SOLA OSOFISAN: When did you realize you’d become a star? When did you totally lose your privacy?
NADIA BUARI: After “Beyonce”. That was when I realized oh my goodness…
SOLA OSOFISAN: Can you tell us about the exact moment? Were you walking on the street? In a shopping center?
NADIA BUARI: I was actually boarding a plane. I was at the airport. I was traveling. I got there and I had like two women come up to me. These are women. They actually came up to me (to tell me) they’d seen my movie and they were really really crazy about me and they think I’m really really good. After that, it didn’t just end there. On my way to the boarding gate, I had other people approach me and tell me… I was with my mum and I’m like mummy, pinch me, cos I don’t know what’s happening. People are actually coming up to me to tell me they appreciate my work and everything, telling me how good I am… This woman was with her daughter, this little girl. And she’s like “I wanna grow up and become like you.” And… I really feel that is so not me, like I can’t believe it. somebody actually wants to be like me?
SOLA OSOFISAN: How humbling is that?
NADIA BUARI: You would not believe it. It’s a blessing. It’s a blessing. That’s all I can say.
SOLA OSOFISAN: You’re a very spiritual person.
NADIA BUARI: Yes, I’m very spiritual cos I believe that in everything I do, I have to put God first. I believe that God is the reason for why I am where I am now. I never forget Him. I’m very spiritual. I’m not saying that I’m a goody-goody kind of person, but I try to do what’s right. And I think I do what’s right. I always remember Him. Every time. I cannot do anything without a word of prayer. I am very spiritual if you put it that way.
SOLA OSOFISAN: Do you watch your own movies?
NADIA BUARI: Oh yeah, I love to watch my movies. You have no idea… I would watch my movies like over a hundred times…
SOLA OSOFISAN: You like seeing yourself? (GENERAL LAUGHTER)
NADIA BUARI: No, not that I love seeing myself. I only watch my movies and know that I can do better. I learn from what I do. I mean it doesn’t just end there. Every time I watch a movie of mine, I feel like I’ve got a long way to go. Even though I have people coming up to me to tell me oh, you’re the best actress I know, it doesn’t get into my head. That’s why I love to watch my movies. I know that when people approach me to say oh, you’re the best actress that I know, it could get into me and I just have to say no. I feel like I’ve got a lot of stairs to climb. I’m feeling so hungry for me. I want to do a lot better, so that’s why I watch my movies. Oh, you would not believe the number of times I watch my movies. Its crazy. I never get tired of my own movies. There are some movies that I’m not so proud of… Even those ones. I rewatch it like a million times, just to know the next time. (GIGGLING)
SOLA OSOFISAN: (TEASING) Okay, if you say so. (GENERAL LAUGHTER). What does it feel like watching people watch your movies?
NADIA BUARI: The only people that I’ve probably been around watching my movies are actually my family, cos every time a movie of mine comes out, I would just bring it home and they would all watch it. they make silly comments, yeah, and I love that. My mom, she criticizes a lot. She would watch them and say “No, honey, next time, don’t do like that”. When we’re watching my movie and my part comes, and I want to skip it, cos I feel very funny, I feel they’re looking at me. The only time I got very nervous was when they premiered The Return of Beyonce in Ghana. There was like a whole auditorium, hundreds of people and we were there and they were watching me… And I’m like, “okay, what are these people thinking? Are they thinking that I’m good or are they thinking ‘Ah, she’s a lousy actress’ or are they thinking whatever…” I couldn’t wait (for the movie to end) to know what they thought about it. It was only after the movie I realized that “Oh my goodness, I’ve got all of these people that think that I’m really good”. And that’s actually what made me feel happy, but during the time that I watched the movie with all of these people, I was very very nervous. I probably wanna do it again, but not anytime soon.
SOLA OSOFISAN: Your mom and dad, when they look at you now, what do they think of your fame and the fact that they can’t walk with you on the streets without being mobbed?
