Maria Chike Benjamin will not be chasing fame; she needs to be recognised for her craft as an actress. From leaving a profession as an Emirates air hostess to turning into a actuality TV persona and now pursuing her place in Nollywood, her journey has been one among reinvention, self-discovery and resilience. Although actuality TV opened doorways to new alternatives, Maria says she needs audiences to look past the celebrity and respect her expertise, laborious work and dedication to storytelling. In this interview with Ferdinand Ekechukwu, she displays on the tough choices that formed her profession, her father’s affect on her values, the transformative expertise of motherhood, and her dedication to construct an enduring legacy in appearing. Excerpts:
You transitioned from an air hostess to a actuality TV star, and now an actress. How has the journey been?
I would say each transition did include its personal problem as a result of I was moving into utterly completely different worlds. Leaving aviation meant strolling away from steady profession to pursue alternatives the place nothing was assured, you might be simply well-known. I would say I didn’t do my analysis correctly by way of leaping into the world of actuality TV. I wasn’t very a lot conscious what the celebrity and I wasn’t chasing fame. Truly probably the most secret or somewhat sacred factor about me is I’m a really non-public individual. So being well-known and being non-public simply don’t go collectively. So, I would say the transition has been good and dangerous; the largest lesson by means of the journey has been believing in myself having moved again to Nigeria since 2021 as an airhostess with Emirates Airlines to being a actuality TV star and now an actress. If any actuality TV alternative got here, I would flip it down like one hundred pc. It’s an excessive amount of of an publicity. I see actuality TV as an open door to the trail to every thing that I’m doing immediately. It formed so many extra alternatives that I’m evolving into.
Can you share with us your first set expertise as an actor, any surprises stepping onto the set?
I would say stepping onto a film set for the primary time it was each thrilling and intimidating. I studied efficiency which was strictly appearing and script writing. I have been in entrance of the cameras. Even some journey in my life after I completed college, you recognize l lived in Los Angeles in America for three months and I was going for appearing auditions and stuff like that. The excessive value of residing in LA chased me away from LA and I moved again to the UK. I simply went for slightly brief interval to get appearing jobs and stuff like that and it by no means actually occurred for me. I have been in entrance of the cameras, in entrance of so many auditions. So as a lot as my first ever time being on an precise actual film set that was going to function, it was thrilling but it surely was additionally intimidating. Abroad or when I was in appearing faculty, they’d provide you with weeks, months, they’d provide you with script forward of time. But Nigerians we do issues utterly completely different. They provide you with a script immediately they usually anticipate you to be on set tomorrow morning. Or you might be on set for the primary time and that’s when you will notice your script, all you might be doing is to shortly be taught the script not even going into character. So, it’s very intimidating as a result of it wasn’t what I studied, it wasn’t how I perceived appearing and it was fairly difficult to simply come on set and have to shortly simply learn script after which they anticipate you to simply be in character right away. I’m like wait, I’m supposed to learn this script proper now? And you might be supposed to movie me? I want I was given my script weeks upfront to submerge into this character, to personal my character, to be that character, to come on set and provides a special kind of ordinary appearing. I haven’t been in a variety of motion pictures on this trade in any trade. I have simply been in few. But I do hope that sometime the movie trade in Nigeria or Africa would truly change.
What are your expectations coming into mainstream appearing and what ought to viewers anticipate from you quickly?
Stepping into mainstream appearing I do anticipate myself to continue to grow as a result of I do imagine we continue to grow. I’m not chasing fast success or just attempting to be acknowledged. I’m targeted on constructing a profession that’s rooted in laborious work, consistency, and nice storytelling. I need folks to look past my actuality TV journey and see me as an actress who’s dedicated to her craft I’m excited as properly to tackle difficult roles that may push me outdoors of my consolation zone; issues that I would by no means think about that myself or persona would give you the option to obtain. Whether its drama, romance, motion or one thing utterly sudden. I need each character that I play to depart an affect and join with audiences in significant methods. As for what viewers can anticipate, I do imagine that is just the start. And if that is my path in life, God’s keen; I would positively let him take management of the place this appearing takes me. ‘Properties of the Gods’, which is the most recent film that I featured, I’m extremely proud to be part of the movie that tells such an vital story. But there’s a lot extra to come.
What is one factor about your artistic prowess that your followers and trade haven’t seen but?
