With a lot of experience under her belt, writer, actress, producer and presenter Iretiola Doyle graced EbonyLife TV with an exclusive interview. Read on to find out things that you did not know about one of Nigeria’s favourite actresses!
Q. What was life like growing up?
A. Normal, nothing out of the ordinary. I got into the regular mischief and scrapes that regular kids got into and was born to parents who did their best to give me a strong foundation.
Q. Where do you get your inspiration to write from?
A. I’ve always been great at communicating, and I always seemed to have a lot to say… I found that by writing my thoughts down I could better articulate them… Then again I was inspired very early on by people like the avid social commentator and columnist Doyin Lipstick (she wrote for the Vanguard) and the late (sigh) Amaka Igwe.
Q. With regards to acting, how do you prepare so that you’ll bring the right amount of emotion to a scene?
A. Well a lot of research goes into it. Every character has a back story whether or not it is clearly stated or portrayed in the dramatic piece. I have several meetings with the producer director to get a clear picture of who the character is, what she’s been through, her social class and level of education etc. all of that determines her nuances, characteristics and reactions to any given scenario. Then, often times infuse elements of some real life people in the characters I play.
Q. What is your favourite acting role that you’ve ever played and why?
A. I used to think it was SHEILA ADE-WILLIAMS in TINSEL, and to a large extent I still consider her (going by work done thus far) my ‘swan song’. But my favourite character right now is JADESOLA RICHARDS- she’s a classy bitch!
Q. What area would you like to improve on as an actress?
A. I’d like to be better period. My prayer is that each performance is better than the last.
Q. What area would you like to improve on as an individual?
A. I’d like to be more patient and be able to be more generous with my time and resources.
Q. What do you know now that you wish you knew before you became an actress?
A. That I am a formidable person and the power resides with me.
Q. What sacrifices have you made to get to where you are today?
A. I’m sure there were more than a few but I can’t remember any of them now because whatever they were at the time, seeing how far I’ve come, they were well worth it.
Q. If you could talk to one person in history, who would it be and what would you ask them?
A. Maya Angelou…. I’d ask her everything and anything.
Q. You’re a writer, actress, producer and presenter…which one is your baby or has your heart?
A. Acting captures my fascination and feeds my need for adventure, writing, which is a very intimate process for me has my heart.
Q. What advice would you give someone trying to break into the entertainment industry?
A. First get an education. It will give you a completely different world view and will affect for the better, your manner of approach to the “show” and more importantly to the business.
Quick fired Life and Times Q and A’s
If there was more time in the day I would…(please complete sentence)
Spend all of it at the spa!
I would like my life to be remembered with…(please complete sentence)
…as one that had purpose.
Name something you’ve never done but would love to do it in this life-time?
Win an Oscar.
Finish this quote, “Life is like…”
…a really good book. Savor it, taking in all the details…slowly…page by page.
What is your take on this statement…”Breaking into the industry is all about timing, being at the right place at the right time”?
All I’ll add to that is that while you’re waiting for “your time”, be diligent at whatever task is placed before you today- no matter how menial.
… is the key to life?
Joy in the simple things is the key of life.
If I could turn back time I would… (please complete sentence)
I would have been a more focused and better behaved teenager.
What’s next for you? Any projects in the pipeline?
I’ve just finished a successful run of the hit play HEAR WORD, and I will be playing major roles in two other TV series that will break later in the year. Plus I am in the process of reviving my fashion show titled Oge.
Thank you for letting us into the life and times of Iretiola Doyle. We wish you the best for all future endeavours.
Stay tuned for the next EbonyLife and Times edition where a good time is had by all! And remember, life is short and time is swift so don’t dull, make a difference