READ: Mercy Johnson Reveals :Whenever I Cry In Movies, It's Not The Script That Makes Me Cry But My Journey Through Life.

In a recent interview with Nigerian Tribune, Mercy Johnson-Okojie got to talk about her humble beginning - living in an uncompleted building with lizards and her family members,how she was inspired to start acting after watching one of Genevieve Nnaji's movies And how her brother had to take a menial job, working as a bricklayer to provide for the family.

 Excerpts:

• How has it been through fame and glamour?

There have been the good and bad times; there have been rumours and scandals. Sometimes when I cry in movies, it isn’t the script that makes me cry.

When I recall my humble beginning, I give thanks to God. When I remember how we moved into an uncompleted building and had to take cover whenever it rained because of the condition of the house;
how my brother did a menial job as a bricklayer to earn a living and those days when we rolled over a stick to cover the windows up till the point when I started acting and raised money to cover the roof… I recall those days we were living with lizards because the floor and the walls of the house were not plastered, or when I had scars as a result of my several falls.

• So how did you start acting?

After my secondary school education, I failed the University Matriculation Examination (UME) and came back to Lagos to get a degree.

While that was on, I watched Genevieve Nnaji in a movie entitled: Sharon Stone. I later approached a friend for assistance to feature in a movie. He said I had a great body and that I would make a good actress. He later took me to the National Theatre, but a role did not come until a year later, when I had my first lead role in a film entitled: The Maid.

The Maid was my starting point and it was quite challenging to play the lead role because it was my first movie. I was fidgeting when I saw the likes of Eucharia Anunobi, whom I regarded as a screen goddess during my secondary school days. I never thought I would make it with people like that.

So, when I saw her, I was so excited and considered standing beside her as sacred.

She actually realized that and later helped me by giving me the needed courage.