Veteran Nollywood actor Nkem Owoh has said his entry into acting was unplanned, explaining that he initially intended to remain a scriptwriter working behind the scenes.
Speaking on the *Selah Meditate* podcast Selah Meditate, Owoh said colleagues were the first to recognize his comedic ability and encouraged him to move into on-screen performance.
“I was a scriptwriter behind the scenes and people started telling me to start performing in front of the camera,” he said.
He recalled that a television opportunity at ATV in the 1980s gave him a short comedy segment that became his first consistent exposure as a performer.
“I remember ATV created a 7-minute programme for me to do stand-up comedy in the 80s. They told me to come in front of the camera because I was making people laugh behind the camera,” he added.
Owoh said the transition was not entirely deliberate, noting that pressure from colleagues played a major role in his decision to appear on screen.
“With much pressure, I came in front of the camera. And I saw that what I was doing people were buying it so that was how my acting career began,” he said.
He also reflected on the personal impact of fame, saying it changed his lifestyle and limited his freedom.
“Fame took away my freedom. A lot of people want to be celebrities, they only know the benefits but not the downsides,” he said.
“When you become famous you can’t do a lot of the things you were doing freely before. You become restricted in a lot of ways,” he added.
