Scarlet Gomez owned her character in Showmax’s hit telenovela, ‘Wura’ and has endeared herself to fans. With the show currently in its third and final season, she was in Ibadan recently with other cast of the series and spoke to ROTIMI IGE in an interview about her experiences shooting the telenovela for 11 months, and why it has been her most challenging role play yet.
When the show opened in Season One, you said that you were not worried if the show, Wura, blew up, you would become known as the embodiment of Wura. Do you still feel the same way?
I’m not going to lie, but it feels amazing. This is the biggest thing I’ve ever done, and seeing people appreciate me for that is mindblowing. In Nigeria, when you know that something has gone far and wide, they start to call you by the name of your character, and I accept it.
The only part that bothers me is that people think I’m like that in real life. I see people crossing the streets when I’m coming and I think, “I’m not wicked, please. Far from it.”
Are you afraid that Wura is going to be like the last hurrah for you or do you have other plans?
I am excited about what the future holds now. Right now, I feel like I have my feet in the door.
And with the platform that has been given to me, I feel it is left for me to do what I feel I can do with it, as much as I can do with it. And so far, I thank God that the journey has been amazing.
I have been getting more gigs, and having more endorsements. So, yes, I’m grateful to God.
TV shows are not traditionally easier for actors because it takes time, It’s like you have a full-time job. Are you going to be this committed if you find something like this in the future?
Yes, I’m going to do my job regardless. For me, the more challenging it is, the bigger the buzz I get from it. So, yes, I definitely would. It’s gruesome, it’s tasking, it’s blood, sweat, and tears. But, I’ll definitely do it again. If they continue to accept it like this, why not.
What was the most memorable part of the Wura story journey for you now that it is ending?
The end of it. By the end of it all, everywhere was on fire. Nobody could say that the fire did not touch them. I cannot wait for people to see it. Wura is ending, maybe, maybe not. Let’s see.
For the business part of it are you looking forward to a future partnership with other brands aside from Showmax?
As an actor, you can’t tie yourself down to a particular network because the prayer is for you to go round and to be known globally, and that can only happen if you spread across brands. But Showmax will always be my family and my first love.
What sacrifices did you make coming back for Wura for the second time?
I had to stay away from my husband for 11 months. But Oga found a way. You know they say, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Oga found a way to come and meet me, but it was gruesome. And for that period, I can count how many times I stepped out of the compound, maybe twice. I was in the compound for that entire time. Though mentally, and physically, it took its toll and I had to do therapy.
Getting out of a character can be so difficult when you play it continuously for a while
I’m very far from it now, but it was so hard getting out of it. You know how they typecast people in Nigeria and once you’ve played a role that’s so good, that’s the role they keep giving you. I got stuff like that coming, and I just said, you know what I’m not playing anything that has to do with wickedness. Let me just play the victim. But it was very hard for me to play. On set, I’ll see people talking to me, and in my mind, Wura wants to come out and say “Do you want to die? Why are you talking to me like that?” It was challenging having to come out of it.
Now that you are a star how does it feel when people see you and they are star-struck? What advice would you give younger up-and-coming actors and actresses in this regard?
I know what it feels like to walk in their shoes. There’s a saying, be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it. So, aside from all the advantages that come with it, there are also the disadvantages.
You do not have time for yourself anymore. You always have to be cautious, knowing that now you’re a role model to people, and people, especially the younger generations, will pick from what you do just because they love you.
Now, I’m more careful as to how I present myself to the people because I don’t want to have to be a bad influence on them.
Usually, when I see my fans, I see how shy they get to walk up to me. But they don’t even know that I’m ‘shyer’ than they are. I sometimes pray for the ground to open up. So people don’t know, I usually have to act like it’s nothing. But deep down, my palms are sweaty. I don’t think I will ever get used to it. I don’t think it’s something I will ever get used to. Because for every fan, there’s a different reaction. Just when you feel you have seen it all, somebody else will come and do something else that’s just going to put you in your feelings. So you can never get used to it.
What kind of roles are you looking forward to taking now and what kind of roles do you think you’ll find challenging now?
Everything. I didn’t think I could pull this off. Let me be very honest with you. You know how they say, you need to believe in yourself? I didn’t have it. In my mind, I was thinking, how do I play a 45-year-old lady? I don’t even have children.
How do I relate with older kids and everything? But it was good, because I had people to bounce off and everything, so it made it easier.
The more challenging the role, the happier I get, because it just makes me know that I have been there, and done that, what’s next?
Was there any point playing your character where you had doubts if you could go further?
During the Lolu period, I cried every day and I couldn’t sleep. It was quite challenging, because of the subject matter. What was going on at that time was something I could relate to. I had lost a baby, so having to replay that and go through those emotions that I hadn’t dealt with when it happened, was like I was faced with those emotions again. I won’t say it almost broke me; it broke me.
Also, we had to reshoot 18 scenes I think, it was almost like one month of work. But that shows how important the job was to the network and to the producers as well. Imagine having to shoot something and they go, oh this is not good enough for Nigeria, you’re going to have to redo it and in your mind you left it all on the table, so it was more or less like that for us. But it made us grow as actors to be honest, I feel like there’s really nothing I cannot not face right now.
Tell us about renumeration. Was the money good enough that you could look away from other roles?
If I go by memory, it felt like a day job. I’m praying that Season 3 will be good so that the money will be good too. It’s very sweet. I’m not lying. Showmax is taking care of me. In fact, this was the most I have been paid. That I was paid.
Now that Wura has come out. I mean, the price has gone up. It’s not what it used to be before but up until then, that was the highest I’ve ever got paid for a role.
If there’s anything at all you would like to change about this project, what would it be?
If I could change anything, I would want them to give fans more episodes.
People really came for me, and I got threats also. I got a message sometime telling me that I must not come to Ikorodu.
Was this out of passion or what do you think might have caused it?
You know how Telenovelas are, they tug at your heartstrings. I just felt like that person just couldn’t take it anymore. And then that was the only way the person could ease the pain.
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