Nollywood actress Nkechi Blessing Sunday has become emotional while reflecting on her career journey after securing roles in two major cinema productions, years after establishing herself in the Nigerian film industry.
The actress, who is known for her outspoken personality and prolific presence in Nollywood, is set to make her cinema debut in November and December with The Secret Life of Baba Sege, produced by EbonyLife founder Mo Abudu, and The Figurines, produced by Ashang Becca.
Following the completion of one of the projects, Nkechi shared an emotional video online in which she reflected on the significance of the opportunity and the challenges she encountered on her path to the big screen.
Still processing the milestone, the actress said she was overwhelmed by the realisation that she would soon see herself in cinema productions from some of the industry’s prominent filmmakers.
“I just wrapped set like 20 minutes ago, and I have just been thinking. I am actually going to be in movies coming to cinemas, from one of the top filmmakers, Mo Abudu. How did all of this happen?” she said.
Nkechi also recalled an incident in which she was publicly questioned about the number of cinema films she had featured in.
According to the actress, the remark was particularly painful because it came from someone she considered close to her within the industry. Although she declined to reveal the identity of the person, she described the comment as an attack and suggested that she would share the full story at another time.
“I remember when I was insulted ‘How many cinema movies have I done?’ That was an attack from someone close to me, but that’s a story for another day,” she said.
Rather than allowing the criticism to derail her career, Nkechi said she remained determined to continue working and trusted that her efforts would eventually produce results.
She attributed her ability to overcome the challenges she faced in the industry to perseverance and her faith in God, stressing that circumstances can change when people refuse to give up on their ambitions.
“I have been through a lot in this industry, and God still manage to see me through because I refused to give up. So many things can change as long as you don’t give up,” she added.
The actress also expressed appreciation to the individuals who supported her by recommending her for the projects, noting that she was not only given the opportunity to audition and work on the films but was also well compensated for her performances.
“Thank you to every single person who sat in the room and mentioned my name for that script. I got it, shot it, and was paid heavily – I mean millions of naira,” she said.
Nkechi’s cinema breakthrough marks another stage in a career that has seen her become a familiar face in Nollywood productions. Her emotional reaction also reflects the significance that major-screen opportunities continue to hold for actors, even after years of working successfully in the industry.
With The Secret Life of Baba Sege and The Figurines scheduled for cinema releases later this year, the actress is now set to take her career to a new audience while celebrating what she described as the result of persistence in the face of criticism and setbacks.