NADIA BUARI: They’re all excited. They’re all very happy that I’m like this. They’re really in support of my career. They’re so much behind me and they really appreciate wherever I’ve gone to as far as my career is concerned and they know that I’m going to go higher. My mom actually is very protective of me. I would walk on the street with her and she’s like “no honey, stay in the car, don’t come out”. She would come and get me from the airport and she’ll be like “okay, just sit in the car” and she’ll do all the running around, things that I’m supposed to do. But she wouldn’t let me cos she knows there’s probably a hundred and one people who are gonna come up to me.
SOLA OSOFISAN: Hey, she’s a mom.
NADIA BUARI: I know.
SOLA OSOFISAN: What do you expect?
NADIA BUARI: That’s why I love her. (LAUGHTER)
SOLA OSOFISAN: You said something about “going higher” a moment ago. How high exactly? Where do you see yourself in ten years?
NADIA BUARI: Honestly, I want to be in Hollywood. (GIGGLES) Yeah, I know we all say that. Its more like a cliché, but I seriously see myself there. And I want to work really hard to get there. This is just the beginning.
SOLA OSOFISAN: Talking about “working hard”, is it a lot of fun to do your movies or just a lot of hard work?
NADIA BUARI: Its fun and hard work. Its fun because I love what I do and there’s nothing like enjoying what you do, you know… So when you’re working, you probably don’t feel that you’re working. But it gets really really hard when… African movies, there’s a rush. They probably have like a limited number of days (for production), so they’re trying to rush you. That’s probably it. That’s when you get tired and frustrated and all of that, but its fun when you get to do the thing that you love to do.
SOLA OSOFISAN: After Beyonce and you found yourself abroad, what was your reaction to how people reacted to you? Were you surprised that you’d grown so big abroad?
NADIA BUARI: Yeah, I was extremely surprised. Honestly. Like I’m telling you, a lot of people that I know have done so many (movies) and they’re still not as popular as I am. And just after a second movie, I gained all of this popularity. I keep telling myself, “okay, I’m not dreaming. Wake up, this is really a reality”. I’m amazed that everything is happening, I’ve got all of these people that love me or appreciate me. I’m really surprised.
SOLA OSOFISAN: Let’s try to narrow in on things now. When they watch you in the movies, what do you think is the one thing that attracts them?
NADIA BUARI: Comments that I read from people on Google… Em…. I love her looks. I love her sense of style. That’s what I read. I guess when people purchase my movie, they want to see… I don’t know! (LAUGHTER AS SHE TURNS TO HER MANAGER ALSO IN THE ROOM) Joi (Onyeukwu), what do you think?
SOLA OSOFISAN: Hey, this is not Joi’s interview. (MORE LAUGHTER)
NADIA BUARI: Like I’m saying, I’m not a person that’s out there. I’m not really out there like that, so the only things I hear or the comments I read on the internet… most of the things I read are oh, she’s really beautiful and I love her sense of style and I love her acting. That’s really it.
SOLA OSOFISAN: (TEASING) I’ll leave you alone. (LAUGHTER)
NADIA BUARI: A guy would probably purchase my movie because “oh, I want to see Nadia”. And a girl would probably purchase my movie because “okay, let’s see what she’s wearing”. (GENERAL LAUGHTER)
SOLA OSOFISAN: How has fame changed you? Let’s look back to before and after Beyonce.
NADIA BUARI: Before, I could probably like go out with my friends and do stuff… Now, I can’t really go to a store and start acting crazy and stupid… Before, I would do that, but now I can’t do it because I would know that there are people watching me. That’s probably the only thing that fame has changed. I want to do some things that I used to do way back, but I can’t do it anymore. Regardless of how I try… I keep telling myself “oh, I’m still the same person. I will do whatever you know…” But you can’t do that.
SOLA OSOFISAN: Do you still have all the friends you had before you became so popular?
NADIA BUARI: I’m not really proud to say this, but I don’t really have any old friends. And the few friends that I had, I still have and I still get in touch with them and the relationship that I had with them, I still have that. the only thing now is I don’t really see them as often as I should because of the work and because they’re going here and there. But I’m still friends with them.
