Why I love Arsenal – Nollywood actress Ogundiwin

Modesinuola Ogundiwin, a Nigerian actress known for her role in the Showmax original Nigerian telenovela series, Wura, talks about her career, her love for English Premier League club Arsenal, and more in this interview with PETER AKINBO

ow did you get into acting?

I’ve always been interested in acting. In 2016, one of my NYSC colleagues reached out to me and solicited for my vote in an audition on Instagram called Next Movie Star. When I voted for him, I saw that it was open to everyone to try out. I submitted my audition video on Instagram, and it was selected. Coincidentally, I was about to finish NYSC, so I came to Ibadan first and went to Lagos for the physical audition. I passed the audition stage and went for the competition, which I won in August 2016. After winning, I moved to Lagos in 2017 and started going for auditions, meeting lots of people. I got my first gig in a stage play, and from there, I went on to do more.

What made you stick with acting instead of using your certificate?

I studied intelligence and security studies. Honestly, I believe it’s some sort of mental illness because acting isn’t necessarily the easiest thing you can do—there’s a lot of rejection. But when I enjoy doing something, I don’t see it as work or a burden. I’ve occasionally thought about quitting, but it’s always been about what else I can do with acting, never about leaving acting to do something else.

What were your parents’ reactions to your decision to pursue a career in acting?

It wasn’t like I just woke up one day and decided to act. It’s always been something I had done when I was younger. Although I didn’t take it very seriously then, I was always the artsy type—participating in school plays, music, or doing content creation. I’ve always been vocal about my want or need to be an actor, so it didn’t shock anybody. Almost everybody, most of my friends and parents were supportive.

Did you also participate in any sports or competitions in school?

Yes, I attended The Vail College, and I was a hyperactive young adult and teenager. I tried out in football as a goalkeeper for the female team, not necessarily out of interest but because I had so much energy. I practiced a few times but never played in a competition because the match against Lincoln was cancelled, and that was the end of my football career. I also did handball during house sports, though I wasn’t a star—I was just running around trying to catch and throw the ball.

Did you enjoy these activities?

Yes, I did. For so long, I did beauty queen pageants in primary school. But when I got to secondary school, it changed because the younger ones were considered the cuter ones. I enjoyed sports, but I wasn’t sleeping and thinking about it.

You also learnt Taekwondo?

Yes, I learnt taekwondo when I was younger. My dad was into martial arts. We also learnt how to swim.

Can you share your experience in taekwondo?

I wish we never stopped when we did. I stopped at senior blue belt. We trained every Friday and Saturday. After school on Friday, we’d go home, and our driver would pick us up to the National Stadium in Ibadan. It was interesting; you met people, you’re active, and you’re actually learning how to fight. My sister and I, and I think one other person, were the only girls there. They were all boys, but nobody treated us differently because we were girls; we were all treated equally.

Did you ever get in a real fight?

Yes, once, but it was a silly fight. It happened during a social studies test. I had my pen on my desk, but when I came back from somewhere, I couldn’t find it. Someone lent me a purple gel pen, but because the teacher was dictating the test, I started from number six and ended up getting four out of ten. Later during break, I saw a pen on a guy’s locker and accused him of stealing mine. We had an argument about who should leave the class, and somehow, we ended up fighting. My twin sister joined, and we really fought. When we got home, my mom was mad, but my dad was proud.

With all the sports you tried growing up, you never wanted to pursue a professional career in any?

No, I never caught that bug. Maybe if I was in another country, I might have tried gymnastics. That was another thing I was interested in—the whole tumbling, headstand, handstand. You wouldn’t believe the amount of time my sister, younger brother, and I spent trying to figure out how to do handstands and backflips on the bare floor. Maybe now I would have been like Simone Biles, representing Nigeria.

What are your favourite three projects since you started acting?

In recent times, I’ve really enjoyed working on Wura. I enjoyed my character so much and loved playing her. There’s also this show on African Magic called Refuge, which I really enjoyed. And then there’s my movie that just came out, A Night in 2005. I enjoyed playing these roles because they were all distinctively different characters.

What did you enjoy most playing these roles or being on these projects?

I would say fear. I was afraid to work on all three projects, and there’s something about being afraid; it makes you want to put your best foot forward and be really good at it. Also, the production itself and the people there. I have met people that I am sure will be my friends for a very long time. The different productions have exposed me as an actor to different types of productions. They are all top-tier productions with different ways of working.

What is your proudest achievement as an actor?

Winning the 2016 Next Movie Star, because it was the first thing I ever tried outside school. Even when I was arts-inclined in school, I never took it seriously. In university, I was briefly in the church choir but quit because I was bored. I was also in a dance group, though I wasn’t a fantastic dancer. I didn’t actively pursue acting in university; I was just focused on university life and studying. So, when I came out and entered the competition, I was paired with people who had extensive experience and had studied theatre. I had major imposter syndrome, wondering what I was doing there. When I won, it felt like validation that there was something there.

If you were to go on a date with any sports personality in the world, who would it be?

Our coach, Mikel Arteta. I’m an Arsenal fan. The first time I ever watched an Arsenal match was in Ibadan. I went with a guy who introduced me to Arsenal. I think that was around when Arteta just became their coach. I spotted (Bukayo) Saka on the field and kept asking who he was because he looked like he knew what he was doing. Then I started watching subsequent matches and following AFTV on YouTube, where they kept mentioning his name. He became one of my favourite players at Arsenal.

Do you think this is Arsenal’s season?

Well, I don’t want to jinx it because people always say we start strong, but I believe we have a chance. Though for this season, I haven’t even followed anything that’s going on right now.

What’s that football-related thing you would like to do?

One of the things on my bucket list is to spend about two weeks at Emirates Stadium, going in every day just to see how that world works. I want to see how players from different countries communicate, their chemistry, and how the coaches work, just to experience that world.

If any of your kids show interest in sports, are you going to encourage it?

They are free to express themselves. I don’t have a kid yet, so I wouldn’t know. But my parents allowed me to do what I wanted to do, so I definitely won’t get in the way if it’s something that the child has a passion for. However, I have concerns about certain sports, like boxing, because of the risk of concussions and long-term health effects. Even though I did taekwondo, it wasn’t for sport—it was just for self-defence. No matter how much I like taekwondo, I would never want to do mixed martial arts as a sport.