Budding Nollywood actress, Hannah Ogundare,
tells Ademola Olonilua about her career and style
How did you become an actress?
Acting has always been a part of me since
childhood but I started out professionally in 2009
when my sister advised me to take acting
seriously. When I began my career, I didn’t know
anybody in the movie industry and didn’t know
how to go about it. My elder sister graciously
introduced me to her friend, Afeez Abiodun, and I
enrolled into his acting school. Before long, I
started going for rehearsals which lasted for
about four years before I graduated from the
school of acting. Since then, I have been gracing
television screens. I’ve appeared in a couple of
movies like ‘Aye Foreign’, ‘Doctor Romilayo’,
‘Okunkun’, ‘Ibere Ese’, ‘Fijagbemi’, ‘Jayinfa’, to
mention a few.
Were you faced with any challenge while building
your brand?
To be honest, it wasn’t easy at the initial stage
combining my education with rehearsals and
acting because I was in school when I began to
act. Also, there were times I would get called to
a movie location and wouldn’t be able to go
because I wouldn’t have money to take care of
my clothing, feeding, transportation and
accommodation. At such times, I would have to
stay back at home. There were also times we
ended up spending about a week at a movie
location and at the end of the day; I wouldn’t
even get a role to play.
Is there a difference between your fashion and
style?
I believe fashion is concerned with what’s out
there, what is in vogue or trending at the
moment while style is about my personal taste
and how I make the trend suit my style and
taste. Style has to do with my sense of self, my
identity and my perception of who I am.
Fashion is always changing. That you are
wearing something deemed fashionable today
does not mean it would be in vogue tomorrow.
Style has a dynamic nature, too, but its
dynamism has to do with the expression of who
you are and your sense of self. Style is about
honouring your uniqueness and being able to
make today’s fashion suit you comfortably. I
believe that fashion has the capacity to erode
our self-esteem and confidence because by its
very nature, it assumes a gap between where
you are and where you should be. With fashion,
it’s on the clothing, the items deemed to be
fashionable. With style, it’s on the person.
Fashion takes our attention away from
ourselves; style brings our attention directly to
ourselves.
Has your career influenced your style?
I would say it has in some ways but not really
much. At least, fashion hasn’t changed the
person that I used to be.
Have you ever wished you were a fair lady?
To be candid, at some point in my life, I thought
being a fair lady has lots of advantages but as I
grew older, I began to realise that you do not
have to be fair in complexion before things fall
into place. The Bible says in Psalms16:6 that,
“The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places;
yea, I have a beautiful inheritance.” It didn’t say
I have to be a fair lady before things fall into
place for me.
The trend now among ladies is to bleach their
skin. Can you bleach your skin?
Bleaching is a choice and as far as I’m
concerned, 99 per cent of the women in the
world bleach their skin one way or the other.
Some would say they are toning their skin and
not bleaching it. But to be sincere, bleaching is
bleaching. It is good to be comfortable in your
own skin. To borrow their word; I can also tone
my skin a bit if I like but I won’t go the extra
length of taking pills or injections which cause
cancer after usage for a long period of time. I
can only use some safe beauty enhancement
products to make my skin glow. So, in case
anyone notices a little change in my complexion,
I’m also ‘toning’.
If given the opportunity to alter any part of your
body, what would it be?
I do not think there’s anything I would like to
change about my body because I’m sexy and I
know it. Everything about my body is in
moderation and you know, too much of
everything is bad. I’m very okay and thankful to
God for my ‘figure 8’ body, even though I’m too
lazy to work out.
When it comes to your body, which part do you
see as an asset?
This is a tough one and several people’s opinions
differ on the matter. Some say it is my lips,
some say it is my boobs; some say my eyes and
others believe it is my fresh legs. Personally, I
feel they are all right, but I actually think it is my
thighs.
What is the most embarrassing fashion mistake
you have made?
My most embarrassing fashion statement was
when I went to an event without putting on a
bra. I noticed all eyes were on me. I tried to
cover my nipples with my hands but it was too
late because they were standing already due to
the room’s temperature. My friend was also
really embarrassed and she had to say, “Ha!
Again?” because she always warned me to
always put on a bra. I don’t really like putting on
bra sometimes and you can never understand the
joy and relief we ladies have whenever we leave
‘the twins’ to play and have some fresh air.
What kind of clothes do you feel very
comfortable wearing?
I love any simple, classy and comfortable clothes
that complement my physique.
What is that fashion item you admire a man?
I love a man that knows how to dress in a smart
and sharp manner but most importantly, he
must smell very nice. I am a sucker for guys
that smell nice.
What’s your favourite hairstyle?
I would go for braids any day, anytime. I do not
know how to brush or comb my own hair unless
someone helps me but braids saves me from all
that stress. It makes me look natural and it is
easy to rock the hairdo. I do not have to worry
myself about the scorching sun when on braids.
How come you don’t have any tattoo?
No! I do not have any tattoo and I can never
draw one. Please, open your Bible with me to
Leviticus 19:28 and hear what the Holy Book
says about tattoo. I’m not God and I’m not here
to judge anyone that has tattoo but I cannot
draw one on my skin because it is against my
religion and I don’t want to go to hell.
Do you prefer looking natural or you feel
incomplete without make-up on?
I love both. I rock natural looks when I am home
or indoors and apply make-up whenever I’ve
places to go to. You do not expect me to look
like a monkey at public events, I have to look my
best and that is why I apply make-up to events.
How often do you patronise Nigerian designers?
Nigerian designers are very creative and hard-
working and I must really commend them for
that. Unfortunately, I’m an introvert, I rarely
leave my home when I’m not working but
whenever I’ve weddings and other functions that
require me to buy or use ‘aso-ebi’ I always
patronise Nigerian designers.
Is there any fashion item you can’t leave home
without?
I can’t leave home without using a perfume. It is
impossible for that to happen. I have a perfume
in every bag I own just as a back-up. I wouldn’t
want to have a foul odour in public.
What’s the most expensive item you own and
how much did it cost?
The most expensive item I own is God’s word
which is my Bible and it is priceless.
What is your fashion fetish?
It is bags! I am so in love with bags. I remember
when I was talking with a colleague of mine
recently and had mentioned bags like 15 times in
the conversation. She got tired of me and said,
“I’m tired of your gist abeg, na just bag, bag, I
dey hear”. Unfortunately, I don’t have as many
bags as my heart desires. I am looking forward
to getting lots of them from friends this
Christmas season.
What is your take on ladies exposing their
cleavage and wearing skimpy and tight dresses?
You know, too much of everything is bad. I’m
not in support of indecent dressing, I believe in
moderation. However, you will be addressed the
way you are dressed. There are clothes for
different occasions. Sometimes you need to
show a little cleavage while ensuring that your
lower part is properly covered. The challenge we
face today is as a result of some pervert guys
out there who believe that every lady that shows
a little cleavage is a slut. That misconception
should be erased; fashion is for a select group of
people with reasonable level of exposure. This is
the reason I don’t dress anyhow when I’m in the
midst of total strangers.
What influences your fashion statement?
I believe that the clothes you wear are your
fashion statement and these can be influenced
by so many factors. Personally, colour influences
my sense of dressing because if the colours do
not match and accentuate other fashion
accessories, one might be committing a fashion
faux pas. I’m always conscious of the nature of
events to attend before deciding on my apparel.
What projects are you currently working on?
I just concluded Doctor Romilayo, the trailer is
available on You Tube. I am working on another
short movie titled, Judgement Day , and our
comedy skits will be back on TV stations by the
first week in December. We have enough skits to
entertain Nigerians throughout the festive
season, just stay glued to your TV.
