At 50, Obey Etok-Chima finds strength in acting after losing husband, father

Layer 1 VETERAN Nollywood actress Obey Etok-Chima marked her 50th birthday on June 30 quietly, while still navigating the pain of losing both her husband and father in the same year.

In an emotional interview, the Theatre Arts graduate opened up about grief, loneliness, motherhood, her enduring passion for acting, the changing face of Nollywood and why she remains committed to her craft after more than two decades in the industry. She also declared herself an ardent fan of football superstar Lionel Messi.

‘If Not for Movies, I Don’t Know How I Would Have Coped’

Losing her husband and father back-to-back left a deep void in Obey’s life. “It hasn’t been easy. It’s something you can’t easily get over,” she said. “If not for movies, I don’t know how I would have coped.”

She explained that working on movie sets provides a much-needed distraction from the grief.