‘I can smooch but won’t go nude in movies-Joy Eleojo Egbunu, actress

Dark-complexioned Joy Eleojo Egbunu  is someone who doesn’t see enquiries about her age as a top secret. She is different from some single females who would tell you that any lady who discloses her age can reveal all her secrets.

“What’s the big deal about age?” she quipped. “I’m 35 and I’m the first born in the family of five. I’m an actress, which of course is my major profession, and that is the career that brought me into the limelight,” she said without ambiguity.

Joy who had her primary and secondary education in Lagos State before she moved to study Mass Communication at the University of Jos, Plateau State has the names of some movies she had featured in on her fingertips. And she reeled them out with ease: “Some of my movies are ‘The Hunters’, ‘Tears of the Ghetto’, ‘Danger Signal’, ‘Offensive Relationship’, ‘Daughters of Eve’, ‘The Siege’ and ‘Laviva’, among others.

She disclosed that ’Tears of the Ghetto’ brought her into the limelight. “This is because I was the bone of contention in that movie. Moreover, I cried myself to sleep in that film because of the role I was given to interpret,” she said, gesticulating.

But the most challenging of her movies was ‘Laviva’ “where I played the lead character as ‘Laviva’. I had to learn how to speak the Liberian pidgin, and we shot the movie under very harsh conditions,” she recalled.

Apart from acting, Joy as she is fondly called by friends and colleagues does some other positive things for a living.

“Aside from acting, I run a fashion business; I mean everything about women’s wardrobe and beauty. I also run a food business so that even when movie roles drag, my bank account won’t be in the red,” she asserted.

Joy’s growing up was fun. She remembers her childhood with nostalgia.

“My childhood was indeed fun. I wouldn’t want to change the rich experience I had then for anything in the world.” adjusting her seat, a serious expression on her face.

“Because my childhood built me into becoming the strong woman I am today,” she said.

She said the role she took which she later regretted was where she acted as a lesbian.

“I kissed a girl. Honestly, I didn’t like it at the end,” she bemoaned.

Why did she not turn down the role when she knew she would regret at last?

“I’m not particularly choosy about the roles I interpret because that is where versatility comes to play in the acting career,” she explained.

Does that mean she can also interpret nude roles well since she is not choosy?

“Oh no! I know that as an actor, I’m supposed to be versatile but I’m not down with nudity.  I can kiss and smooch but I definitely can’t go nude! As long as the person is clean and has fresh breath, I’m okay,” she said.

Though Joy is single, she has the qualities of her ideal man etched in her mind. I’m single for now.  But the man I could call my own should be able to make me laugh, cook, must play at least one music instrument, have good knowledge of the word of God and must love football,” she emphasised.

‘Show gratitude to God each day’ is her philosophy of life philosophy Her personal slogan is,  ‘Life is too short, so live it to the fullest’.

This style aficionado sees fashion as “everything one is comfortable in. My own style is mostly expressed in casual wear because I love my jeans and comfortable tops a lot. But the style I won’t be seen wearing is anything that is too revealing,” she said.

Nobody lured or enticed her into the movie industry. “I have always wanted to be in the public eye, though I initially wanted so much to go into broadcasting but acting came calling and I obliged,” she said.

Fashion we all know is flaunting if need be your good side and covering your flaws, so parts of her body she wouldn’t mind flaunting are “my face and backside,” she revealed.