SOLA OSOFISAN: How easy is it for someone like you to make new friends? You’re popular and everybody gets close to you, some definitely with ulterior motives. How easy is it to make new REAL friends?
NADIA BUARI: I haven’t made any new friend ever since I got into movies. I mean I do have – my phone does not stop ringing. You would not know how they get your number, but they will get your number and they will call you and tell you how they wanna be friends with you and how they just want to be like you and everything. I would say okay, that’s really nice. They would probably call the next time to say “hello”, but they’re not friends that I would go over to visit. So, I would not say that I’ve had (new friends) ever since I started doing movies.
SOLA OSOFISAN: You have fans.
NADIA BUARI: Yes, I have fans.
SOLA OSOFISAN: What does Nadia do when she’s not acting?
NADIA BUARI: Watching movies with my family or sleeping. I love to sleep. (GIGGLING) Or just being with my fiancée.
SOLA OSOFISAN: Oh, okay –
NADIA BUARI: (QUICKLY) And it ends there.
SOLA OSOFISAN: (LAUGHING). Hey, come on. You dropped me a bone. I’m just about to follow up on it and you quickly cut it off again… How do the media treat stars like you in Ghana?
NADIA BUARI: Well, they’re very nosy. Of course, you can’t blame them. That’s media. The little information they get, they will exaggerate it and probably add their own story to it. But that’s media for you. You can’t do anything about it. Some things they publish about you, you will not be too proud of. Hey that’s media.
SOLA OSOFISAN: let’s wrap up with favorites. What’s your favorite food?
NADIA BUARI: I don’t really have a favorite, but I think I’m a big fan of spaghetti. I love spaghetti. I could eat spaghetti the whole day. Before, it was rice, but then I got tired of it.
SOLA OSOFISAN: Favorite car?
NADIA BUARI: I love the Range Rover and the Audi Q7.
SOLA OSOFISAN: Favorite color?
NADIA BUARI: Pink.
SOLA OSOFISAN: Favorite designer?
NADIA BUARI: I’ve got like so many of them, but I really love Chanel, Christian Dior. I don’t really have one.
SOLA OSOFISAN: Favorite jewelry? Something you always wear?
NADIA BUARI: I guess my ring. (GIGGLES)
SOLA OSOFISAN: Oh, that’s your engagement ring?
NADIA BUARI: Yeah. That’s what I always have on.
SOLA OSOFISAN: We keep going back to this guy that we’re not going to talk about… (LAUGHTER). Are you going to tell me his name at least?
NADIA BUARI: No, I’m not.
SOLA OSOFISAN: In conclusion, say something to your fans in the Diaspora.
NADIA BUARI: Some things I want to clarify. First off, there are rumors around that I’ve stopped acting. I haven’t. the only reason why probably people haven’t seen me on the screen is because I just graduated from school. I was schooling and acting part-time. When I graduated, I decided to take a little break, you know. Just do stuff, relax for a bit. And during the period that I was away from the screen, people assumed that I’d stopped acting, but I haven’t. I have 3 or 4 movies that are yet to be released, and hopefully, they will be pretty much appreciated like the rest of the movies I’ve done.
Second of all, I also hear that people say that my father is not in support of my career. He very much is. He really really is. He’s so much supportive of my career that he wants to – his production house – he wants to start producing movies with me. Its going to be like a collaboration, just me and my dad…cos before he was into movies. So, that’s the second thing that I want to clarify.
And the third thing is even though I’m engaged now, after marriage, I will still be acting. I will still be in the entertainment industry. I mean this is my dream. I cannot give it up just because I’m married. I will continue. And not just acting. There are so many things I wanna do. So many things, you have no idea. So many things, all in show business. I will still be on the screens and I will do that as long as I can.
I’m very very very very happy for all the love and support that each and everyone has shown to me. I really really appreciate it, cos without the love of all these people, I probably wouldn’t be where I am. I am currently working on a website now. Its Nadiabuari.com. Hopefully, it will be out in the Spring. In that way, I will interact more with my fans and everyone out there.
