Toyin Abraham, a prominent Nigerian actress, recently shared the reason behind her decision to cast her colleague, Emeka Ike, in her film titled "Malaika" after a hiatus of nearly 13 years from the big screen.
In an insightful interview with Morayo Afolabi-Brown and the women of TVC’s Your View show, which was aired on Thursday, Toyin opened up about her motive for bringing back the veteran actor. She expressed that she felt Emeka Ike deserved another opportunity, especially in light of a marriage scandal that had negatively impacted his career.
Toyin Abraham and Emeka Ike. source: Google
The actress shed light on Emeka Ike's personal struggles, where his ex-wife, Emma, accused him of violence and prevented him from seeing his children. Emeka Ike, now 56, who plays the role of Toyin’s spouse in the film, revealed that his marital issues led to a period of melancholy, prompting him to step away from the limelight due to embarrassment.
Toyin elaborated on her decision to bring him back, stating:
I’ve been talking to uncle Emeka since last year; I know he has been off for a long time. Everything we heard, obviously I was not as big as this, so I sent him a message. My manager Otunba Seun got his number for me, and I said come back. He said, ‘what if’... everything that happened. I said, don’t worry, even if you did it, you have suffered enough—13 years, it’s okay, it’s fine.
“I am not saying you did; I wasn’t there. But even if you did, it’s okay, 13 years. I don’t mind taking risks; it doesn’t matter because I see you in this role. Because I feel everybody deserves a second chance. It’s okay."
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