Amanda Ebeye: I can play any role for money

Despite the obstacles she confronted at the beginning of her career, she never gave up. Today, Amanda Ebeye has become a star of countless movies and soap operas including Clinic Matters Everyday People, and Super Story. The Delta State-born model cum actress bared her mind to The Entertainer recently. Excerpts:
Tell us about yourself?
My name is Amanda Ebeye, I was born into a family of five. I came from Delta State. My father is a Medical Engineer and my mother a fashion designer. I studied International Diplomacy at Benson Idahosa University and graduated in 2006.
When did you venture into acting?
I had some friends who were actresses. They invited me to an audition at the National Theater, and I was chosen to play a role. I got paid for my first role in a movie entitled, Weeping Tiger. That’s how scripts started coming to me. I have featured in some movies and soap operas like Super Story, More Than A Friend, The Patriot, Blast from the Past, Everyday People, City Sisters, Clinic Matters, Images, and El Dorado among others.
Before your first movie, what have you been doing?
I was a model. I got into modeling just after I finished school. I did things for Unity Bank and a lot of private firms before acting came calling.
Looking at you, you don’t have the height of a model?
Yes, it wasn’t runway modeling. I was a photo model not a runaway model. Modeling prepared me for acting. It allowed me to meet people, mix with people and that made me not to be shy. I can’t mix with people before, but modeling gave me the confidence. It enables me to socialize more and then meet with different kinds of people. So, when I got into the movie industry, it wasn’t really hard for me to face the camera.
Why then did you leave modeling for acting?
I didn’t even have challenges because I was so lucky. They were paying me heavily then. In acting, they paid me N5000 or N10000, but modeling paid me between N150, 000 and N200, 000 per job. Modeling was actually sustaining me more than acting at a point but form me, acting is a passion.
In modeling, were you sexually harassed?
No, I never had such experience.
What inspired you into acting?
Acting has always been what I really wanted to do. That’s from when I was young. I wanted to be an actress. I knew I was going to model, but I wanted to be an actress. People that inspired me then were Julia Roberts and a whole lot of them and I say ‘oh! I want to be like them’.
Tell us about you growing up, how was it like?
My growing up was blissful. I had the best mother and a caring father; I went to a very good school. They tried to give me everything so that I wouldn’t lack. So, we are very comfortable.
That means you were born with a silver spoon?
Yes, I was much pampered; it was when I got into acting that I started experiencing hard times. I never had to hustle or struggle for anything. When I was growing up, I had everything I wanted at my beck and call. That’s why my father never wanted me to work. They felt acting was a poor man’s job, but I didn’t understand the glamour behind television. I didn’t know there was something more challenging and more difficult behind it. When I got into modeling I found out that it wasn’t easy.
How were you able to cope, did you go for any formal training?
I did not really go for any formal training, I just learnt on the Internet and watched others. I try basically to pick one or two things from everywhere I go.
What were the challenges you encountered as an upcoming actress?
There were times I went through auditions and all of a sudden I discovered that the movie had been shot without contacting me. It happened to me three times. It was painful for me as an upcoming actress then. It made me feel really sad and set me thinking if I was in the wrong profession. Those days I wanted to quit but I just couldn’t quit.
What has life taught you with all these experiences?
Life has taught me that it’s not blissful and beautiful compared to my childhood days. Life is not a bed of roses and it’s true. I have learnt to do my best and leave the rest for God.
 Would you say that Clinic Matters brought you into the limelight?
Yes, I did a lot of Clinic Matters. It introduced me to a lot of people, and made people notice my talent. It exposed me to a lot of directors and lots of jobs came out from it.
 Aside being an actress, who is Amanda?
Amanda is a girl next door; Amanda is everyday girl, very easy going. I love to be in my house watching movies when I am not shooting. I love to have conversation with people that I am close to.
What are you currently working on?
Currently, I am working on a couple of movies.
What kind of man attracts Amanda?
A man that has respect for me; he must be God fearing, always there for me, a man that loves me even when the love begins to dwindle. When the right guy comes, I will know.