I Want A Man That Will Respect Me – Ruth Kadiri
The rise from nothing to being someone great – is usually a long-running odyssey and a challenging one at that. RUTH KADIRI is today an A-list and choice actress, script writer and producer of an enviable standing but the making of her stardom from being a normal ghetto girl in the slums of Ajengunle to becoming a screen goddess who resides in the highbrow vicinity of Lekki Peninsula amongst princes and princesses is a story of a damsel who dreams big.
In an interview with AJIBADE ALABI, Ruth tells how it all started and the challenges she faced in the course of being a celebrity in this Glitters exclusive.
The Glitters Online/Palmchat: From writing to acting and you are blessed with looks, what would you say is your biggest asset as an actress?
Ruth: I would say God first and then… maybe my brains.
Glitters: Some people say you are a better writer than an actress, is that so?
Ruth: Well, I appreciate every talent that I have. Both acting and writing are very different. I don’t see myself trying to compare them in any way.
Glitters: But to those who think that you are a better writer than an actress, what would you say to them?
Ruth: (Smiles). It is my duty to do my job, and it is their duty to analyze it.
Glitters: Who is your best director and name one director you can work with?
Ruth: (Sighs) I have been blessed to work with many directors. I have a personal relationship with all of them and naming one right now kind of puts me in a tight spot. I appreciate all of them for their various strengths.
Glitters: But which would you want to work with?
Ruth: Ah. I have worked with a lot of people and I don’t have any favourite in particular.
Glitters: Who have you enjoyed working with, male or female, in any of your projects?
Ruth: Majid is a fantastic actor; in ‘Matters Arising, in ‘Somebody Lied’, I enjoyed working with Alex Ekubo, Eddy Watson from Ghana, and also a guy called Bassey.
Glitters: What about females?
Ruth: Hmmmm. In all of my projects, I have not had so many females but there is a girl, Francis ***(ca?)***. She was very good in ‘Matters Arising’.
Glittes: When you were starting out, did you ever see yourself coming this far?
Ruth: Oh, yes!
Glitters: What have you learnt so far based on the time you have spent in the industry?
Ruth: I have learnt to be patient. I have learnt to understand that people’s destinies are different, and I have also learnt to understand that not everybody will appreciate your style, not everybody will understand where you are coming from. All you need as a person is focus because the easiest thing to do in this industry is to get distracted; the easiest thing to do in this industry is follow the trend, but if you have a style and you are able to stick to it, as long as you are doing the right thing, you know you will get there.
Glitters: Talking about style, we know in the entertainment industry, people get a lot from fans, the social media… how do you handle all that?
Ruth: I must say as an actress, if you wanna go far and keep things together, you have be able to stay away from social media, which I try to do.
Glitters: Your recent photo shoot got a lot of people talking, what inspired the photo shoot and how do accommodate the public’s reactions?
Ruth: I wanted to do a photo shoot, and I did a photo shoot. If you want to listen to what people say, at the end of the day, you’ll lose it. As long as you feel comfortable in your own skin, as long as you are fine with what you’re doing, just do it!
Glitters: Has there been any negative comment that got to you?
Ruth: No ooo! Not yet. I have never had that experience and I pray that it does not get there.
Glitters: Have you ever had to kiss an actor with bad breath on set?
Ruth: I hardly kiss in movies.
Glitters: Which actor has given you the best kiss?
Ruth: (Laughs). Are you kidding me? I don’t know. There is no personal attachment… I don’t know. I don’t know why people don’t understand that there is no attachment when it comes to kissing in a movie.
Glitters: Why do female talents in Nollywood predominantly appear richer than the males?
Ruth: Hmmm. I don’t know. Do they? You know, we women have a kind of natural way of showing off things that a guy would naturally ignore and not count as a big deal…
Glitters: …Something like buying a car…?
Ruth: You know guys, they have great cars, but they have a lot to do and they don’t even have time to ‘scope’ others or time for social media in the first place as much as most women do.
Glitters: Like you recently flaunted your Range Rover Sports car… what spurred it?
Ruth: No, I did not! I am not that kind of person. If you get on my Instagram page, you will not find it. The picture they found there, I don’t even know how it got there. It was just a presumption from a Blogger and apparently, it turned out to be true. I don’t post pictures of my car.
Glitters: So, they presumed very well… same way they presumed that your boyfriend….
Ruth: No. No. No. He is not my boyfriend! Are you kidding me? Oh my God. I don’t even have the strength (laughs)…. He’s just my friend, like somebody I have known for like, forever.
Glitters: Are you currently in a relationship?
Ruth: YES!
