No actress would claim to have experienced bad press the way Rivers' State-born actress Tonto Dikeh has. She has been called a lot. Today, she appeared in a night club without her panties. The next day, she's in lesbian acts with other actresses. Yet other days, she's flirting, stealing, fighting, stuck on drugs and backbiting. But even a baby still in the womb (or so it seems) knows she is never all these written about her. If she were, then it would be a disaster.
Early this year, she received all manner of insults from the viewing public, the media and colleagues over her role in a then yet-to-be-released movie, 'Dirty Secret'. The movie trailer looked horrible. Even myself, a well-known 'Thomas', whose watchword seems to be, "seeing is believing", felt irritated. She defended herself. She said she was being professional and just acting her role. Anyone who didn't like it, then "f*** you real hard". That even made things worse. She was hated more. But I took a different view. This girl, I felt, was trying to defend herself and the frustration was so much she did it all the wrong way. I was proved right when I saw the so-called 'controversial' movie. Controversy, it stirred. But not really because of Tonto, but a desperate-to-act Muna Obiekwe and old but uncaring Jibola Dabo. Tonto was vindicated. Again, the critics didn't stop.
They said she never grew with a mum and that was why she acted the way she did. But I remember her revealing once, in her early Nollywood days, that she lost her mum early BUT was well taken care of by her step-mum. Saying she never had motherly training, in fact, is a clear indictment on her step-mother, which is unfair.
Next, they said her dad disowned her. How true does that sound? Whenever she grants interviews, she never forgets to put family in. I remember rumours then about Cossy Orjiakor being disowned by parents. It turned out they were actually her number one fan. Comparing Cossy with Tonto would be very very unfair, though.
Again, she celebrated her birthday lately, and with the less-privileged. Her haters ignored that. What they tackled was her age. They said she wasn't 26, as she claimed, but 28. What difference does it make,anyway? The day I met her, I felt she was younger, may be 25 or 24.
Until Nigerians understand movie role interpreters aren't necessarily what they act, then actors would still suffer like Tonto. No wonder a parent would say, "no way. You would never act. They are usually wayward." While we can't deny there are bad-behaved actors, generalising it would be harsh. It irritates me to note that actors would always expect questions like, "how did your parents take it when you decided to be an actor?", in an interview, as if they've decided to become Revrend Fathers and Sisters. Why don't they ask that when they want to join Banks and Oil Companies?