I’ve Not Found Love - Says Kate Henshaw

Delectable Kate Henshaw probably stands tops amongst the ‘non-aging’ Nollywood stars. Though, she believes she has aged over the years, many of her admirers believe she always looks perpetually young. With her 20 years in the entertainment industry, Kate has played lead roles in many blockbusters.

In this special interview with The Entertainer, the movie icon talks glowingly about her mother, referring to her as another Mother Theresa. She also talks about Nollywood, Cossy Orjiako’s porn movie as well as her failed marriage among others.  Enjoy it.

Have you found another love?

It’s you now (laughter).

I’m the special one?

That’s fine.

But seriously, are you thinking about …?

I’m not thinking about anything. At the moment, I’m facing my career. If it comes, fine. If it doesn’t come, that’s okay. It’s not the end of the world because I’m convinced that God loves me

What is your view about the disturbing rate of crashed celebrity marriages in Nigeria especially in the entertainment industry?

Tell me where it is not high these days. The simple reason everybody discusses those of celebrities is because, we are the ones in front of the screen. If you didn’t see me before the screen, you would not know me let alone talking about me. When you are on the net, newspapers and television, your life is basically exposed to the whole world. Lots of women are going through various degrees of battery and other ugly experiences in their homes. So, how many women out there are still in their marriages? But nobody is beaming the light on their cases. Therefore, it happens in normal life and Nollywood or celebrities are no exceptions.

You seem to have given much to love. But would you say love has given you appreciatively in return?

Love has given me more than enough. I have the most gorgeous daughter in the whole world. That’s enough for me.

I’m sure you are not a teenager, are you?

I’m an adult (laughs)

So, what’s the secret behind your perpetual tender looks?

I don’t know. Everywhere I go, people say, ‘You are looking younger; Kate you don’t age o,’ and all that. For me, it’s not about number; it’s not about age. I look after myself and I exercise a lot. I eat healthy, but sometimes I also eat junk food. But most times, I watch what I eat. I just have love for exercise. Maybe that’s part of the secret. My mum also looks very good for her age.

How would you describe your typical day?

It depends on my day’s schedule. I’m a brand ambassador to three different products. So, if they have events, I make myself available. If not, I wake up at about 6 or 6.30 am every morning, get ready for my walk-out, go to the gym and return to get ready for my day. If I have event, I attend punctually. I don’t do ‘African time’. Most of the time, I’m dressed thinking of different projects that need completion and all issues that need to be attended to for the day.

How early do you retire to bed at night?

Funny enough, I sleep late. But I’m trying to sleep early these days. But sometimes, I go to bed at 1 or 2am after watching movies. When I’m really tired after having a long day, I could go to bed at 10pm. But I can’t remember going to bed earlier than 10pm.

People say that in spite of your giant strides, you are still down to earth, simple and always cheerful, no matter the situation. Why?

There is nothing in this life. Life is simple and what you make of it. I don’t attach so much importance to who I am. I’m just Kate. It’s just because of the grace of God upon me that I’m able to affect people’s lives positively. People see my face on a product and they would like to buy it. But without that special grace and favour, you are just like every other man on the street. So, I don’t take it as something special. I want to always remain Kate. And I don’t know any human being who can get up and say I want to fly. It is only God who has all the powers. So, I just keep my life very simple, focus on my work and let it be about my work, not about me.

So, does your ‘perpetual’ tender look run in your family?

Maybe it runs in my genes, though. But come to think of it, how do you want me to look? That is what I have always wanted to ask people. Like I said earlier, for me, age is not about the number. I feel as young and I feel I can do anything, but I also think I have changed over the years. People say I’m getting younger every day and I don’t know why they use such term on me.

I watched one of your early movies recently and looking at you now, it seems as if you are aging in reverse order?

Oh my goodness. Faces! It was ’96 movie directed by Zeb Ejiro for Zelex Productions. I featured alongside Liz Benson, Kanayo O. Kanayo, and Jumai Joseph among others. Yes, I remember it vividly. But as for what you called perpetual tender looks, well, let’s remain timeless all through until it is time for God to call us home. However, I take it as a compliment because I think I have changed over the years.

How would you describe your mother?

My mum is a powerful, strong and prayerful woman. She is very hardworking and spends half of her time in church, praying. You could as well call her a neat freak because you always see her cleaning one thing or the other. And when it comes to cooking, I can proudly rate her as the best cook in the world. Nobody can cook like my mum, be it traditional, continental or whatever delicacy you can think of. She is just a great woman and I love her.

What’s her name?

Her name is Theresa.

Like Mother Theresa?

Sure, like Mother Theresa (Laughs).

Where does she live?

She is in Calabar. She likes staying on her own. You know when people get older, they prefer their own company. But once in a while, I drop in to see her. My brothers also stop in regularly to see her and make sure she is okay.

What is your position in your family?

I’m the first; two boys after me and then another girl.

Would it be safe for one to describe you as a workaholic?

Yes. I hate sitting down in one place doing nothing except when I’m on holiday. Anywhere there is work to do, you would find me there. And if I’m working, I face my work, bring it to a close and then move on to the next day. So, yes, I’m a workaholic.

You usually get involved in so many things at the same time. But, how do you apportion your time to such engagements?

Well, it’s all about planning. You just saw me talking to my Personal Assistant minutes before this interview. I was just telling him all the things I have on my calendar so that as the days go by, I can take up each one. I always plan my day before leaving the house every day. I don’t just move out haphazardly. But on days that I don’t have anything to do, I just stay in my house, put on the generating set and relax all day.

What does it take to be Kate Henshaw?

