The comic actress, an English graduate of Lagos State University and mother of one, is fondly known as Mama Ajasco, a role she plays in TV sitcom ‘Papa Ajasco and Company’. In this interview , the Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Chapter of Actors Guild of Nigeria, speaks about her lifestyle, acting career and her intention to try marriage again after a divorce.
You are known as Mama Ajasco on TV; tell us more about yourself and how you came into acting?
My name is Moji Oyetayo, popularly known as Mama Ajasco. I’m a Lagosian, Yoruba, actress, voice-over artiste, MC and World Cup entertainment moving train. I studied English at the Lagos State University (LASU). When I was much younger, I never knew I was going to be an actress. But I always knew I was going to be a media person. I was looking up to being a newscaster. I knew I was going to be on TV but I never knew I would be on TV as an actress. I grew up loving the news people because I love to speak a lot. I used to listen to them, and would be looking at their expressions and I said to myself I would be one of them. Ironically, it’s not like I had a role model. I was just amazed with all of them. There was this lady, she is late now, Mee Ellen Mofe Damijo. I used to sit and would be looking at her. Even on international news too, my mum would see how I was glued to the TV watching CNN, looking at the newscasters and she would ask me what I was listening to. But it was their expression. I knew I wanted to have my talk show too right from childhood. But acting never crossed my mind.
How and when did you start acting?
I first started working with Digital Interactive Media, the owners of the Next Movie Star. I was their artiste manager. I was in charge of all the winners of the Next Movie Star and housemates. I was also doing photography for them. Whenever you win the Next Movie Star, there is a TV contest for them known as Dormitory 8 and it still runs till date. It is a pet project for the housemate. As the artistes were acting, I was behind the camera taking some shots. In one instance, the director was telling one of the actors what to do and she didn’t get the thing. I understood what he was telling her to do. I was angry and was wondering if she was dumb. She still was looking confused. I now came up and did what the director was telling her to do. When I did it, everyone there was amazed how I interpreted the character so well. The director said I should drop my camera and come and take over the role. I took over and finished it. I ended up shooting the whole of that series with them. That was how I started acting.
Apart from that and Mama Ajasco, what other works have you featured in?
People call me a soap queen because I do more of soaps than movies. I did eight episodes of Tinsel, a popular soap opera. I’m on Girls Next Door, which of course is a soap. I’m on Oga Madam which is my new series that just started. I’m on Daughters of Eve, My Tomorrow. All these are soaps and they are all running at present. There are many I won’t be able to remember now. For the movies, I have featured in Return of Janifa, Flat Mate, Jagaga which is a horror movie that was shot in Calabar. Of these, Return of Janifa was the most popular, and I played the character of a call girl. I led the character.
Were there challenges you encountered in interpreting Mama Ajasco?
Speaking pidgin was a major challenge originally. Wale Adenuga really helped me by saying we shouldn’t speak pidgin anymore. Now we speak normal English, I mean Nigerian English. This made it easier for me. When people see me they say I’m so young to play in the character like that. But because of my stature, when I wear native, I would automatically look older. When I tie that Gele and they make me up to look older, my face would just change. In real life, people don’t relate my face with that of the character. I would have gone before they recognise me as Mama Ajasco. Children always recognise me as Mama Ajasco anywhere I go. I have seen parents spank their children because of me. They see me and I would be dressed funky but they would start shouting Mama Ajasco. Then their mothers would say, ‘are you alright?’ That is not Mama Ajasco, that she is an old woman. They would be arguing among themselves and I would just be looking at them. But sometimes, I pity the children by introducing myself, and they would laugh. There was one small boy that still recognised me at night. When I passed, he shouted Mama Ajasco excitedly. I was shocked and wondered how he was able to recognise me at night because the place was a bit dark. I was going to a party opposite their house and all the children came out and started shouting my name.
How then does it make you feel when some people don’t recognise you?
I like it actually because I’m a private person. I’m an extremely playful person. Most times I love just to relax and be alone. I’m a very down to earth woman. When you don’t recognise me, I will be free to walk, go my way and be my real self. But immediately you recognise me, I’m put in a pressure to behave in a particular way to satisfy certain expectations and that dampens me because I’m one individual that likes to be my real self. The more people don’t recognise me, the happier I am. I could walk into a party, enjoy myself, drink, dance like every other person and nobody is looking at me as Mama Ajasco.
Are there some roles you won’t accept?
I’m a versatile person and I’m extremely professional. I have not seen any role I can’t interpret. The only role I know I won’t take is to be naked. I’m an African woman. Somehow it depends on the storyline anyway. In Jagaga, a movie where I featured as the governor’s mistress, I used to massage him and I actually took off my clothes in that movie. It was not vulgar. I wore a full lacy corset inside and I wore a mini dress that was supposed to be my nurse uniform. When I was trying to massage him, I unbuttoned it. I didn’t remove the jacket totally but I opened it up so that you could see my corset inside. To me, that was my maximum. But I can wear short dresses and bum shorts but not bikini. Why do you expect me to wear bikini, do you want me to kill people. Can’t you see this load (looks at her bum). Can’t you see what I have at my back? If I try wearing bikini at the beach, all the people, plus all the fishes in the water would just die. I don’t want to kill people.
But this is Africa where the men like them big, bold and curvy?
Yes, I have said it that the African woman is meant to be voluptuous. It is the western culture that talks about being slender. I’m not preaching obesity. But being big is my pride; I’m big and flexible, there is nothing you want me to do that I can’t do. I wear things that fit me, carry myself well. I have my carriage and my poise as a typical African woman but being obese is a different story all together.
How do you feel when you are in the midst of some slender ladies?
