Nkem Owoh Says He Was Forced into Acting

Nollywood comic star Nkem Owoh, best known as Osuofia, has said that his entry into acting was an “accident.”

The veteran, who originally aspired to be a scriptwriter, explained that colleagues who recognized his comedic talent behind the scenes pressured him to step in front of the camera.

In a recent episode of the Selah Meditate podcast, Owoh recounted, “My coming in front of the camera was an accident. I was a scriptwriter behind the scenes and people started telling me to start performing in front of the camera.”

He recalled that in the 1980s, ATV produced a seven‑minute program that featured him doing stand‑up comedy. “They told me to come in front of the camera because I was making people laugh behind the camera. 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 added.

Owoh also noted a downside to his fame. “Fame took away my freedom. A lot of people want to be celebrities; they only know the benefits but not the downsides. 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 explained.