Chinenye Ulaegbu: Sleeping At Fulani’s Settlement During ‘Ojuku Is Back’ Movie Was Risky

I will be happily married with children in five years

Chinenye Ulaegbu, Nigerian fast up-coming beautiful actress shares some intimate secrets with CREEKVIBES MAGAZINE. The fitness expert’s ‘A-game’ started the moment she played the lead character in an Igbo movie titled “Onuma”.

The creative thespian who has a stark resemblance to Barbadian music icon, Rihanna hails from Oji River Local Government Area of Enugu State, South-Eastern part of Nigeria, she has made her remarks as a model and also played vixen on the set of Achikolo music.

Chinenye’s sense of interpreting given roles in blockbusters has transcended through movie directors and producers’ caucus within and outside the Nigerian movie industry.

The fitness guru grew up with her parents and siblings in Nasarawa State, she attended Government Science School, Wamba, Nasarawa State but came back to her root, Enugu State and studied Banking and Finance at the Institute of Management and Technology Enugu.

CREEKVIBES asked Chinenye if she agrees, with the sex before marriage cliché, the bubbling actress replied with laughter and said, “Not in this generation, I feel like, if it is something that works for you fine; it’s all about understanding, some people get to date a pastor and if the pastor is the type that won’t do that until the nuptial is tied, fine.

But some ladies believe that I must test the waters before I dive in, it all depends on understanding between the two parties involved.”

The MD/CEO of Dioda Fitness and D’ Curls Hair-Line has displayed her acting prowess on the sets of; ‘Pregnant Virgin’, ‘The Influencer’, ‘Blind Spot’, ‘Ojukwu Is Back’, ‘A Call From The Past’, ‘DisUnion’ while some of the movies that have her signage are yet to be released.

She took a few questions from CREEKVIBES OLUWADAMILARE DANIELS. Excerpt;

Do you agree with the calculation that revealed that Chineneye Ulaegbu is worth 100,000 US dollars?

Laughter, I don’t understand, where did you get that? Well, I don’t know what to say about that.

What is the biggest risk you took to attain this height?

That will be passing the night at a Fulani settlement during an epic movie, there was no network and it was not close to the road it was risky, we had no security it was me and some other actors.

Since you hit the limelight have you got any regrets?

No, not at all I will do it again and again.

Since your appearance in ‘Onuma’ which of your movies can you say has your best?

I can say that all the movies that I have featured in have my best energy, there is no particular one I take lightly, I try to grow, when I started I wasn’t as good as I am now; the more I shoot, the more experience I get, usually, I watch my old flicks and noticed some dark areas which I ensure I work on. I don’t take a bigger-budget movie more seriously than a low-budget one, because I don’t know the one that will get me the recognitions I desire, so I take all my movies seriously and I also wouldn’t want to look bad on Tv.

The success of a movie depends largely on the audience; the viewership determines the grade, a low-budget movie could record 10,000 views and you will scream ‘wao!’, asking what did you do differently in the movie that is making waves like a wild campfire. So I go all out for my movies.

Since you grew up in Nasarrawa, how much of the Hausa Language do you understand?

Yeah, I did my primary and secondary school there so that makes me understand the language.

During that period that you guys spent at the Fulani’s settlement, if per adventure Fulani herders visited, would you not have been able to reprimand them with the language?

Yeah sure (general laughs), it doesn’t have to be Fulani herders it could have been a reptile or a wild animal, it wasn’t funny at all, (laughs) there was no duvet, so we used local mats to cover our bodies, we ended up having a lot of mosquitoes to contend with through the night.

What is the title of the movie?

Ojukwu is Back, it was on RokTv

What are your plans for 2023?

2021 and 2022 were the years I invested, I will be reaping in 2023, I was everywhere shooting movies… name it, I was in Enugu, Asaba, Abuja, Lagos and so on, these have proven my imbue acting talents, I will like to get into BoxOffice this year I am aiming at the bigger screen; Netflix and I will start to select suitable scripts and brands that I will work with.

What do you mean?

I mean, I will be selective with roles, last year, I did over 30 movies but this year, I won’t go for quantity anymore I will go for quality, I could do only ten quality movies and I would be fine.

Have you shot outside of the country?

Not yet, very soon.

