HOW I HANDLE MEN THAT ASK ME OUT- JULIET IBRAHIM

For actress, mother and wife, Juliet Ibrahim, acting was never on the front burner. Her dream had always been to sing and to model. Today, however, she is one of Gollywood’s most popular faces following her break through after she played the lead role alongside aspiring Majid Michel back in 2005 in Crime To Christ. In this interview, the mother of a baby boy, entrepreneur, and Best Actress in a Leading Role award winner, opened up on growing up, how she met her husband and her turbulent childhood. She also spoke about how she is giving back through her NGO, Juliet Ibrahim Foundation. At what age did you realize that you wanted to be an actress? “It all began when I was a little girl. I aspired to be a musician and a model. Acting wasn’t really my dream from the beginning; I stumbled on it in 2004 when I was 18.” Did you ever experience sexual harassment as a green horn in Gollywood? “Thank God I never did. We understand that you’re married and have a baby.” How do you juggle motherhood, acting and taking care of your husband? “I have a close knit family and we help each other out. My mum is there and so are my sisters. When I’m not around I know my son is in good hands. However, I make time to be with him as much as possible. Just like myself, my husband is also in a busy profession, perhaps busier than myself but we always manage our time well so we can have quality time together. Marriage is a beautiful thing and motherhood is awesome; these two are not things you would want to miss out on.” How did you meet your husband? “I met my husband on a plane, he is a pilot. We exchanged numbers and started talking but he was living in the USA then so it was a long distance relationship. We became very good friends over time. It became more serious when he moved back to Ghana a few years back. We fell in love and decided we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together.” If there is one thing Gollywood is very good at doing, its soft porn movies. What’s your opinion on this? “Well, as far as I’m concerned, you won’t see me acting a porn movie, not even for all the money or fame in the world. Like I said in one interview, those kind of movies are not movies from reputable producers; they are done by some new and money conscious producers, that’s why they are not tastefully done.” How do you relax? “I love to go on vacation, pamper myself at the spa, reading and listening to music.” What’s been the craziest thing a male fan did to you? “Crazy? (Laughs) Well I never stick around that long for any fan to act crazy around me. I haven’t come across stubborn stalkers yet. I had a stalker years back and I had to involve the police till he stopped.” You’re such a beautiful woman. Now that you’re married and have a baby, how do you handle men that ask you out? “I don’t need to handle male attention; my wedding ring does most of the talking. I’m married so that’s enough to keep everyone at arm’s length. I’m civil with all my fans; I love them all and appreciate them irrespective of their gender.” Could you share your happiest moment with us? “My happiest moment was when I had my son,Jayden.” What’s your advice for youngsters who want to walk in your footsteps? “Believe in yourself, stay focused, never let anyone talk you out of your dreams and most importantly, put God first in all you do.”