He
is the very cute guy in the movie, The Weekend Getaway. He has been
acting in other movies and done some fabulous work as a model though he
trained as a lawyer. Alexx Ekubo Oparaeke (please always spell his name
with double ‘x’ if you don’t want a lawsuit) has carefully laminated his
law certificate and put it away to pursue his dream in the field of
entertainment – which, we
might add, is more exciting and paying top dollars than the wig-and-gown profession.
An indigene of Arochukwu, Abia State, Alexx is the second male in a family of four, who studied Law at the University of Calabar and also got a diploma in mass communication from Calabar Polytechnic. In this interview, the dude with the drop-dead looks talks about his career, life and sundry issues.
Excerpts…
You spent five years studying law and rather working on cases that set legal precedents in court, you switched over to acting. What exactly happened?
Well, I have always been interested in the arts. From a very tender age I began observing a couple of good director friends of my family come around to shoot movies in our house. Then again, from early childhood I had been a consistent member of drama groups both in primary school and in church. Back then in Kano and even in Lagos, we had a drama group of young believers in the children’s church – Calvary Life Assembly. I have always fancied the arts, singing and dancing.
Moreover, I have always been an energetic child. Even when I was in school, I was the vice president of Youth Action Network of Nigeria; I was the president of Sporadic Award, and I was deeply involved in the arts. We had a TV show that I presented every week, called Fonetics – it was about gadgets, accessories and stuff.
Whenever I came to Lagos, I would do a short movie or play a small role. In 2010, I contested for Mister Nigeria and emerged the first runner up. Since then I just evolved from one level to another and kept on moving higher and higher. I have always been a part of the arts and I love it.
How many movies have you starred in?
My first movie was ‘Sinners In The House,’ where I had a stage role. It was produced and directed by Lancelot Imasuen. After that I moved on to feature in a couple of soap operas, such as Happy Family, Secrets and Scandals and Tinsel for about two seasons and after that I started doing blockbuster movies like in the Cupboard, Lovelorn, Dream Walker, Cheating my man, Weekend Get Away, Keeping my Man, Gold digger and Lagos Hookers (which was one in America). Some of the movies are yet to be released.
What about your modeling career?
It’s still strong. For me, acting is the main activity while modeling is what I do on the side because you can’t survive saying, my name is Alexx Ekubo, and I am a model. Modeling comes once in a while. Right now, am trying to build a brand – what I call soft modeling. I don’t want to be anywhere or any magazine. Today you are holding one tyre, tomorrow you are holding one shaving cream as a model. I’m looking forward to build a brand where a conglomerate like Pepsi will see you and say we believe in this guy come let’s do this or do that.
Are you in any relationship?
Shhhh! Don’t let the girls know that I am single and open. I’m a kind of guy who takes life as it comes. I live life each day. If I walk into a set or see a girl anywhere and we get along, so be it. If it doesn’t happen I’m still on career mood.
Who is your dream woman?
She must be God fearing first. The world is evil. You read the paper everyday, I’m a strong reader of The Sun, and my dad always gets The Sun newspaper. You wake up in the morning and see how a wife of five years stabbed her husband and killed the children; such women don’t have the fear of God. If you have the fear of God there are lots of things you cannot do. You cannot take somebody’s life no matter what the person does to you.
A woman that fears God will not cheat on you, she will not look you in the eye and tell you a lie that will hurt you, and she will not hurt you and your kids. That is one. Then, you talk about brains. I need a beautiful woman because am headed to the very top. I’m talking of international recognition. I need a woman who can stand by my side and say baby I love you, I support you, I will stand by you. You don’t need a bimbo, beauty without brain. Her head is full of Brazilian hair and make up, and then carrying small dog all around which is the trend now with ladies. For me brains come before beauty. I need somebody that can help me so that we can produce beautiful Nigerian babies that can go out there and contest in Miss world, Mr. World.
You look like an outcast. Who do you take after in appearance?
God rubbed butter on my body. My dad is a very handsome man; people say I look like my dad a lot. Everyday I wake up and I talk to God. I converse with God a lot. I tell him, ‘Father, remold me everyday. I’m still a work-in-progress. I might wake up one day and see that my hair has started curling like oyinbo hair. I think God created me in his image and I was fearfully and wonderfully made.
You are a Christian, fine guy, how do you handle the girls?
Yes. I am a born-again Christian. Sometimes, I think it’s overwhelming. I’m really humbled by the attention I get when I go out. It gets to me when people tell me, ‘I have watched you, I love your movies’ it means somebody believes in you.
You grew up in the north. Do you speak Hausa?
