“I was so scared of dying before my 60 years birthday.” — Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD) Celebrates His victory over Death!!!
My guest today has had almost four decades in Nigerian entertainment industry.
What I learnt From the conversation with RMD!
Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD) in this incredible conversation taught me in summary that “Humility doesn’t kill.”
Now this is what happens: people say be humble so that you can succeed and that’s a lie. All kinds of people succeed, arrogant people succeed, wicked people succeed, terrible people succeed, kind, nice people succeed. I believe the things that lead to success are talent, hardwork and a sense of vision.
I don’t think that humility for the sake of success is what matters. I think that humility for its own sake.
You know, just be nice to other people, be kind to other people, be decent to other people. It will not destroy your career. It will not make you less of a human being than you are. It will not make you weak or vulnerable.
About RMD’s Marriage!
“Because, hey I’m a Warri boy, I came into this town, all I wanted to do was act. So teach, get a teaching job somewhere, close at 2 O’clock, from there I hustle my life, you know that was all I wanted.
I met a beautiful woman a few years later; 3 years older than me. We got married and not in the age of Social Media – in the age of soft-sell magazines and she too was a Queen, just that on a different level and they just couldn’t understand. You know it was ironic, I’ll say it here but you’ll see it in my book at some point.”
“She says to me if you will not be afraid of the stares of older colleagues; that note was so futuristic. If you are not going to be afraid of the stares of senior colleagues and all that, come be my date to… I think it was an occasion at Nightshift at the time. I was like they’ve not given birth to that man who will make me feel inferior in this world.
“There were people who didn’t understand what I was in about, so words like gold digger had been used for me and then there was a time that (I think it was in some interview) I said – Please can we pause for a minute? How much does an editor in a quality magazine take home on a monthly basis? She was an employee at News Watch.
What is the highest amount of money a journalist can make, you one and then you can tell me the gold that I’m digging for? In fact, I’ll want to dig gold and I had to go marry a journalist? Come on!”
The heartfelt moment about his fear of death!
“None of my parents lived to be 60, so life for me is just about to get started.” There’s been a specter of death around my life, that’s what I’ve been dealing with last year till this year. When I turned 59, it was a big deal for me, big deal for me! My mom died at 59, my father died at 57/58.
“So, it was like, can I break it? When people see me and I go on a weight loss, people think that… you know, it’s health. Both my parents were diabetic and hypertensive, I don’t want to be that. I don’t want to be diabetic and hypertensive, I want to be healthier. At least give myself a fighting chance to change that whole cycle. Yes I’m a Christian now, so I’ve broken that yoke but I have to also help myself.”
“Becoming 60 for me is even a bigger deal, so when July comes and I become 60. You know how the Bible says old things have passed away, I will truly truly become a new man because that is when I’ll make a bucket list. So all these things that you think I’ve achieved or done, for me it’s nothing, like zero.”
“So I’m going to now sit down when I’m 60 and do a bucket list … and then we’ll start.”
When you watch this interview, you’ll find why I am almost as excited about RMD’s celebration.
It’s a big deal for him!
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We had a conversation for the books – talking about everything from his acting to his lawyering, his marriage to his late wife and his beautiful two decade marriage anniversary. All the fake scandals, his favourite roles, and most importantly the greatest lessons these has taught him.
Look, you can’t afford to miss this one! ❤️
‘To get the full video, go to watch.withchude.com’
