Pioneer Nollywood actress/producer, Princess Tina Amuziam, is the Personal Assistant to Delta State Governor on Political Matters. Tina's romance with the screen began in the late 1980s with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). But she hit stardom in Nollywood in 1996 when she featured in a movie entitled Glamour Girls. She tells Adaeze Amos in this interview her lifestyle and what makes her tick.
Can you recall how many movies you have featured in?
I have done close to a hundred quality movies and my role in Glamour Girls was my hit role. That was where I played the role of Jessica
When you see some of your Nollywood colleagues in skimpy revealing wears, how does that make you feel?
That honestly is not good in the sight of man and in the sight of God. As you know, I was the National Director for Women Affairs, I'm sure those were the things they considered first before they gave me that portfolio. I never belonged to that group of scanty, revealing dressers. I have never exposed my body before because God gave you whatever you have to be covered for a man to hunger for and not for you to open it up for every Tom, Dick and Harry to see. By the time you expose your cleavage and everything for men to see, what is the man you are expecting coming to look for again in you? You have exposed it all. But when a man sees you covered and he appreciates you for who you are, he wants to come closer to know what is inside of you. If we (women) are able to know this fact, we should know that the best thing for a woman to do is to cover up her body properly. That has been my campaign. My passion has always been to bring my Nollywood colleagues together and let them know that exposing your body through fashion is not the best. It doesn't make you more beautiful. When you come out dressed up properly, your beauty would be seen.
Before you became the Personal Assistant (PA) to the governor, were there some roles you wouldn't accept no matter the amount at stake?
Oh definitely! I have been selective of my roles. If you bring your script and I see it is not what I can do, I will tell the producer I won't do it so that he could go look for someone else. I don't accept just any role. For instance I can't play a noond role, I can't even play close to noond and again, when you talk about romance, there is a level or an extent to which I can go. I won't play romance scenes because we call it makebelieve. I'm not the one doing it but again, there is an extent to which I can go. It is true that a good actress should be versatile but being versatile does not mean taking any role. I can play with my figure. If you look at my figure, you can say okay she can play mother, she can play granny, then it means I'm versatile. But when it comes to nudity, I never played a noond role no matter what you are paying me. I'm an African woman and I have always had the fear of God. I used to run a prayer ministry which is known as Nollywood for God where I try to bring Nollywood closer to God. We are all Christians, and we all know God so we need to have a forum where we pray, teach people who are not aware yet there are so many things that do not please God. When we talk about the talents we have, who are you without God?
What is your most striking prayer point?
I always ask God to draw me closer to Him, that is my first prayer point. I always thank Him for all he has done in my life. I'm a celebrity, in the vineyard of God also I'm a celebrity, those things he knows I need to propagate the gospel and to make a mark in life, let him give them to me.
Have you ever regretted being famous?
I have never regretted. In fact, I have no regrets in life. Do you know why? Anything I know that would bring scandal, I avoid it. When I look at my life as a celebrity, I don't think there is anything I would look back and say, 'why am I in this position'. I like to live an exemplary life and if I'm able to do that, Godwilling, why should I regret. He has put me there and made me who he wants me to be. He has drawn me closer to know him, so I don't have any regret. All I want him to do is day after day, he should make me an example to the next person.
What makes you happy?
I'm happy when I'm able to touch a life, when God uses me to settle a problem in another person's life. I'm happy when I see my children. I have children but I have so many other children in the vineyard of God who see me as their mother, who come around to tell me their problems and to see what I can do to help them. I have widows under my ministry that God is using me to take care of. These are the things that make me happy. When I remember that I have been able to touch a life, I am happy.
What do you do in your leisure?
I listen to gospel songs, I watch movies, I sing a lot. When I'm not working, the thing that keeps me indoors is gospel music. Do you wear tattoos? I don't have tattoos except this one (she points). This is the only tattoo that I have and it was given to me the day I was seven days old. I don't wear tattoos.
What is your style and what makes you cry?
My style is whatever suits me, whatever makes me look smart and does not expose me. I don't follow trends. I wear a lot of Senegalese. It could be wrapper and top, flowing linen gown or flowing chiffon gown. As I said, I don't follow vogue.
The level of poverty in Nigeria today makes me cry, especially when I see some people go through rough times, which I feel they should not go through because of money. In fact, other people's problems make me cry.
What is the latest about you?
Apart from the fact that I am the Personal Assistant to the Governor on Political Matters, I also have a ministry which is known as Open Heart Healing Ministry in Lagos which I have opened a branch in Asaba where I live. To God be the glory, my ministry is seven years old and I have been ordained a pastor.
National Mirror
That's what they always say and then the next thing u know, this particular actress is involved in a scandal.