let it know I’m here, I’m awake. The reason I’m awake is that everything I need will be supplied. I hear good, I see good, I speak good, and I am going to impact lives today. So come on, day, let’s go. And then I pick up my phone.
Are you a breakfast person?
No. I’m a coffee person, every day. And now they’re saying intermittent fasting is a thing. I’ve been doing that for a very long time.
Have you ever watched a movie and felt you could have played a particular character?
Absolutely. I’ve watched some films and thought, “Why didn’t you bring that to my table? Let me chew that character out for you and spit it out.” Yes, I know exactly what you mean.
When it comes to watching something, what would you tilt towards for the most part; drama, thrillers, action, horror, comedy?
I’m not really a horror kind of girl, but if I catch a good one, why not? I love drama, suspense, and comedy. I’m a movie buff. I love watching all sorts. I never like to box myself into anything.
In the early stages, were you the type to watch movies based on the actors?
Yes, absolutely. I put trust in actors to choose good movies to participate in. People still do that. I’m bankable. People will watch a film because they see certain actors: Samuel L. Jackson, Denzel Washington, and Viola Davis. That’s why they get paid a lot of money.
Do you watch the movies you’re starring in?
Not always. If I’ve done 100 films, I’ve watched maybe 25.
Is that intentional?
Some of them, yes. I’ve played certain characters where I really wanted to see how I brought them to life. But sometimes I’ve played similar characters before, and I kind of know what to expect. I intentionally want to see some films – especially to see the work of the director and the other actors. But honestly, I cringe when I watch myself. I’m a critic. I always think I could have done better, taken it a step further. Very few times have I watched something and said, ‘Yeah, you nailed that.’
Talking about music, you’re an integral part of one of the biggest songs from the Afrobeat era. How did Love Me Jeje happen; How did you get into the studio?
I loved music at that time, though I wasn’t into it professionally. Seyi had been recording the song with an American girl, but when they listened to it, they felt that the way she was pronouncing the words didn’t have the right Nigerian intonation. Someone told him, “Your cousin Shaffy sings.” So he called me, and honestly, I thought he was bothering me. I went to the studio, and believe it or not, it was a one-take thing. I did it playfully because I just wanted to do it for him and leave. I didn’t even listen to it properly. I kept saying, “Let’s change this, let’s change that” I’m a perfectionist. But Seyi, Carl, and Billy told me, “Just leave the studio.” When I finally heard the song, I thought it was so bad, but I didn’t think it was going to blow up.
At what point did you know it would become a very big record?
When Seyi got back from Nigeria after a couple of trips and said, “We need to make a video.” I was like, “Video for what?” He said, “It’s huge in Nigeria. It’s doing very well.” I had just had my daughter, so she was a baby behind the stage during the video shoot. I was actually breastfeeding at the time.
A lot of people experienced you for the first time on screen as an actor. You travelled and were in the States for most of your life, right?
Yes, from about age 17. I was a teen in the US up until almost 40.
What were the most exciting things you remember or fond memories from your teen years in the US?
I wasn’t an American teen, I was a Nigerian teen. There’s a huge difference. I was 18, turning 19, so only two years of teenage life there. It was a rude awakening. Here in Nigeria, I was under my parents and older siblings, being nurtured. In the States, I had to sit up and start making a life for myself. You had to move out of your parents’ house within a year or two. I was staying with my sister, but eventually, I started working and living on my own at 19. My kids look at me today and ask, ‘How did you guys do it’ because they’re still in their 20s living at home? But you get thrown in there. For me, it was a choice; I wanted my independence.
How do you like to travel; would you rather fly or go by water?
I can fly, I can do water. But I don’t like road trips. It is not my thing. Maybe I haven’t experienced them in a fun way, but I can do road trips abroad, but road trips here in Nigeria? No, thank you. Only if there’s strong motivation, like the person is extremely dear to me. Everyone knows me now. They say, “Don’t invite Shaffy, she won’t come.” Once it’s farther than a certain distance, count me out. It’s just not fun for me.
Let’s talk about what the emotions were like when you realised you were about to become a mother.
Oh, you had to go there immediately? We went deep. I had been waiting for about four to five years. Not trying, trying, but you know, when you’ve met the person you want to be with, that’s the next phase you’re looking for. It didn’t happen as quickly as I thought. Then one day, I thought, “Wait a minute, I haven’t seen this monthly visitor.” I went to check, and yeah. What were the emotions? I was like, “All right, this is it. This is the journey.”
If you were going to produce a movie, what story would you like to tell; Epic or modern?
Modern. And it has to be about a woman, her resilience. I’d love to tell a story about the older generation, where I am now. We don’t tell enough stories about women, what we go through, who we are, and how beautiful we are. We take a flower and tell the story of that little part inside while ignoring the different petals around it. I’d love to tell a story about what it took for a woman to become this. That’s why when we did ‘Christmas in Lagos’, that little story between me, RMD, and Wale Ojo resonated with so many women, even women in their late 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s. They connected with that woman because the fact that she picked the person she picked, and not the obvious character, resonated with people. I got a lot of feedback saying, “We don’t tell these stories enough.” I would tell a story about a woman.
You are always punctual, you don’t like lateness, right?
Yes, I don’t. I honestly believe that if you’re not a late person, people take you more seriously. It’s not about how others take me. If it were, I would have changed by now. People will test you with lateness, but I refuse to let you change who I am. Innately, I like to be early. In my industry, it’s easier to be that way because you’re on a clock. You’re paying for my time, and I will give you that time. But once that time expires, I’m going to come to you about it. The mistake a lot of people make is coming early and clocking that 12 hours. After 12 hours, you can have a say in how long you want to negotiate staying, and people will take you seriously if you’re consistent.
What else excites you in entertainment generally?
Filmmaking, going behind the scenes.
Are you a breakfast person?
No. Coffee. Every day. Coffee and a smoothie, except when I’m fasting. I don’t eat until about 2 p.m. And now they’re saying intermittent fasting is a thing. I’ve been doing that for a very long time.
