Jim Iyke: I’m comfortable being the villain in some people’s stories

James Ikechukwu Esomugha, the Nollywood actor popularly known as Jim Iyke, has addressed public misconceptions about him.

In a recent Instagram post, the 47-year-old Gabon-born film star expressed comfort with public perceptions of him as a villain.

Iyke, who is from Ogwugwu village in Enugwu-Agidi town of Anambra, however, stressed that he will not compromise his principles, even if it means being misunderstood.

In the post befitting of a poet, the actor said his decision to stand by his values has helped shape his career.

“I’ve grown extremely comfortable being the villain in some people’s stories. Perhaps too comfortable, I’m afraid,” he said.

“Many times, the lines between wrong and right blur in these narratives. I’m happy as always to dispense with my side of it. My recourse is to distance myself from the grandstanding and theatrics.

“Sometimes, I’m too quick to build a wall before I compromise my principles and ideologies. It is what forged who I am. It is what inspires what I am to become.

“One thing is certain: you must trust people to be who they are. Only the unwise are taken by surprise when people are who they are. It is the only element in the human attribute I trust. Surprise is not my strong suit.

“I know who I am. The moon will turn red before I am who am not. I am light to many. Others, I am what their insecurities amplify.

“I am hated for it. I am loved for it. In either instance, I am unapologetically comfortable. It’s a consequence of what side of the fence you sit. There’s a BLACK in everyone of us.”

 

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Iyke began acting in 1998. As of October 2013, he was one of the highest-paid actors in Nollywood.

The actor has appeared in over 150 films. He has also received several awards and recognitions for his talent.