By Siji Oyewusi
Different stories have made the rounds regarding Juliet Ibrahim’s failed marriage. But apparently, all what the former beauty queen wants is to keep her personal life private and stock her wardrobe with fashion items from expensive designers.
Nonetheless, the beautiful Ghanaian actress is already making a huge impact with her foundation and is dying to be on a Tyler Perry movie set. Juliet cleared the air in a recent chat with NET as she opens up on her childhood, career, divorce and more.
What’s your first memory of acting?
I landed into acting by chance; it was after I had won a beauty pageant in 2004 (Miss Queen of Languages) and I was invited for a movie audition. I was 18 years old at the time.
I attended the audition and got the lead role for the movie, Crime to Christ co-starring Majid Michel and the rest is history.
Are there any roles you’ve turned down that you regret?
None at all.
Do you have any code you live by?
Live and let live, be yourself, be your brother’s keeper and don’t get carried away by the pleasures of the world.
When they list the top 5 most beautiful actresses in Ghana, your name can’t help but pop up on the list, what’s your beauty secret?
I sleep a lot, nothing less than 9hours for me. I drink lots of water, and try not to eat after 6pm to maintain a great figure. I do crunches regularly and I also try not to stress over trivial and petty things. I use makeup only when on set or when attending events and I try as much as possible to keep my skin as healthy as I can and prevent wrinkles and premature aging. But I can’t do without my eyeliner and a lipstick or lip-gloss daily.
You are a Gollywood actress but have been in so many Nollywood movies. If you were to choose between the two, which one would you pick?
Nigerians welcomed me into their industry with open arms without caring about my nationality. That is one thing I always appreciate and respect about Nigerians. I would also attribute my continuous stay in Nollywood to God, then hard work, consistence, diligence and persistence. Even the Bible backs it up in Proverbs 22 verse 29: ‘Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.’ To me, I don’t see the need to choose between the two because we are one. We may fall under different names or countries, but we are still one.
We’ve heard different stories surrounding your divorce. Could you clear the air and tell us the real reason behind it?
It didn’t work out based on irreconcilable differences and we decided to go our separate ways. I have moved on; the stories don’t bother me and I see no need to revisit it.
Rumour has it that you are dating Bryan Okwara. How true is that?
I am not dating him.
Is there anyone you are seeing at the moment?
I don’t think my personal life should be put on display right now.
Is there any actor you look forward to working with?
Yes, I look forward to working with Tyler Perry.
Tell us about your childhood?
I grew up traveling a lot with my family. I am the eldest of 4 children: Sonia, Nabil and Nadia. I was born into the family of a Lebanese father; Mr. Hussein Ibrahim and a half Liberian/Ghanaian mother; Mrs. Sarah Elizabeth Ibrahim on March 3, 1986. I grew up in Liberia, Lebanon, Ghana and Ivory Coast, travelling from one country to another with my family because my father was a business man in West Africa and each time there was war in any of those countries we lived in, we had to relocate and escape for survival to another country.
So growing up wasn’t that much fun for us because we kept losing almost everything we acquired along the line. However thank God for our lives every day and how far he has brought me in life today.
After my pre-education in Lebanon, I had my Senior high school education in Ivory Coast before returning to Ghana where I attended the Ghana Institute of Languages to perfect my English and Spanish. After that, I enrolled into the Ghana Institute of Journalism to read Marketing and Advertising. Because I was raised in various places, I am multi-lingual and speak French, Spanish as well as English.
Recently, a Nigerian actor died as a result of Renal Failure and we understand you have a foundation that caters for such disease. Can you tell us about the foundation and you intend to expand?
The demise of Muna Obiekwe is really sad and we pray God ebbs the tide of sudden death amongst us. Yes, Juliet Ibrahim Foundation is Ghana’s leading (if not only) specialist kidney cancer charity which seeks to reduce the harm caused by kidney cancer by increasing knowledge and awareness by providing patient information and by supporting research into the causes, prevention and treatment of the disease. We organise Kidney Cancer awareness walk to sensitise people too.
The NGO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organisation that has been solely funded by me since inception. We focus on creating awareness on kidney cancer and providing necessary interventions to ensure a society free of such issues in Ghana and Africa at large. In our own little way, we lend helping hands to people suffering from kidney related ailments by creating awareness through public service campaign, community and online education and also by paying for dialysis treatments. We also organise charity events to raise funds, which we donate accordingly to patients in dire need of support. Right now, we are currently working on expansion, we are registered in Ghana and USA and of course we are coming to Nigeria this year.
Tell us about your style?
My style is daring, spontaneous and very creative.
What’s your fashion fetish?
I have none.
Who’s your favorite designer?
I have so many; it’s hard to choose.
What’s the most expensive item in your wardrobe?
Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Celine handbags; Christian Loubotin and Manolo Blanik shoes, amongst others.
You can never be caught wearing?
Can’t say. Never say never.
A message to your fans?
I love and thank them for their support; I promise to never let them down.
