By Gbenga Bada
Actress Monalisa Chinda turned 40 on Saturday, September 13, 2014, and celebrated the day by giving back to society.
This was a typical reflection of the Nollywood star, whose interpretation of roles and charitable deeds are talked about as much as her personal life.
And just like she has done for the last three years, Monalisa kicked off the day with a charitable act, giving back to society. Monalisa and over 550 celebrities, volunteers and children participated in Slum2School Africa’s Charity fundraising Walk which held in Lekki Lagos to support the education of 1000 children living in slums and remote communities in Nigeria and build mentorship hubs to facilitate community development.
If she hadn’t thrown a party to celebrate on September 14, 2014, only a few fans would have believed that the versatile movie actress is actually 4 decades old.
The party, at Villa Medici in Victoria Island, Lagos, paraded her close friends and associates in the entertainment industry and corporate sector.
In an exclusive chat with Nigerian Entertainment Today on what she intends to do next, Monalisa said, ‘Well, no matter what I seem to have achieved or eventually achieve, I remain a work in progress until I exit this world…I feel thankful and grateful to God and my wonderful fans around the world.’
The graceful mother of one has consistently tried to keep her private life out of the public glare, but her roles in over 100 Nollywood movies have kept her on the public radar for 18 years, since her popular role in ‘Pregnant Virgin.’
Monalisa is the first child of her parents, with three sisters and two brothers. An Ikwerre indigene from Rivers State, she went to primary and secondary schools in Port Harcourt before proceeding to the University of Port Harcourt to study Theatre Arts.
Her Career
With a career spanning 18 years, Monalisa has remained a recurring face in over 100 movies produced in Nollywood.
After starring in ‘Pregnant Virgin’ in 1996, and later ‘Above The Law,’ her face and diction, among other attributes, have endeared her to most Nollywood producers till date.
The ‘Catwalq’ star and producer is not limited to home videos, CDs or productions made for cinema audiences, as her ability to interpret roles as a stage actor is also commendable.
According to Monalisa, as a Theatre Arts student in University, she featured in stage plays such as ‘Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again’ by Ola Rotimi, ‘The Fight To Stop Female Circumcision’ by the late Amatu Braid, ‘Ovarumwen Nogbaisi’ by Ola Rotimi, ‘Death And The King’s Horsemen’ by Wole Soyinka, ‘IF’ by Ola Rotimi and ‘The Gods Are Not To Blame’ by Ola Rotimi.
In her almost 2 decades long career, the actress has evolved professionally, producing and co-producing alongside Emem Isong’s Royal Arts Academy.
This collaboration has resulted in movies such as ‘Weekend Getaway,’ ‘Kiss & Tell’ and ‘Catwalq,’ TV soap currently running on terrestrial stations.
Achievements at 40
In her professional career, the actress has also had endorsement deals from international and corporate bodies that include Glo, the United Nations and Vita 500. She was also the Face of the Nigerian Centenary celebrations. But the actress is also well known for her charitable deeds.
The initiator and founder of Dance for Life, an annual benefit concert geared towards delivering classical dance entertainment while raising funds for special children, her foundation, Arise Monalisa Foundation, has also focused on benevolence visits to prisons, autistic children, orphanages and empowering young Africans to discover, develop and maximize their creative abilities for over 3 years.
In her words, ‘My greatest achievement remains the lives I have touched so far, either through the numerous movies I’ve been privileged to take part in or through the various charitable works I have done through the Arise Monalisa Foundation, Patrick Speech & Languages Centre, Slum2School and numerous others. Nothing gives me joy compared to making a difference in the lives of others.’
What’s next?
So, what next for the 40 year old?
‘Beyond redefining movie production in Africa, I also intend to float a world-class TV production that changes the reality of our societal values for the best. There are also a couple of other things in the offing, some of which I can’t reveal for now. When the time comes, you’ll experience them.’
Speaking on the road to success, she also gave some advice to those who may look up to her and her achievements, saying ‘My advice to young people is to take their future into their hands and stop looking for shortcuts to success. Personally, I have truly realized that the world always turns aside to let any man pass who knows where he is going. The foundation of wealth and success is solving problems, and the best way to attract wealth is by solving problems for people through your gifts.’
