By Christy Anyanwu
She wears many caps and performs excellently as an actress and radio personality. In this interview with Sunday Sun, the world gets to know more about this amiable actress.
Tell us more about yourself, what makes you tick?
I am Doris Okorie, a screen (television) and voice actor. I do voice acting such as voice-dubbed South African shows, the way the Telemundo shows are voiced in English, like “Greed and Desire”, “Ring of Lies” and “The River”. I do voice adverts for brands as well and I am a commercial model. I dabble in screenwriting, producing and have directed before. I directed a PSA (public service announcement) in 2020 about sexual assault and that won me second place in the European Union anti-gender-based violence competition in 2021. I was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria.
Tell us about your journey into acting and the other things you do?
I started acting while I was doing my National Youth Service; so, before acting, I was in school. I am also a trained broadcaster. I have worked with many radio and television stations. I have done other projects that you can find on streaming platforms, like “The Wait” on Netflix and “A Young Time Ago” on Amazon Prime, and projects that went to cinema like “Symphony” and “Something Like Gold”. There are others on platforms like ROK and YouTube such as “Mr. Increbidle”, “Oh Love” and “A Love Untamed,” but what made me a household name was the Africa Magic Original Series “Masquerades of Aniedo”. My journey into the entertainment industry wasn’t planned, it was just something I happened upon. When I started attending auditions, my parents didn’t take it seriously because they thought it was something I was doing to pass away the time. I never thought to do it full-time, until I started getting roles and enjoying the experience. When I broke the news to my parents, they were not in support at all. I literally had to “run away from home” and moved in with my eldest sister to pursue my acting career.
What are the opportunities and challenges as an actress?
There is a world of opportunities, especially now that people in the entertainment industry are getting endorsement deals locally and internationally. People want to be involved in your projects. People know your abilities and want to work with you. There are always the good and bad sides of things. It’s shocking how many people tune in to watch our projects now because it used to be a thing to brag about, to say, “I don’t watch Nollywood movies”, but people seem to be enjoying our projects. I’ve had people walk up to me to take pictures in public places. One time, I took a walk to get fruits at my bus stop and a woman reversed her car and the man in the passenger’s seat bowed. I actually thought they wanted to kidnap me, but he was referencing my character in “Masquerades of Aniedo”. That’s the fun side of fame. People now want to listen to you, your thoughts and ideas. But on the other hand, as someone who is now emerging in the public eye, I am super-careful with what I post and places I go to, especially now with the Internet that “never forgets”.
How are you coping with stardom? How do people perceive you?
Luckily for me, I can still go to the market and other public places because I look totally different in person. So, it’s easier to maneuver, for now.
What are the challenges you encounter on the job?
One challenge I am currently facing is not being able to juggle my broadcasting, especially radio, and my acting careers. I have had to leave radio on the back burner for now. Some other challenges are time and creating a work-life balance. It’s a little hard
What is your advice for young people wanting to become actresses?
For young people in general, be careful about the offers you get as you come into the industry. There will be a lot of “juicy” offers that you might regret later. Also, build your own tribe. The people you’ve met on the job mostly came from the ground up with the people that were in “the struggle” with. And, if you really love being in the creative space, while you come up, dabble in other entertainment branches like writing, editing or take on jobs behind the cameras to get a feel of how things are done.
How do you unwind?
I’m a homebody. Most times while at work there are a lot of people. So, in my spare time, I love to stay indoors to recuperate. I watch shows, I love to cook, so, sometimes, invite friends over.