Renowned Yoruba actress, Esther Idowu Philips, popularly known as Iya Rainbow, has another passion apart from acting: she is a Christian cleric. In this interview with OLUSHOLA RICKETTS, she explains how she has been coping without a man for over 35 years, among other issues. Excerpts:
When did you complete the building of your church?
I am grateful to God. This is the sixth month of the year, but I have been happy since third month of the year. For five years, I have been looking for a way to build a church and God did it for me in March through our mother, Esther Ajayi Abimbola. You can see that we just finished the church. I have been to many people for help, but they didn’t provide it.
At my age now, 75, I don’t wish to have any other thing than building a church. Since I have been visiting America since 1997, I have not seen the kind of grace I have seen this year.
Apart from me, Madam Abimbola has helped many people. People that the world has dragged down she dragged them up back again.
How come you were not able to build a church after all these years in the industry?
I have not been working for the last four years. Do you see me on screen? The sto- ry they do now are n o t meant for old people like me. They wear miniskirts, tattoos and do all sorts. And we cannot do that. But I do not blame them because the people who see the movies want things like that. If they get me roles I can play, I am here and ready.
We are not old fools too; we called them the younger actors and they gave us reasons for the content they put out. We did a meeting and they told us to see other movie industries like Bollywood and Hollywood. But if you look at it well now, the ways they wear mini-skirts and display their body have changed.
With your church, does this mean you could quit acting soon?
No, there is nothing like that. If death does not come, I will not keep quiet. God told me 120-yearold and I pray no one will stop me by the way. You know one endeavour does not disturb the other. I host events in America and Nigeria. It is all about making plans. Acting does not disturb the work of God and the work of God does not disturb acting.
How have you survived without acting for four years?
It is the grace of God and the support of people like you. God knows once I get the money, I remove His 10 per cent. That 10 per cent is very important to God, but most people do not know.
Does that mean you’ve never made money from acting?
We were not getting paid the way actors are being paid now. Anyone who reads this and says I am lying, he or she can reach me. For me, I do know how to charge so people offer me whatever they like. I go with my clothes and once I am done, I go with whatever they give me and even support the job with prayers. But today’s children must see the alert before they leave their houses.
Why can’t you demand for pay before service?
I see them as my children. If I help them to c l i m b up, they will know it tomorrow. Some have actually returned the favour, while others did not. Once you do free jobs for some, they will not call you for the paid ones. But I still pray for all. Someone asked me if I would celebrate my 75th birthday on October 16. But I wonder what I am cerebrating. All my colleagues are dying and I don’t know what is killing them. The most painful one is Moji. She was a very good care. I don’t understand why she died. What kind of mother would I call myself if I start celebrating? I would just do thanksgiving in the church.
Why didn’t you attend Moji’s burial ceremony?
Any mother who came for such should be stoned to death. Why would a 75-year-old woman go to the burial of a 47-year-old person? We don’t do that in the Yoruba land.
How come some older people like Oga Bello attended?
The few fathers that went just did that to please people, the world. You see that even her parents didn’t attend the burial ceremony too.
What do you still desire to achieve at 75?
I don’t need a house, I don’t need clothes, but I still need cars. If I have more than three cars, it is not a bad thing. My church needs a bus too. At this age, I just want to serve God and put my church together. We don’t have good instruments and there are still many things to do.
Have you ever thought of carrying drugs or getting involved in other illegal things?
No, I don’t know how to do things like that. Though I didn’t know God when I was younger, I never visited a native doctor. I only call on God if I am in trouble. But when I got to know God, I realised that he had been watching over me. Maybe he felt that he still needed me to work for him.
Is it true that white garment churches worship other things apart from God?
I don’t know what they do, that is why it took me time to build a church. They offered me such and I said I didn’t want to do. But it is not just white garment churches that do things like that. When you see crowd, you think it is natural? Once you don’t do other things, you will not see crowd. If you come here on Sunday, we may not be more than 20. But even though we are two persons left, I will not be afraid. I don’t even want crowd; I only want people that would praise God with all their hearts.
A man once came to me and said I should bring money and, within three weeks, my church would be full. If I don’t know what I am doing, it means I am stupid. I told him I was not interested and he stopped coming to the church.
It seems you don’t really move with friends?
I don’t have the luck. If you are my friend, I would be open to you. I don’t have secrets. We only see the outside of people, we do not see the inside. Friends are the ones working against friends. I have taken many people to see rich people and they later rubbished in the sight of them.
Don’t you miss a man in your life?
My children are my husbands. If I have had a husband, how about if he didn’t want my children near him? I like my children and I cannot do without them. When Femi was in Ilorin, I was always going there regularly. When they were in secondary school too, people knew that I cherished them. The husband could say he wants rice and my children want ‘garri.’ I don’t want anything to separate me and my children.
One time, someone came to the house to ask for my hand in marriage. I was in my mother’s house then. When he came to my house and saw many children, he called me by the side and asked if I gave birth to all the children. I was certain he asked because he reasoned that it would be a big burden for him once we were married. He left and never came back.
Here that I live in Ojudu Berger, Lagos, I have over 30 people staying with me.
Did your children suggest to you to try marriage again?
When Femi did his wedding, he said he loves me so much because I didn’t remarry. I have God as my companion. Whenever I need companionship, I pick up my Bible and read.
