Rachael Oniga has probably earned the right to be called a veteran in the movie industry. Since 1993 when she broke into limelight, she has maintained relevance in spite of the stiff competition in the industry.
However, life, for her, has not been a bed of roses as she has had her share of disappointments. The most challenging of the untoward experiences has been her failed marriage that almost broke her a few years ago. Her husband, who she trusted and loved so much, left her for another woman. The actress has, however, put the sad incident behind her.
Why hasn’t she remarried? To this, Oniga responded thus: “Maybe I have never thought of giving it a second shot. Anything that happens to one in life is destiny. If I’m destined to marry again, I will definitely do that. But if I’m not, so be it. My children are grown-ups and now, I’m even a grandmother.”
Oniga would not be caught featuring in a movie without being paid, even if it was for humanitarian cause. This is because, according to her, acting is her profession through which she earns a living.She remarked, “Why should I do that? Can you work at your office without collecting salary? This is where we mix things up. It is my profession and that is where I earn my livelihood. So, if I work, I should be paid. Would you be happy without being paid? If I continue to do charity jobs, how do I pay my bills?
“I wonder why people expect so much from actors. People meet us on the street and expect us to bring out money since they are the ones buying our movies. They don’t know the difference between an actor, a director and a producer.”
She explained that an actor could do charity or give back to the society in many other ways. Through her Non-Governmental Organisation, Nollywood Actresses for Change, she maintained that she had done much for the society.
“We go to orphanages, homes for old people and we empower women. We’ve done that in so many parts of the country such as Aba, Umuahia, Onitsha, Warri, and Lagos, among others. We’ve been doing this for more than five years,” she said.
