For Christians, kissing is no sin – Cynthia Agholor

Nollywood's acceptance of loose morals - casual sex, smoking, and drinking - has made many people to adjudge the artistes as wayward. Surprisingly, Cynthia Agholor, one of the numerous actresses in Nollywood, says she is a 'born again' Christian. Cynthia says she remains steadfast in the Lord, despite the temptation of the environment.

How many movies have you taken part in? I can't count o. Well, I've done quite a few, really. I just can't start counting now.

How long have you been acting?I've been acting for about 15 years.

15 years? But you are not as popular as Genevieve and OmotolaNo, you won't say that because I'm Cynthia, I'm on my own. I actually left the movie industry for five years, I went to school, I concentrated on modeling, and came back finally after my youth service in 2005. Since then, I've featured in some movies, so I wouldn't compare myself with others because they've been there, and I was out for some years till I came back.

Are you undecided as to what you want between modeling and acting?Acting and modeling are almost the same thing. I have the features, I model, I like modeling, and why I faced modeling while I was in school was because it doesn't really take much of my time. I just do some runway, some calendar jobs, billboards and all that, and then face my studies as acting takes a lot of time. Anyway, it's not about being undecided, it's the same thing, it's showbiz, I am an MC too. I do other things, anything showbiz. If you have the showbiz thing in you, you should be able to do anything. I present too, I'm a presenter.

Which program do you present?I used to present one program for Chris Onuorah on NTA 10, some years back, and right now, if I get any presenting job, I'm still very good at that.

As a model, which specific roles have you played?I was the face of Danny's Bridals. I did a packaged job, so I was in the billboards, TV commercials, posters. I did a job for soap company, I was the face of the soap. And I was one time Miss Campus in my undergraduate days, a one time runner-up, Miss Lagos, and I've done a couple of runway modeling, fashion shows, Nigerian fashion shows and I've even gone outside the country to do a runway modeling job.

Which part of the world?South Africa. We went for a month with a couple of South Africa-based Nigerian fashion designers.

How much were you paid?Mba! I won't say how much I was paid, but I was paid well.

But why don't you like talking about your pay?So that when we say it, you'll start getting people trying to think that we have money to come and start molesting us.

But as actresses, shouldn't you ...(Cuts in) What about other people in other industries, do they tell you how much they pay them? The bankers ...

But you're in showbiz, you're public property.It doesn't mean I have to tell the world how much they pay me for a job.

Of all the jobs, which one has favoured you the most?Well, I wouldn't really want to say this has favoured me because they have all favored me in one way or the other. But I'll say acting has improved me so much, you understand? Even though I lack my privacy sometimes, but I'll say acting has exposed me, actually, acting exposed me to some of the modeling jobs I've done, the MC and all that, the presentation, let's say acting is the overall thing because, it is where people identify my talent and got to know who Cynthia is.

So where do you hope to be, professionally?Well, anywhere God takes me. I've been striving since I came back in 2005 to be up there. I've been working very hard, with the grace of God, and I know that by the grace of God, I'm going to be where God wants me to be.

Tell us about your most challenging role.I did a job, My Sister My Child, and I'll say it's been the most challenging because I played a triple role in it. I played a well-pampered teenager, on to an adult that was maltreated, then a self-employed person who has made it, different characters in one movie.

So is acting fulfilling for you?Of course. Acting is now business. The money is very good now, so you can say, fine, this is what I achieved from acting, this is what I own from acting. And all from getting paid for doing something you love doing.

What assets have you acquired?I should now come and start saying my assets? I don't really have much but I know I've achieved, financially too.

So you are a millionaire?Well, I claim it, but then, I wouldn't want to start using such words in the pages of papers. But I'm okay, I don't have to be a millionaire, I feed myself, I have people that I feed under me, we're comfortable, I've a home where we stay, you know, after going about, you come in and lay your head there, we have food to eat, so I'm okay, I'm comfortable.

You began acting as a teenager. How old were you then?I don't want to say it.

What's wrong in telling us your age?I don't wanna say it. I was a teenager. I don't want my age to be displayed.

You are a Christian. Are you born again?Yeah, I'm a born again Christian.

Is it possible to be a born again in such an industry as this?Why not?

But you've to kiss in movies and lie in bed with your male colleagues.That's not a sin. That's acting.

Kissing someone you're not legally married to?It's acting, you're not doing it, you're acting. Your feelings are not there.

But what sort of image do you think you are projecting when you are supposed to live an exemplary and righteous life as someone who has given her life to Christ?Must I go about dirty, 'underdressing', because I'm born again? I need to look good. I need to look good so that when someone approaches me that, hey, you look good, I now tell the person, hey, it's Jesus, then I start preaching, that's it, something has to attract somebody to come to me. So if I can preach to you the way I'm looking, and the way I am, and being the fact that she's an actress, oh, I like her movie, and I'm preaching to you, of course, men, if you look at yourself, you'll want to surrender to God. For instance, I went to my friend's church one day and the pastor, who knows me, introduced me after the service and people were, like, wow! if you can be born again in your profession, what am I doing?

Considering everything you've said, are you a virgin?Na wah for you o. This your question.

Is it a crime to be a virgin?I think I should just say that if I'm a virgin or not is no concern of yours.