Nollywood actress and film producer, Ruth Kadiri, has recounted the remarkable story of how she became a screenwriter and actress, crediting a life-changing opportunity she discovered at the National Theatre in Lagos.
Speaking during an interview on Jay On Air TV, Kadiri revealed that her passion for the arts began in her humble beginnings, where she dreamt of escaping poverty through creative expression.
Growing up in the slum and getting out of it wasn’t really easy, she said. I remember going to the National Theatre because I wanted to act. I got there and saw over a thousand people. I just looked around and said to myself, There’s no way I’m getting this role. The crowd was intimidating.
Unable to break through as an actress that day, fate took a different turn when she spotted a notice about screenwriting classes.
I think it was God. I just went into the office, she recalled.
Inside, she met an instructor who initially insisted she pay to join the class. Without transport fare to return home, Kadiri begged to be accepted. Moved by her determination, the instructor allowed her in for free and gave her foundational training in screenwriting.
That moment, she said, changed her life forever.
Doing that basic class literally got me to where I am today. When I wrote my first script, it became a hit. The producer didn’t believe in me. He even tried to send it out to bigger actresses like Tonto Dikeh and Uche Jombo. Tonto kept telling him, I really like this script. He didn’t even want to pay me, but I didn’t care. I just wanted a small role in the movie.