I speak Hausa fluently; I grew up in the north. That was when my dad was transferred to Kano to work and be in charge of the northern states. I schooled at Federal Government College, Daura, Katsina. I came to study law at University of Calabar. I speak Efik as well and I have always lived in Lagos. I understand a bit of Yoruba, but I am an Igbo by birth. So, I’m a complete Nigerian.
might add, is more exciting and paying top dollars than the wig-and-gown profession.
An indigene of Arochukwu, Abia State, Alexx is the second male in a family of four, who studied Law at the University of Calabar and also got a diploma in mass communication from Calabar Polytechnic. In this interview, the dude with the drop-dead looks talks about his career, life and sundry issues.
Excerpts…
You spent five years studying law and rather working on cases that set legal precedents in court, you switched over to acting. What exactly happened?
Well, I have always been interested in the arts. From a very tender age I began observing a couple of good director friends of my family come around to shoot movies in our house. Then again, from early childhood I had been a consistent member of drama groups both in primary school and in church. Back then in Kano and even in Lagos, we had a drama group of young believers in the children’s church – Calvary Life Assembly. I have always fancied the arts, singing and dancing.
Moreover, I have always been an energetic child. Even when I was in school, I was the vice president of Youth Action Network of Nigeria; I was the president of Sporadic Award, and I was deeply involved in the arts. We had a TV show that I presented every week, called Fonetics – it was about gadgets, accessories and stuff.
Whenever I came to Lagos, I would do a short movie or play a small role. In 2010, I contested for Mister Nigeria and emerged the first runner up. Since then I just evolved from one level to another and kept on moving higher and higher. I have always been a part of the arts and I love it.
How many movies have you starred in?
My first movie was ‘Sinners In The House,’ where I had a stage role. It was produced and directed by Lancelot Imasuen. After that I moved on to feature in a couple of soap operas, such as Happy Family, Secrets and Scandals and Tinsel for about two seasons and after that I started doing blockbuster movies like in the Cupboard, Lovelorn, Dream Walker, Cheating my man, Weekend Get Away, Keeping my Man, Gold digger and Lagos Hookers (which was one in America). Some of the movies are yet to be released.
What about your modeling career?
It’s still strong. For me, acting is the main activity while modeling is what I do on the side because you can’t survive saying, my name is Alexx Ekubo, and I am a model. Modeling comes once in a while. Right now, am trying to build a brand – what I call soft modeling. I don’t want to be anywhere or any magazine. Today you are holding one tyre, tomorrow you are holding one shaving cream as a model. I’m looking forward to build a brand where a conglomerate like Pepsi will see you and say we believe in this guy come let’s do this or do that.
Are you in any relationship?
Shhhh! Don’t let the girls know that I am single and open. I’m a kind of guy who takes life as it comes. I live life each day. If I walk into a set or see a girl anywhere and we get along, so be it. If it doesn’t happen I’m still on career mood.
Who is your dream woman?
She must be God fearing first. The world is evil. You read the paper everyday, I’m a strong reader of The Sun, and my dad always gets The Sun newspaper. You wake up in the morning and see how a wife of five years stabbed her husband and killed the children; such women don’t have the fear of God. If you have the fear of God there are lots of things you cannot do. You cannot take somebody’s life no matter what the person does to you.
A woman that fears God will not cheat on you, she will not look you in the eye and tell you a lie that will hurt you, and she will not hurt you and your kids. That is one. Then, you talk about brains. I need a beautiful woman because am headed to the very top. I’m talking of international recognition. I need a woman who can stand by my side and say baby I love you, I support you, I will stand by you. You don’t need a bimbo, beauty without brain. Her head is full of Brazilian hair and make up, and then carrying small dog all around which is the trend now with ladies. For me brains come before beauty. I need somebody that can help me so that we can produce beautiful Nigerian babies that can go out there and contest in Miss world, Mr. World.
You look like an outcast. Who do you take after in appearance?
God rubbed butter on my body. My dad is a very handsome man; people say I look like my dad a lot. Everyday I wake up and I talk to God. I converse with God a lot. I tell him, ‘Father, remold me everyday. I’m still a work-in-progress. I might wake up one day and see that my hair has started curling like oyinbo hair. I think God created me in his image and I was fearfully and wonderfully made.
You are a Christian, fine guy, how do you handle the girls?
Yes. I am a born-again Christian. Sometimes, I think it’s overwhelming. I’m really humbled by the attention I get when I go out. It gets to me when people tell me, ‘I have watched you, I love your movies’ it means somebody believes in you.
You grew up in the north. Do you speak Hausa?
I speak Hausa fluently; I grew up in the north. That was when my dad was transferred to Kano to work and be in charge of the northern states. I schooled at Federal Government College, Daura, Katsina. I came to study law at University of Calabar. I speak Efik as well and I have always lived in Lagos. I understand a bit of Yoruba, but I am an Igbo by birth. So, I’m a complete Nigerian.