Hmm… it’s discipline, discipline, discipline and hard work. I’m a very time-conscious person. Everybody that knows me well would attest that I hate that common phrase, ‘African Time’. To me, it’s rudeness when you have an appointment with somebody and you come 30 minutes or 1 hour later, whereas, if it is money matter, you would be there I hour earlier. Keeping to time is a mark of respect for whoever you have appointment with. Another thing is, forget about fame and just work hard. As long as your work is good, people would recognize you and come looking for you. But if you choose to take certain actions and maybe cut corners just to be in front of the camera, you live to bear the consequences.

As a result of your tender looks, have you ever had advances from a near teenager, maybe secondary school boy or undergraduate; I mean ‘toasting’ you?

Yeah, of course, you get that all the time. But I just take it as nothing major. While growing up, as a teenager, there are certain people you fantasize about, like oh, I like this person or I would marry that person. So, it’s just a teenage infatuation. I don’t take it seriously.

But, how do you handle your ‘toasters’ generally, especially the stubborn ones? 

I don’t think there is any one so stubborn that I can’t handle. I would just be cordial and courteous to you. But if you are really pushing it, then I would have to set you on the straight line like, ‘you know this is not acceptable’. But I would say so far so good. I don’t think I’ve had any one that really troubled me. It’s never been so bad.

We hear you have just packaged something for the society; what is it all about?

They are two works coming in two different phases. First, is my photo book, which is a chronicle of my 20 years in the movie industry. It also details where I started from, my childhood and all the things that led to my being in the film industry. I also tried to showcase how things were back then, when we were doing movies – old movies like Scars of Womanhood, which featured people like late Uncle Sam Loco Efe, late Christy Esien Igbokwe, who played my mother and the rest. I could just describe it as down-the-memory-lane work packaged for people who have some flashback on yesteryears events.

It is more of images that would let people know there is a journey, a process and that I’m still heading somewhere, by the grace of God. And the second one is my fitness DVD which will be unveiled later. A lot of women have been asking how I do it, how I keep my tummy flat and all that. I want to show them a bit of how I do it. I’m currently partnering with the TW magazine to run a fitness challenge for 25 women. They just called me on board to mentor the women, walk out with them and encourage them once in a while. We started the 12-week boot camp on August 28, 2013. And at the end of the exercise, the winner would get a Samsung of the highest quality and also feature with me on the magazine’s cover page. There are other rewards and consolation prizes attached. And one of the women is even a grandmother.

What is the title of your DVD?

It’s titled Kate’s Faith for Life.

Looking at your 20 years in the entertainment industry, would you say it has been a worthwhile experience?

It has really been worthwhile. Nollywood has come to stay. Despite all the shortcomings, we are still making progress. So, once we sort out certain things such as distribution and take care of piracy and the like, everything would be well. At 20, we are still very young, yet we have achieved a lot. And I say kudos to all the practitioners.

Do you subscribe to Cosy Orjiako’s latest porn work?

Oh God, you want to kill me o. (hearty laughter). I’m not subscribing to anybody. Let me say this: Everybody has chosen a path for themselves. And be it good or bad, the world is not a perfect place. So, whatever part you have chosen for yourself, whatever you meet along the way, you bear the consequences, either good or bad. I cannot comment on an individual’s choice. I take it as her choice and I have to respect her wish because she is not a baby but an adult.

She accused Nigerians of being hypocritical and pretenders who would condemn something on the outside only to consume it behind closed doors. What is your take?

I’m sure she was correct there. We are hypocritical in nature. Even in our governance and virtually everything, we tend to be hypocritical. If not, why would people suddenly want to raise a porn industry if there is nobody buying? If you don’t have demand, there would be no supply.

People wonder why you are always cheerful and happy even after an experience that should ordinarily weigh down an individual. What’s the reason?

Are you not alive? It’s only he who has life that can make plans for tomorrow. If you are dead, it’s finished. There are two choices: Either you choose to be happy or to be sad. Either you choose to be wicked or you choose to be kind. There are always two choices and two consequences. So, I chose to take life very simple because I’m yet to see someone who can create like God who gave us the breath that we breathe. No human can fly without entering a plane or drive two cars at the same time. So, if everybody can just help one another and live simply with one another, the world would be a better place for all.

Was that why you handled your troubled marriage, three years ago, with such simplicity, calmness and humility, as if you saw it coming and prepared yourself well?

(Laughs) You know, when people say such things, I always ask how they had wanted me to react. Life goes on. It’s my choice and my life. So, it’s what I choose that I want for myself. And in that incident, God saw me through. I just decided that, ok, it didn’t work. Next, I had to move on. There is no need holding on to the past – no need holding on to something if it’s not working any more. There is no need flogging a dead horse since it is already lifeless. And when you decide to bury the horse, would you not leave the grave site afterwards? You would go now. Anything that happens to you now, that sun would still set, another day would come. So, it’s your choice to either be part of the living or be in the grave yard. And I choose to be alive, enjoy my life and smile at everything that is happening – good or bad. As long as God is with you, things would always be fine with you.

Is it true that at some point, he made certain attempts trying to solder the relationship back to life?

Please, this interview is not about him and I don’t want to give him such publicity. We say hello. And we have to be cordial because we have a daughter who never asked for such separation. So, she has to enjoy the best that both of us have to offer. For her sake, we have to be courteous with each other otherwise we would be unfair to her.

What is your ultimate goal in life?

It is to help as many women and people as I can, especially in this our country. Women are going through a whole lot in this nation and they may not have a voice. Some that have voice are speaking up but those that don’t are really suffering. I was at the salon the other day and the girl that was making my hair, after answering her phone call, burst into uncontrollable tears. Her sister’s soldier husband had battered her, threw her into a hospital and then called her to go and take care of the woman at the hospital. This is just a tip of what many women go through, defencelessly, in many homes.

Follow Me On Twitter: @effiongeton