I suppose folks have solely seen a small a part of me as a result of I haven’t carried out a lot. So, they’ve seen a really small a part of what I’m able to doing. I love difficult myself emotionally and I can’t wait for audiences to see the depth and vary I know that I have when it comes to appearing. Beyond appearing as properly, I’m additionally passionate storyteller. In the long run I would additionally love to be creating initiatives from floor, not simply to be an actress. I do pray sooner or later to divert into being a producer; producing much more collection and flicks of my very own and ultimately assist deliver genuine African tales to life. I’m nonetheless firstly of this journey like I mentioned I haven’t been in a lot motion pictures and that’s what excites me probably the most. And I know there are such a lot of layers of me that audiences haven’t met but and I imagine one of the best model of Maria, creatively, continues to be forward of us.
Can you stroll us by means of your background – your loved ones, early years, and childhood reminiscence that stands out?
I was born to a Nigerian father, an Igbo man, and an Austrian mum. I’m one among three sisters, and two brothers, from a household of 5. I’m the second to the final. And I have two step siblings as properly. I grew up most of my early years partly in Nigeria and partly within the UK. But we did go to Austria very often each different summer season in my early years. We had been at all times transferring round loads. My dad, a really cultural and conventional Igbo man, is late now. I do bear in mind my mum can be within the kitchen with the helps and I would even have my very own pot within the kitchen subsequent to her. Whatever she places within the pot I would put in my pot. That was virtually how I learnt how to even cook dinner conventional meals at a really younger age as properly. My dad was very strict, I wasn’t allowed to celebration. We had been solely allowed to exit with our dad or mum and that was virtually nearly each weekend, some Saturdays, Sundays. But throughout the week, it was all faculty, after which again at residence. I suppose rising up from a really younger age, that form of restriction stayed with me that when I turned an grownup, residing on my own I turned such a loner, I didn’t like to exit.
You converse fondly of your dad, what was it about him you cherish and a lot bear in mind?
My dad instilled a variety of laborious work. Every weekend we’d all have chores and in case your chores aren’t carried out prior to breakfast, you aren’t going to eat breakfast. That was how disciplined my dad was. I bear in mind throughout the festive intervals when all of the village dancers would come to our home, I would dance with them. My dad instilled a variety of my Igbo tradition. He was a really loving father and an awesome husband. And whenever you even ask who I am, I would say ‘I’m my father’s daughter’. That’s very true of me. I know at a really younger age you couldn’t simply ask for something, I had to work for something that I needed to get from my dad, be it something you don’t ask, you might have to cut price. We had been very properly to do I would say that. But he didn’t let that affect our mentality.
How would you describe your background affect your values and outlook on life?
Looking again, I suppose my upbringing gave me the boldness to adapt to completely different atmosphere and to give you the option to chase alternatives with out shedding sight of who I am whether or not as a cabin crew or actuality TV persona and even an actress. I really feel like if I was absolutely Nigerian, and didn’t have the chance to reside overseas, I in all probability, at 17, can be in my father’s home ready on his month-to-month allowance and all of that. I have labored two jobs while going to college simply because I wanted to make funds to no matter my life’s stage on the time was. It has formed me to be laborious working however been very resilient. I would give that honour to my dad. I imply he at all times needed me to be a lawyer again in school days in Manchester, within the United Kingdom. But I didn’t like regulation and type of failed some years and went to do what I truly liked. . I went to a efficiency faculty in Salford University. And he was fairly upset however we squashed issues afterwards.
How has motherhood reshaped your routine, perceived by the general public eye?
Motherhood has positively modified me in probably the most lovely approach ever; modified me loads by way of my mind-set, by way of persistence, oh my God! I was a really impatient human being prior to being a mum. I’m married. It has given my life a very completely different sense of objective. And it has additionally made me a way more intentional individual in every thing I do, each choice I make now personally or professionally. Becoming a mum didn’t gradual me down in any respect. It simply gave me a deeper purpose to succeed. It’s type of made with my youngsters in thoughts. I’m a mom of two I’m in a special part of my life. Motherhood has additionally modified me in the way in which that I navigate the general public eye. I’m far more conscious of what I permit to be shared.
Where do you draw the road between what you share together with your hundreds of thousands of followers and what you retain strictly non-public?
There has to be a extremely vital steadiness. It’s one thing I have turn out to be far more intentional about over time. At the identical time, I have learnt that it’s not every thing that has to be shared. Some of probably the most significant a part of my life deserves to be protected. So, sure generally followers may be very overwhelming of their calls for. I suppose with my age and my development or my understanding of the trade, I have learnt it’s not every thing that has to be shared. I selected to share moments that encourage, entertain or permit folks to genuinely join with me.
