I felt my movies were not making impact - Actress on dumping Nollywood for US Navy

Nollywood actress Grace-Charis Effah (formerly Belinda Effah) has opened up about why she left the Nigerian movie industry for a career in the American Navy.

Effah, who spoke in an interview with Saturday Beats, explained that she decided to dump Nollywood when she started feeling stuck and her movies stopped making an impact.

She added that although she joined the movie industry out of passion, acting slowly became all about the money, which left her feeling empty.

“Before joining the Navy, I had become passive in acting. I felt stuck and wasn’t adding much value to the movie industry anymore. It all started feeling too routine; just another job for the pay. I wasn’t feeling the impact my movies were supposed to make, and I am driven by the impact I make. I didn’t want to be just another actress putting out films no one watched,” she said.

ALSO READ: 'I was advised to renounce Christianity to succeed in Nollywood' - Ekene Umenwa

Speaking further, Effah noted that she had an identity crisis and struggled to find meaning outside acting.

“I started losing myself in the characters I was playing. I didn’t know who I was anymore. Without acting, I had no identity. I had to go back to the basics and rediscover who I really am. It took me a while. Some people just noticed I was off the scene, but the truth is, I was away for over a year,” she shared.

On her journey to the American Navy, Effah explained that the Navy had always been part of her background. She is from a Navy family, with her father, a retired Navy commander.

“I come from a Navy family. I went to Nigerian Navy School in Port Harcourt (Rivers State), and my dad retired as a Navy commander. So, this life resonated with me. Joining the Navy felt like a way to honour my father,” she explained.

ALSO READ: Plus-size model and Nollywood actress Monalisa Stephen to be buried today

Shedding light on what it took for her to make the switch, Effah admitted that the transition wasn’t easy, especially at her age.

“It was a bit of a challenge because I had just turned 40. But here I am, living the dream of being a sailor. Life over here (in the US) is a different ball game entirely, and the opportunity really challenged me,” she said.