Winifred Ugwu-Iwunze, a renowned actress, who made waves in the 90s, featuring in early movies like “ Aki na Ukwu”, ‘Lost to Lust”, ”Last Party”, now rested sitcom, “Heaven’s Gate” among others before she disappeared from the screen has surfaced, and she’s staging a comeback to her first love-acting.

Winifred was one of the finest actresses whose entry into Nollywood brought some breath of fresh air into the industry. While the ovation was loudest, Winifred disappeared leaving behind memories of her stellar performances. She felt a higher calling and quit acting to follow God.

“God asked me to quit and follow Him,” she recalls. “I resisted at first, but circumstances forced me to bow to the pressure.” Today, Winifred pastors Zion Gate Bible Church, and focuses on community ministry, including a food bank initiative. She’s making a comeback to Nollywood, producing transformational films.

“I want to return to Nollywood, produce films that are transformational, inspiring, and educational,” she says. Winifred notes changes in the industry, citing predictable storylines and lack of skills. “We can do better with our storylines and training centers focusing on skills.”

Growing up in a humble background, she had to find a way out for her family. In 1998, Winifred arrived in Lagos with a contact from a cousin and made her way to Winis Hotel, where she met industry players. Her first day was a game-changer, landing her a role in “The Last Party” alongside notable actors. Despite initial struggles, Winifred persevered and found success with “Heaven’s Gate” and “Lost to Lust.” Her journey is a testament to her resilience and faith. As she embarks on this new chapter, she’s driven by a sense of purpose and a desire to make a difference.

What brought me to Nollywood

I’m often asked what brought me to Nollywood. Honestly, it was hunger. I wasn’t driven by passion, but by necessity. Growing up in a humble background as the first daughter, I had to find a way out for my family. In 1998, I told my mom I was heading to Lagos from Kaduna to join the movie industry. She was worried, asking what I was going to do in a city where I knew no one. But I’d read about actors gathering at the Winis Hotel in Kilo then, so I was determined to find them. I arrived in Lagos with a contact from a cousin and made my way to the Winis Hotel. That’s where my Nollywood journey began.

My first day at Winis Hotel

My first day at Winis Hotel was a game-changer. I stumbled upon the set of “The Last Party”, produced by Ikenna Udeogu, featuring the likes of the late St Obi, Steph Nora-Okere, and Genevieve Nnaji. I approached St Obi, spoke to him in Hausa, and he warned me not to reveal I was new to Lagos, or I’d get taken advantage of.

Next, I met the producer, and he offered me the role of the Senator’s wife. I was nervous, having never acted before, but I knew it was a chance to shine. I spent 24 hours shooting my scene, not because I was struggling with lines, but because I was starstruck and timid. But something shifted – the fear gave way to a survival instinct. It was on, and I was ready to take on the challenge.

How I found my feet in Nollywood

Everything for me has been about praying. So, for me, I understood that I came from a background that entails battles. So, I must fight and win. I know how to pray very well, and that’s how I was raised. I remember that Monalisa Chinda used to join me in prayers in my house then. We would go on three-day dry fasts, seeking breakthroughs in our acting careers. Along the line, “Heaven’s Gate”, a TV series produced by Zik Zulu Okafor, surfaced, and I started featuring in the series.

In fact, one of my success stories in Nollywood has to do with starring in “Heaven’s Gate”. I was on TV every Sunday, which opened more doors for me in my acting career. Also, another turning point in my career was when I starred in Nek Movies’ production titled, “Lost to Lust” alongside Monalisa Chinda, Yemi Blaq, and Mercy Johnson-Okojie. After my performance in that movie, everybody knew it was going to be my breakthrough movie.

And true to the prediction, within a space of two weeks of releasing the promo of the movie, I had about 16 scripts on my table. That was about the same time God asked me to quit and follow Him. I love acting and was trying to resist the calling, citing some actors who are ministers of God, but find time to be on screen. But God kept telling me that my assignment was different from theirs. I didn’t want to quit acting, but it was clear to me that I was being called to sit in a prophetic office. If you function as an evangelist or a pastor, it’s quite easy. You could do all of that.

But if you are called into a prophetic office, it means that it requires a lot of purification and holiness. I love God so much to play games with Him. But I didn’t want to quit that part of my life, because my father is a pastor and we’re still wallowing in abject poverty. I knew I was already in the ministry, but to quit that part of my life was not easy for me. But finally, I had to yield to the call, not because I wanted to, but because I was forced by circumstances to bow to the pressure. Today, it’s the best decision I have taken in life.

Implications of resisting God’s call

It might sound religious, but it’s true. God told me that if I didn’t yield to the call, He was going to call me home. And I didn’t want to die. I discussed it with my husband, and he insisted that I shouldn’t quit acting, or at least combine the two. But I was afraid of dying, and that was why I quit acting to win souls for God. While I was still contemplating what to do, one day, I showed up on the set of “Heaven’s Gate”. At this time, we were believing in God for conception. We had been married for more than five years, and I hadn’t been pregnant. So, that same year, I became pregnant with my son.

They were shooting “Heaven’s Gate”, and they didn’t know I was pregnant. I came on set, and Adiba was a single girl, but I was already seven months pregnant. So, the producer, Zik Zulu Okafor, congratulated him, and said, “But Adiba wasn’t pregnant.” I smiled and said it was time; just find another actor to replace me. He insisted on reserving the role until I delivered my baby. But I stood my ground, and that was the end.

After quitting acting

One day, I was just waiting on the Lord, and I had a visitation, where He said to me, “I want you to do films.” I rejected the request. He told me the kind of films He wants me to do. At that point, I staged a comeback to Nollywood and produced some short films, which I uploaded on social media, and the films were not commercially successful. But this time around, I want to return to Nollywood, produce films that are transformational, inspiring, and educational.

What had changed in Nollywood since I quit acting

A lot of things had changed; the storyline. We had unpredictable storylines in the past, but now, even your little baby can predict the storyline. I think we can do better with our storylines.

Secondly, there are so many people without skills in the industry. The industry can do better by having training centers that focus on skills, not just certifications. I think it’s about skills. These are two major flaws that characterize the Nollywood of today. When I was acting, one of the things we veered for was skills.

My ministry

No I pastor a church called Zion Gate Bible Church, with headquarters here in Lagos and now we have a branch in the United Kingdom. More than preaching the gospel, we do a lot of community ministry. We just entered into a deal with a certain organization called Fresh Air, to ensure that each citizen has free food. So, we go to the food bank to collect food or they deliver food to us. To ensure that people are not on the streets because they don’t have food to eat.

We conceived the initiative here in Nigeria. We used to have our church somewhere in Ikorodu, before we built our permanent site there. I noticed that one of the things God wanted me to do was to focus on people who are on the floor and see how we can get them to stand. That has been my focus. (Saturday Vanguard)