Glitters: Do you have any marriage plan?
Ruth: Hopefully. We will get there by the grace of God.
Glitters: Do tell. I am sure your fans would want to know.
Ruth: I am a woman. I don’t know when the proposal….
Glitters: Who is your ideal man?
Ruth: This question…! Every woman wants a good man; every woman wants a God-fearing man…
Glitters: What values of a good man come tops for you?
Ruth: I want somebody who respects me.
Glitters: Do you feel successful?
Ruth: Yeah, I do. I know I am.
Glitters: What is your definition of success?
Success is getting to a point in life where you are comfortable with what you have and who you are.
Glitters: Many of your colleagues recently took to politics. Is it something you are looking forward to in the near future?
Ruth: Those who ventured into politics are my senior colleagues. Maybe when I get to the level they are, then I might be able to answer that.
Glitters: Do you have any new project that you’re working on?
Ruth: Yes, in the line of filmmaking. We are working on a project. It’s a movie called ‘Over the Edge’. I told you we just finished filming ‘Somebody Lied’.
Glitters: Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
Ruth: Well, I am running a production company called Ruth Kadiri Productions and hoping that in five years’ time, it would be a household name and I’m hoping that Ruth Kadiri will be a brand. I see myself as someone who inspires people and hope in the nearest future, I don’t get to disappoint them.
Glitters: What is your 2017 Christmas wish?
Ruth: Hmmm, if you call it a wish, I wish to put a smile on the faces of kids because I love kids and I have already put a plan in place to take care of that, so I wouldn’t call it a wish per se.
Glitters: How many kids do you intend to have?
Ruth: Maybe two…
Glitters: And you love kids? I was hoping you would say ten or something….
Ruth: NO! Loving them does not mean you have to have them in that many numbers… the ones you can take of nah…(laughs).
Glitters: How was your experience with your first produced movie because it seems it didn’t make that much of a buzz?
Ruth: ‘Matters Arising’? No, it did make a lot of buzz.
Glitters: How would you assess it?
Ruth: ‘Matters Arising’ was my first project and I can say that it was my first successful project because there’s nobody that I have seen in the past years that didn’t say “Oh, I saw your work!”
Glitters: What was your experience working with Rosemary in ‘Somebody Lied’?
Ruth: It was good. It wasn’t like that was my first time working with her. She is a very natural person. I think I have done like, six films with her that are yet to be released… yeah.
Glitters: But there is something unique about ‘Sister Rosemary’…
Ruth: (laughs) I don’t know, but maybe it’s the concept.
Glitters: Does your personality fit into that character?
Ruth: That is what I do… I don’t have a problem being the girl who doesn’t talk. So yeah, to some extent.
Glitters: About your writing, where do you get your inspiration?
Ruth: I draw inspiration from my environment, people’s experiences, and… life in general.
Glitters: When was the last time you wrote anything?
Ruth: Ahhhh. That will be ‘Over The Edge’, which I wrote last month.
Glitters: So, it’s almost election year, who are supporting
Ruth: (Sighs) Nah. No. I’m not going to say anything about politics.
Glitters: What do you have to say about the AVR?
Ruth: I have not heard of it. I’m not aware, but I think it’s good. After this interview, I will go and find out about it.
Glitters: Do you think it’s long over-due?
Ruth: Yeah!!! The copyright thing in this country, I don’t know if it works. No, I shouldn’t say that. Even titles, we do it. I copyrighted my title for a movie, ‘Dark Side’, some time ago, and then the next month, I see a movie go to the cinema with that title.
Glitters: Did you do anything about it?
Ruth: I just didn’t have the strength for any drama. I just changed my title.
Glitters: Ruth is not a fighter, then?
Ruth: Hahaha. It depends. But sometimes you just don’t have the strength to fight the system. We might talk about things, hope they change but…
Glitters: You adore Uche Jumbo, what do you have to say about her?
Ruth: I think she is the most hardworking person I know. Especially in this industry and the most sincere person. She is someone who is ready to tutor you… I’m somebody who doesn’t listen. For a colleague who would pick up somebody and dust her up, not giving up on her no matter what… I mean that is a strength I know I don’t have and I appreciate so much in her.
Glitters: Thank you for being honest with the fact that you are someone who does not listen. Tell us how that played out while growing up.
Ruth: I believe that every child who hopes to be independent must always have a mind of its own. And I also know that in being independent, not everybody will agree with you. And in having a mind of your own, you must be able to define yourself. Like I said, not everybody will agree with you so, if I’m agree with you, you have to be to make me see reasons with you. If I don’t, then sorry!