‘‘TO FIGHT PIRACY, WE SHOULD DO BUSINESS WITH THEM RATHER THAN FIGHT THEM’’- DORIS SIMEON

Pretty actress and producer had a chat with YES INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE RECENTLY WHERE SHE TALKED ABOUT HER CAREER AND OTHER ISSUE

EXCERPTS:

Are you doing any movie currently?

Yes. I just finished one of my short films titled Victims. It’s a story of campaign against malaria, because we don’t handle it well. We just want people to know that it kills. We are one of the ambassadors that will throw more light on it.

Are you the producer?

Yes. I produced and acted in it because it’s under my production

What’s the name of your production company?

Doris Simeon production; short form - DS Productions.

Is victims your first production?

No. it’s my fourth film

How would you rate your production skills?

I would say this last one was quite relaxing for me unlike my first. I produced my first film in 2006. I tried to make sure that everything went well and I didn’t owe debts here and there; tried to make sure it finished within the time frame that I worked out. But no matter how you plan, you will have some hazards here and there.

Why are many actors and actresses going into producing movies?

 Maybe the English actors or actresses are the ones you would say just ventured into producing, because the Yoruba actresses had been producing way back. As practitioners, we criticize some works that we do, so we decided to set an example and show how it is done. That’s it, not getting any role.

What can you say about the promiscuous impression the society has about actress and female entertainers?

The impression is wrong and it’s a lie. But it’s a free world and if you want to, you will. It’s a thing of choice. But that doesn’t mean that the whole women in the industry sleep around, and that’s why they are not getting married. There are so many people out there who live their lives the way they want. How many do you hear about?  But because we are the faces out there, everybody believes that we don’t have a private life anymore and everything that happens in our lives, they have to know about it. As if they knew when you were born. It’s just one of the things we face for being actresses.

It’s like your profession attracts the wrong kind of men?

Even if it brings the wrong men to you, it is still a thing of choice. You decide what you want and it is what you want that will happen.

What’s the hardest decision that you have made as an actress?

Maybe trying to fix two jobs the same day. I was just gisting with a colleague about fixing three jobs the same day and they were calling me. I didn’t even know what to do in order not to offend anybody.

How do you think piracy can be resolved?

There is a saying in Yoruba that if you keep a meat for a cat to watch for you, you know that cats like meat, but the cat knows that If the meat misses, you will hold him responsible. That is how I think we can resolve the issue of piracy. We know these people; do business with them rather than try to fight them. Try to be friends with them.