By Correspondent in Abuja.
An actress, Shalewa Ashafa, has revealed that how acting did not give her much money to take care of all her bills.
She said during an interview that: “To be honest, in this economy that we’re in, no profession or job can solely take care of all your bills.
“I have other things that I do to supplement acting.
“I run a small business called The Next Door Bakery. I plan opening more businesses soon.”
She refuted claims streaming on most online platforms that is married, stating that she is still single.”
She stated that the marriage prank she did during the COVID-19 lockdown had continued to hunt her.
“I pulled a silly marriage prank during the COVID-19 lockdown, out of boredom on my Instagram.
“I did a wedding photoshoot for a magazine with my colleague, Udoka Oyeka and I decided to prank people that we got married when posting the pictures.
“Before I knew it, all the blogs had put up the story. NO! I AM
NOT MARRIED to anyone at the moment.”
The 27-year-old actress, who hails from Ogun state in Ijebu-Ode Local Government Area of Ogun state, said her interest for acting started as a child at the age of seven, adding that the flair began as a result of her family’s engagement in the movie industry.
There are other exciting things she said about her self and other issues. Except:
Can you introduce yourself?
Ans: My name is Shalewa Ashafa. My full name is Omoshalewa and my friends mostly call me by
my social media name, ‘ShalewaStar’ or ‘ShallyStar.’ I was born on the 12th of July, 1995 in Lagos state. I’m Yoruba and I’m from Ogun state, Ijebu-Ode local government. I attended Christ the
Cornerstone International Primary school, Lagos. I attended 4 different secondary schools
between Benin, Lagos and Osun states as I had to move around a lot due to the nature of my
mother’s business. However, the secondary school I graduated from is Iloko Model College in
Osun state. I did my undergraduate programme in the University of Lagos, where I studied
Advertising.
Can you remember your first film and what the experience like?
Ans: I acted my first stage play when I was 9 years old. After that, I did a bunch of voice acting
and cameos in stage plays. This lasted only a year as my mom and siblings considered it
distracting for me from school work but I stuck to the craft by joining the drama club in my
church and school. I was not getting paid or compensated in any way or form but I honestly did
not mind, considering I was doing something I enjoyed.
What are the films you have featured and produced?
Ans: I have been in a quite a number of films, I cannot list them all right now but some of my
prominent works are Ajoche, I played the lead role ‘Elakeche.’ I had my first cinema debut last
year (2021) in the movie ‘The Razz Guy’ which featured the likes of Broda Shaggi, Lasisi Elenu and
Nancy Isime. I have also featured in a couple of YouTube series such as Ndani Tv’s ‘Phases’
Season 2 and ‘Life as it is’ which got an Africa Magic Viewers Choice Award nod.
Who are your role models in the industry?
Ans: I will not say I have specific role models in the industry but there are people whose work
ethics I respect and learn from. I am fascinated by how flawless they execute every role given to
them. Do I have people that I really want to work with someday? Yes. One person that stands out
for me, always, is Nse Ikpe-Etim. I’m in awe every single time I watch her in any movie. I look
forward to working with her someday.
Have you won awards or nominations?
Ans: Not yet. Hopefully, very soon. So far, I have been nominated once for the category ‘Best Actress in a television series’ for my role as ‘Elakeche’ in Ajoche.
As an actress, what is your selling point?
Ans: Should there be anything else except my talent? (laughs) I’m a fantastic actress, if I do say so
myself. I pride myself on being dedicated to perfecting my craft for every new role I take and that is what has got me recognized in my industry.
Many actresses flaunt their endowments on social media. Where should one draw the lines
when flaunting the body?
Ans: I’m a strong believer in being as free as you want to be, as long as it does not hurt the next
person. To each their own.
What are the high and low moments of your career?
Ans: So far, thankfully, there have been no low moments in my career. The highs are yet to come
too. Exciting moments? Maybe but nothing specifically euphoric.
What does being sexy mean to you?
Ans: Being sexy to me is being confident in who you are and your craft. Being able to stand out in
any gathering you find yourself. Humility and willingness to always learn, regardless of how good
you are at whatever you do is another thing I find attractive.
What sacrifices have you made in pursuing acting?
Ans: My education. My education suffered a lot. I spent more time on set than I did in school.
Some people are good at joggling multiple things at a time, sadly, I am not one of them. So my
career, in a way, affected my education. But at the end of the day, it was worth it, so I have no
regrets. I would love to see us
reach Hollywood standards. I know we’ll get there one day.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
