“Any man that rapes a woman is an animal and should be thrown into the zoo”- Actress Jessica Orishane (Nnenna of My SIBLINGS AND I)

Fast rising actress and popular face on Africa Magic Television Channel, JESSICA ORISHANE is our guest on EXCLUSIVE WITH MO, 24th June 2020.

Jessica is currently playing the role of Nnenna on “My siblings and I ” Drama series on Africa Magic. The beautiful actress spoke about her background, journey so far in nollywood and also shared her thoughts on a few societal issues.

READ the full interview below:

Who is Jessica Orishane?

Jessica Orishane is the last child of three children , I hail from Isoko South , Delta State Nigeria . Growing up was fun as a child , i was very naughty and had a sharp mouth and would always put my elder ones in trouble then report to my mum , Mum was always there to take my side but Dad was the strict one who would always send everyone to siesta , ask us to bring our books for inspection, come to school on Open day and ask our teachers how we were doing . Unfortunately he passed in 2010 when I was about 11 years old. After his death my mum took up the responsibility of raising me along side my older siblings.

What is your current level of education? Did/Are you study(ing) any acting related course?

I just graduated from the University of Lagos with a B.A in Theatre Arts from the Department of Creative arts where I majored in acting , stage management and direct. I Was about to convocate and go for my service before the pandemic struck.

What year did you start acting? How did you discover your talent?

I discovered my talent from acting in school drama from end of the year party as well as drama in church. In 2009 my guardian( my mum was always away at work so she got someone to stay with me in her absence), i became friends with a girl whose brother and his friend were running a sort of teenage acting academy at the time, it was nothing formal just a parlor setting and teenagers around the area and street would come on saturdays. The two young men had interest in film and would write short scripts which the teenagers would act and they would film. I followed my guardian one Saturday and I was given a script , after reading they cast me for a role and then some weeks later we shot it . We kept doing stuff like that and my interest kept growing before long I was certain it was what I wanted to do and I’ve been working to achieve it ever since.

Interesting. So how did you get the role of “NNENNA” in My SIBLINGS AND I Drama series?

I got the role by attending the auditions.

What was your audition experience like? Was it your first audition *for a major series* or you have been attending others before then?

I had definitely been attending auditions before then, I had gotten a couple of extra roles . The auditions experience was just like every other audition.

Do you still attend auditions? Especially for feature length nollywood movies? I know some aspiring actors who have gotten tired of attending auditions. Any advice for them?

I still attend auditions definitely not as often but once in a while . For those that have gotten tired – using myself as an example, before the My siblings and I auditions I hadn’t attended auditions for a year; the stress and unfavorable responses made me tired too but one evening I saw the audition notice and something in me told me to go, but I was not ready; I like to prepare for auditions (get my picture taken instead of getting it at the venue , prepare a monologue and all that). I saw the notice a day before the audition , In the evening infact and it was too late to go to a studio to get my picture taken. I just told myself let’s go; I did and by God’s Grace I didn’t regret it. Opportunities won’t always come to you , most time you need to go find them.

Describe your first day on the set, how did you feel, especially meeting some other actors whom you watched while growing up?

The first day on set was fantastic, everything was so amazing. I was so happy yet so scared cause I didn’t want to do anything less than expected and seeing other actors whom I had watched growing up was amazing. It’s been a beautiful experience ever since.

Are there any similarities in personality between the character “Nnenna” and Jessica Orishane.

Definitely I tried to infuse some parts of me in the character ; first of, I’m such a drama queen just like Nnenna. As well as the babyish utterances, people that know me know I’m a big baby.

What has been your biggest highlight playing the role of Nnenna on My siblings and I and your greatest challenge, so far?

My biggest highlight has definitely been the audience response, it’s amazing to see how much people love our show and relate to the characters. As for challenges , I guess the only one I can think of is missing public transport sometimes😩😩😩.

What plans do you have to remain relevant in the industry, especially when “my siblings and I” will eventually stop airing?

Definitely keep acting and in the long run produce my own films.

Any plans to take production courses soon or maybe a Masters program on that..?

Definitely.

How financially rewarding is acting for the upcoming acts in the movie industry in Nigeria. Do you think it is fair enough?

Just like the country itself, nothing is fair. The state of the economy affects how much a producer is willing to spend on a film which will affect the upcoming acts more, because already established actors have more value over them.

Television DRAMA series or Feature length movies? Which would you prefer as you journey through nollywood?

Feature length movies.

Any specific reason?

The time factor basically, series take up a lot of time but with films, you can do more films in the time you’re doing one series.

Who are your mentors or role models (If any)?

Angelina Jolie , Anne Hathaway, Nicole Kidman , Charlize Theron , Nse Ikpe Etim.

Favourite actor/actress in nollywood.

Favourite food, Color, Song, Music Artiste, Foreign TV series.

Fav Actor : Blossom Chukwujekwu.

Fav actress: Nse Ikpe Etim.

Fav food: Jollof rice with veggies and Titus fish .

Color: Purple.

Song: Etta James – At last.

Music Artiste- Burna boy.

TV Series: Money HEIST.

Are you in a relationship? … is there any lucky man in your life presently?

Jesus is the sweetest name I know oohhhhh🥰 (Blushes) 😀

There has been a lot of rape cases and alleged cases published in the news recently. Can you share your thoughts on this?

The society should stop teaching women to avoid getting raped and start teaching men to not rape women . It’s a disheartening issue that stems from men’s thoughts that they have rights to a woman’s body whether she like it or not, from disgusting beliefs like when a woman says NO she actually means YES. Any man that rapes a woman is an animal and should be thrown into the zoo to live with his fellow animals.

Tell us one thing most people do not know about Jessica Orishane.

 I can be an introvert.

An advice for those who have an interest in acting but lack ideas on how to become an actor.

Knowledge is power, start asking questions, use the internet it’s not just for fun and games.