I’m an oppressor. I can intimidate anybody. It is what you think you are that you would exhibit. I’m a very confident woman. Many men have walked up to me to say that madam your swag is too much. There is nothing you are wearing that I would not beat you hands down in. What makes some people intimidated is because they don’t know what to wear that fits them; that would make them look sexy. They are already big, they would now wear big things that would make them look bigger. They can’t package their boobs, bums and body frames well. They would look out of shape. This is annoying. I dress well; I’m a fashion crazy person. And I love voluptuous jewellery, anything bold. I wear big, flashy things and I play with bright colours. I don’t go for dark colours because I’m dark. If I must wear dark dresses, it is once in a while. When I walk into where slender ladies are, I’m not intimidated. People tell me Omo, you are so pretty, you are so sexy, give me small breasts now, give me small bums. Is it only you that would carry everything? They do forget I’m big and they keep complimenting me. Some would say I like your nails, your eyelashes. Do you know people walk up to me to say sorry, you are big but you are really sexy. African men naturally like big women. They would pretend not to like big women but it’s a lie. There was one that moved away from his slender girlfriend to come and talk to me. There are some men that can’t stand big women and they have met me and say wow, I don’t like big women but there is something about you that fascinates me. I love the way you look. You are tempting me to date a big girl. It is comportment that matters… how you comport yourself when you are fat.
What part of your body wouldn’t you mind flaunting with shoulders high?
Everything about me is hot – my bums, legs boobs. They are bringing out fire. Honestly, they are smoking hot. I’m a hot woman, believe me. There is no part of me I can’t flaunt. I wear fitted things, show my ass and curves. I like it when people lose their breath. That’s their business. didn’t make myself, it’s God that made me and I love what He made. The Bible says I’m beautifully and wonderfully made.
Do you also have dull moments?
I’m a very playful person and I’m always happy. It is not possible for a human being to be happy all through her life. Sometimes I have my dull moments but I’m a very strong person. I do counsel a lot of people. When I get into that mood too, I just start remembering those things I told some other persons and it would work for me and then I come out of the mood. I have mood swing but I have learnt to manage it well. I have lots of friends. When I’m dull, I drive off to see some of my friends and we would go out for a drink. There is nothing that kills sadness like groove. Once I hear good music, I just let go. It works for me when I’m sad. Beach works for me too. Once I’m staring at water, look at the creativity of God and listen to my reggae songs, Fela music or old school music, give me 30 minutes and I would be glowing, rejuvenated.
You are divorced and still look so pleasant unlike many others, how come?
Until you have inner peace with yourself, you would be a sad person. People think marriage is what makes them happy, it is not. Marriage would add to you but it is not going to give you happiness. That is why you see so many women even in their marriage, they are sad. If you are not happy, you cannot give happiness. One man cannot bring happiness to me and take it from me. I have to be happy and contended with who I am as a human being and love myself, then I can be loved and I can give love.
What led to the crash of your marriage?
Marriage is a different world entirely. It does not follow any rule and does not give you signal of any rule. You select your own rules or you meet them like that. Based on African culture, the pressure of women to get married is so high that because of pressure you would say okay let me go in. Even after seeing all the wrong things about the person, because you are tired of just staying single, you get married just to be Mrs somebody. You go inside and you meet terror. You are now wondering what you have done to yourself. If marriage doesn’t add to you, automatically it is a wrong marriage. Those are the basics. I got married when I was very young. I was not as mature as I am now. I would probably have done things better and be more patient in terms of understanding. Everything in life is experience. I’m sure that if I was this old, as experienced as I am, I probably wouldn’t have walked out of my marriage. As I am now, I’m extremely mature. I can stomach a lot of things that ordinary people would not stomach because I think I have been there, I have seen it all. You would talk and I won’t respond, I would just be looking at you. I have passed that stage. I have trained and disciplined myself to that stage. It would take a lot now to get me to be angry.
Are you saying it is good for one to be mature before venturing into marriage?
Yes, it is. That is why I’m totally against child marriage. It is criminal, not right, not done and not fair. I mean it is satanic. What does a 13-year-old-girl know? She doesn’t even understand her body. Some of them are confused as the word confused. Some have not even started observing their period. I’m not for it, I can’t stand it, I have a daughter and I can’t imagine it.
Do you hope to remarry someday?
I can be happy even without being married but I will remarry. Not that I hope to, I will. The truth of the matter is that yes, I’m happy, confident, financially responsible for myself and my daughter and I can handle some issues without a man but there is always a space for a man. You cannot fill the space. The value of a man is of course the value of a man. There are many things that are for the man. I have grown to know how to do a whole lot of things. Is it electrical works, change my tyres, take my car to the mechanic workshop, follow them to Ladipo to buy spare parts? Just name it. These are a man’s thing but I do it. Not because I want to do it but because I don’t have a man that could do it for me. There is a space for a man and it is there; it is in my face every time. In grooming a child, the space of a man should be occupied. There are so many things a man can do that we women cannot do. I’m an independent woman but as independent as I am I know there is a space for a man. There is what a man needs to do in a woman’s life. That is why I’m hundred per cent sure that I will remarry.
What qualities are you looking out for in a man now given that you have been married before?
I need a God-fearing man. If you fear God, you would be afraid to do something stupid. I don’t like a harsh man; I want a playful person who can play and gist with me. I can talk from now till tomorrow, so I need someone who has a listening ear to listen to me and be looking at me like a movie. I do a lot of drama, so as I’m entertaining you, just be laughing. I’m not a materialistic person. I don’t expect to marry a rich man or a millionaire but the basic thing is for you to handle your responsibilities. A responsible man takes care of his woman and the home. He doesn’t have to be told what to do. A responsible man should place you on a salary basically and you don’t have to be very rich to do that
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