Mulatto actress cum model, Carol Ekanem, is an actress to reckon with in Nollywood. She is not only bold and beautiful but also downright outspoken in her views in life.

Single but not searching, Carol, who made her debut on the set of “Deadly Care” a couple of years back, speaks glowingly about her romance with wave- making musician, Tu face Idibia and other men who have been in and out of her life, especially her latest heartthrob.

Background
The fledging actress who has her mother as her role model said she decided to take her mother’s family name, Ekanem, as her stage name because of her love and respect for her mother.

“ My mother is from Akwa Ibom and my father is from Scotland, Ekanem is my mother’s family name. I decided to use Ekanem as my stage name because of the love and respect I have for my mother. I come from a Christian and disciplined home and a royal family at the same time. I have two younger brothers and I am the only girl in my family, I was born on June 26 1980s and I am presently in my third year in University of Calabar, studying Environmental Protection Management and Geography and Regional Planning”.

Acting
Like many of her colleagues, Carol developed interest in acting at a very tender age. “ I discovered that I love acting while in primary school. I was a member of the cultural troupe in my school and I did very well in acting”. She said her love for acting made her to seek out Rita Dominic who introduced her to Chico Ejiro. “ Like I always say, you have to try in life if you want to get somewhere. I tried getting to Rita Dominic and she introduced me to Chico Ejiro whom I started my first movie, “Deadly Care” with. I played a major role in the movie and that was in March 2004. I acted alongside UK and Jim Iyke and it was great”.

I was never harassed
When asked if she has ever been harassed in the movie industry, Carol puts on a bewitching smilebefore finally saying no and attributes her success to God’s work.“ Harassed? Me? No, I was never harassed by anybody. No producer, director or actor has ever harassed me. It was God, everything has to do with God and the way I carried myself. Funny enough, I went late for the audition, yes, I could remember that day vividly. When I was called for the audition, I told them I will come the next day. By the time I got there, they told me that they have finished the audition and I said okay. But before I left, Chico asked me read some lines. He auditioned me immediately and I was scared because there were many people there.

But before I knew it, they just gave me a script and asked me to go through it and said that is your character. You are playing a lead role with Jim Iyke and I could not believe it. I was really shocked because when I entered at first for the audition, I’ve lost hope of getting the role because I came late. But at the end of it all, to God be the glory, I started my first movie and I am doing well till date”.

Relationship
The fast rising actress is ready to tell anybody that cares to listen how much she loves her Romeo whom she described as wonderful and God fearing. “ My love life is wonderful, I have a boyfriend, he is wonderful but I will not tell you who he is because he knows himself. I love him so much and he loves me too. He respects and adores me, I am enjoying my love life”. Stops and laugh continuing, she said, “ the first time I fell in love was good but it was not special but it was something I have learned from. But right now, I am in love with a man and when he said so we would walk down the aisle. Right now, I don’t want to rush him for anything, I am still taking my time. He has proposed to me but I don’t want to rush him all the same.

You know, I don’t want to get married and get divorce at the same time, I am not into that. So, I want to be very sure of what I am doing. Right now, what I am considering is that we should have a very strong faith in God, which is the first thing because if we have that every other thing shall follow. You know my ideal man is a God fearing man that sees me for who I am and not because I am an actress or beautiful. A guy that can tolerate, listen and very hard working. In fact”, she moverss closer to you and said in a whisper “ I ‘ve found it all in my boyfriend”.

My affair with Tu Face Idibia
The stunning actress, whose sizzling romance with award-winning musician, Tu Face made front page in many soft sell magazines finally opens up on her affairs with the Musician. She described Tu Face as a very good friend of hers while maintaining that they are still good friends. “ Tu Face I and are still very much friends, I am happy that he is who he is and I know that he is happy that I am who I am today.

I don’t have anything against him. Many people believe that something went wrong in the affair but I am telling you now that nothing went wrong, it is not as if we call our friendship off. Yes, we decided to part but not as if we just said it’s over but we just found out that it was over and that was all. Nothing went wrong and we are still very good friends today and I think I like it like that”.

Heartbroken
“Yes, I ve been heart-broken by someone but I guess every lady in this world has been heartbroken before. I know I have been heartbroken but I can’t remember the time”. When asked if she has broken a man’s heart before, Carol said: “I don’t know unless you have to interview my ex-boyfriends. Laughs, Tu Face did not break my heart and I did not break his heart. But I think you are going too deep into my private life and I don’t want to talk about that. If anybody wants to know so much about me, I think we should all come together and talk about it”.

I am not a snub
The soft-spoken actress said she does not owe anybody apology for the way she chooses to leave her life. “People say I am a snub, well, I am sorry I was not born to talk to everybody in this world, neither was I born to flash teeth at everybody in the world. There is time for everything, if people think I am a snub, fine, I don’t have to apologize to anybody, I really don’t have to”.

My style
“To me style means looking good, being presentable and being decent. I love African fabrics a lot and I love to wear them. Again, my style also depends on the occasion, I dress as the occasion demands”.

Embarrassing moments
Carol goes philosophical when asked to recount embarrassing moments in her thriving career. “ I don’t think I have had any embarrassing period in my life, everyday I’ve learnt a lesson. If there is no disappointments and no lessons I don’t think I will be a human being and I don’t think I will be alive. So I am very happy for every disappointments and lessons I ve learnt everyday and there is actually no embarrassing moments”.