IT’S EMBARRASSING, WAY MEN OGLE AT MY BOOBS – PORTIA ADAMS

She’s got the kind of face and  smile that could dissolve even a heart of stone. And for the few years she’s spent in the movie industry, she’s melted her way into the hearts of some notable directors.

Gifted and talented, Portia Adams, our guest on Weekend Groove takes us into her world, a world filled with very intriguing stories.
Enjoy

How true is it that you quit a paid job to take up acting professionally?

I used to work for a construction company and  I left not long ago to go into acting fully.

Was the job not good enough or what?

No, The pay was good and the job okay too but the job satisfaction counts more. There was no point doing a job that you don’t love even if you’re being paid well.

So it doesn’t matter to you if your standard of living falls?

My standard of living could never fall because I’m a kind of person who knows how to make money for what I need at every point in time. Besides, I have a mother who takes care of me.

Which did you start first, acting or work?

Actually, it was acting first but I realized acting wasn’t paying my bills so I decided to take up a paid job for a while to make money. Along the line, it seemed like I was dying every day, doing what I didn’t like.

Acting roles don’t come easy . . . sometimes one stay as long as six months before . . .

(Cuts in) . . .  I’ve never stayed long before I get a role. If I’m not called to feature in a movie then, I’d get to act in soaps. I’ve been lucky to get good roles and I also do some modeling on the side. And at the end of the day, I’m doing well.

And how did you find yourself in the movie industry?

I’ve always been a loner and loves reading. I discovered that when I read a book, I always want to act out what I read. I used to read lots of romance books and every time I read a line that I love I would find myself acting it out. Soon it became a part of me and I knew it was all I wanted to do.

One day a friend of mine introduced me to Bond Emeruwa, a director who was shooting a movie  in Abuja.
He took one good look at me and decided I was good for a role. He called and invited me to join his cast in Lagos . . .  and the rest is as they say, is history.

So Bond gave you the first break?
Yes he did. After I met Diobu who introduced me to Opah Williams and that was how I got a role in his soap, (Opa’s) Just The Two of Us.  I have acted in several movies and in recent times I was in Ghana to do three movies.

How would you describe your first experience on set?

It wasn’t a bad experience because my talkative nature made it easy for me to mix with everyone. But that came with a prize. Within the time I wasn’t on set, I talked with virtually everybody. So by the time it was my turn to go on set, I had lost my voice. I had to eat bitter-kola and all sorts to get back my voice but I couldn’t. I didn’t get to act the way I ought to. It was at the end of the movie that I got back my voice.

Let’s talk about the Nollywood compared to Ghollywood.

I love the way Ghanians act, it shows that they’re better professionals. Each role is well spelt out such that nobody encroaches on the other’s duty. But in Nollywood, you’ll find a costumier who is also the make-up artiste.

So, the professionalism isn’t there as such. In Ghanian movie industry, they re disciplined on set and if they say you’ll be on set for two weeks then, it’s going to be for two weeks. But in Nollywood, you’ll end up staying more than the planned time. And the Ghanians don’t rush their movie productions but here it’s a different story.

What part of your body do you think is the most appealing?

I love my legs.

And the boobs?

Yes I love them but I don’t like the way men stare at them. It’s sometimes embarrassing

What is embarrassing about it?

It’s not my fault that my clothes reveal part of my boobs. The only clothes that fit me most are a size 10 but I usually buy size 12 and they don’t even get to cover me up properly because of my boobs. I don’t know what it is with men around here. Even If you wore a shirt, they’ll still peep through the shirt to see those boobs.

Ever been harassed because of what you’ve got?

Oh, on so many occasions.

How?

Somehow I’m embarrassed how men ogle at my breast. Everywhere I go, they always tell me they love my boobs. It’s degrading because I think of myself s a person with a lot of intellect but people don’t get to think that way with me other than how I look.

So how do you ward-off such advances?

God is such a wonderful God. He gives you a protective shield to pass through anything. I could walk through a place with everybody’s eyes on me but none would actually come to speak with me if I don’t want them to.

What are some of the memorable things you remember while growing as a child?

Every day was memorable for me. I lived in a house with four other siblings and sometimes one or two would  be at each other’s throat.

Every day of my life was a mixture of the good and the bad but they were memorable.

Have you had any embarrassing moment?

It was the first day I came to Lagos from Abuja. I thought I could wear shot dresses on the streets the way we do in Abuja. So, I wore a short Jean to pick up something at Mile-2. I picked up a taxi and when I got to Mile-2, I told the taxi man to go because my friend would come and pick me up. Immediately he dropped me, every eye turned to stare at me. I had to get into the next available taxi and moved out of there.

Since then, I decided that if I have to wear something short, it has to be to where I’m sure that I’m safe to do so.