Movies of Monday, 21 February 2011

Source: News-One

Actress Ebi Bright bemoans flat butt

Ghanaian actress Ebi Bright has admitted that she has flat buttocks which, she believes, is not appealing enough for producers. “I don’t think there is any reason to show by private parts in a movie. I don’t think you need to see my breasts and other places I can’t mention.

You can see my back and my hands and my legs, after all we wear shorts all the time. I don’t think they need to see my bum for anything. There are bigger assets in the industry, mine is too flat. There is no reason to show it off,” she told News-One in an exclusive interview on Friday.

The actress however noted that she had no problem with playing nude scenes, as long as it was necessary to the story and would be censored for adults only. This was what she had to say when News-One asked if she would act nude as a prostitute: “Well yes, but it is within a context. You know, we do get naked as human beings. I don’t expect the children would be watching that. If it is above 18, then we should be comfortable with our bodies.

You know, I don’t condone nudity for the sake of nudity. As far as it goes to tell a story and as far as it is necessary for a character, I would try. I mean if I think that it really doesn’t add to the story, I would negotiate that. Also, within cultural context and in our industry, I know there are ways of going around the blatantly offensive actions. If it is not necessary, I will say no, but if it is absolutely necessary within the confines of reason, I would.” She thus gave the impression that there was no role she couldn’t play. “To be honest there is no single role that I don’t want to play because like I always say, it is not about me. It is acting, it is about character. If we are telling a story, we can’t all be the same character. If you think I can play the groundnut seller well enough, I will love to play it. If she has a message to tell, I will love to tell the message through me credibly.

Credibility is what is important to me. So there is no role that I won’t play. If you ask me to play a prostitute, that is the reality of society. There are prostitutes, and I mean somebody has got to show you and tell you about the prostitute. I mean I won’t run away from it at all. I don’t mind playing anything as a character. It is a character, it is not me. I am wielding a gun in my first movie but I am a woman of peace in real life. I could take somebody’s husband in the next movie but morally in real life that is something I won’t do.” Ebi, a consultant, started flirting with the movie industry less than two years ago when Frank Rajah introduced her into it.

Her first role was in the ‘The Game’ by Hero Productions, where she played the role of a hired assassin. She did not anticipate going into acting but after her performance in ‘The Game,’ roles kept coming. She also starred in ‘Pool Party’, yet-to-be released ‘Somewhere In Africa’, ‘Ultimate Powers’, ‘Silent Writer’ and A Reason To Kill’.

Ebi hopes for more roles and a brighter future in the movie Industry. The former student of Leicester University in the UK, where she read General Management, is preparing to go back to school.Before joining the movie industry Ebi was into consultancy and field management. She also does training for customer care service operators. She and her team visit companies to check how workers communicate with one another and customers and try to improve upon it. She did not abandon the job for the movie industry, as she is currently doing both.

“You see the creator of the universe, he is the master designer. He must have willed it like that. I am acting, like I said it is not even a decision. It is something that I have to do. It is something in me. It is a naturally consequential to being Ebi. I am trying to understand how to balance my life,” she explained.

She said if it was about fame, she could have easily acquired that in the management world because everybody knew her as hard worker. “My work will speak for itself. People will realize if I am hungry for fame or if I am an actress.”

She also said she was ready for the kind of controversies that came with being an actress. Ebi is half Ghanaian and half Nigerian. Her mum hails from Ada while her dad hails from Bayelsa Nigeria, but he was born and raised in Ghana.