Which was your last movie for 2022?

I did it for an African Movie channel, Mr Paul Igwe he is a fantastic director, the title was beautiful the storyline was amazing, and that was how I ended last year.

Are your parents not saying it is about the right time you bring Mr right home?

Hmmm, they will always say that my mum is always talking about having grandchildren, I have explained to her, it is not just about her having grandchildren; pressuring me to settle down for anybody, but between now and another five years I will want to be happily married with children, marriage is not what I’ll just want to do, to please anyone, there is always this saying that celebrities don’t last in their marriages, I’ll want to actually get married and stay in it as long as I can, so I need to be careful choosing a life partner.

In choosing a life partner, what are the qualities you look out for?

Well, someone that will understand that movie is what I love doing and be ready to support me in it; shouldn’t see me as someone forcing himself to be in the limelight. He should also be passionate about his work just as I am with mine, he doesn’t need to be in my industry. A sound person that is not all out there because, I am there, we all love a God-fearing man, he should just be human.

What is your achievement so far?

Growing up, I was always at the gym, I thank God that I started a business from scratch, a sports brand producing sports equipment like; sportswear, bags anything you can wear to the gym.

I started acting not quite long but I have turned hot, top actors that I had thought will be difficult to pair with, I have met and worked with them.

Working as a fitness instructor, does it not attract unnecessary attention?

It does from the opposite gender, that is why I choose to train only females, initially when I started earlier, they come just to be in my space, and some of them want me to train them.

Do you have an instructor now?

I have a WhatsApp group for new entrants, once they sign up I will add them to the group and do the necessary follow-up.

So you don’t do physical training?

I was doing that before I became an actor, I couldn’t combine both I stopped admitting guys until I employed a female trainer who is now in charge of my IG handle, she handles the guys while I handle the girls.

How many awards to your credit?

Well, for now, I have got nominations but I’ve not won.

Who is your favourite actor that you are looking forward to pairing with?

Genevive Nnaji.

What about foreign?

Lu Peter Young.

What is the highest trouble you have ever got yourself into?

I am more of an introvert; my life has always been from school to the gym until I started acting so, it becomes from set to my house.

I think it was when I went to write my post UME, I was robbed at a gunpoint, the trouble came for me, I did not go about looking for it.

What was it like?

We just finished the exams so I and some new friends were talking and at the same time trying to local the road so we could get a bike to our different locations, those guys just came.

How many of them?

Two guys on a motorbike, one was riding while the other one showed us the gun in a bag and started to collect our phones and our wristwatches then we started running, it was crazy.

What are the three things you can’t live without?

Water, Data and food.

What are the most important lessons you have learnt over the years?

Over the years, the little time you have hmmm, you should use some to stay with your parents, because they can’t stay here forever, also use your little resources to take care of the people you love, don’t wait till you have millions.

First of all: If you are willing to get to the top, please reduce the number of people you keep around you, it can hinder your next move, secondly: If your friends are not having the same passion and energy you need to succeed re-think, you need to be around people that share your dream, thirdly: Just keep working consistency pays.

I grew up in the north, so I didn’t even know what an audition is, so thinking about success is just a dream, and now I am an actor that people are calling to have an interview with, if I can do it any other person can do it as well, it is only people that give up that failed. Your dream will come true.

Concerning your Mum and Daddy, what was the attraction in the north?

My dad just left the village and decided he is going to live his life in the north, till today we don’t know why.

He started from zero; he married my mum, I think his business picked over there and he started investing in properties, growing up there was fun, at a point we tried to talk him to move down to Enugu but it didn’t work, I think they are both happy over there.

Aside from running your gym and acting what else do you think you will do better?

That will be writing but, as a grown-up young girl, I use to dance a lot so while at the University I was still thinking I will end up a dancer.

What message do you have for your fans out there?

They should continue to watch my movies, and keep supporting me, as I said earlier if they have a dream they should continue with it, consistently.

For instance, I am still learning, having grown up in the north I have to consistently work on my intonation so as not to sound different from the rest.

After a hectic day’s job, how do you relax your nerves?

Once I am back I drink a lot of water eat take my bath then sleep. Sometimes I go to the gym because the gym knows how to relax me.

Who is your favourite music artist?