Nigerian music video director, Praise Onyeagwalam, popularly known as Director Pink, has opened up on why she abandoned her childhood dream of becoming an actress.
She said the decision followed repeated humiliations and rejections during auditions, which discouraged her from pursuing acting further.
Speaking in a recent interview with Hip TV, Pink reflected on the early years of her career and how her passion for storytelling eventually led her behind the camera.
According to her, acting was her first love, but the unpleasant experiences she faced at audition grounds convinced her to take a different route within the film industry.
“I wanted to be an actress, but I didn’t know how to tell my parents,” she said. “I started chasing it, but I felt humiliated at some point. During auditions, you know what happens. That was one of the moments I told myself I wanted to be my own boss. I got a lot of ‘nos’ and people saying, ‘come to this location’. Those experiences made me realise acting wasn’t for me. You’d stand in queues for hours, and it just didn’t fit my vibe.”
Pink said those difficult moments became a turning point, inspiring her to build a career in directing and cinematography. She described the journey as challenging but fulfilling.
“I’m not going to lie, being a director and cinematographer is hard,” she admitted. “People say they’re interested in what I do, but after the first day, they give up. It takes a lot of sacrifice — including your social life. I worked for over five years before I even got my big break.”
Born in 1990, Pink ventured into the film and music video industry in 2020. She rose to prominence after directing Running To You by Chike featuring Simi, and has since collaborated with top Nigerian artistes including Wizkid, Naira Marley, Lil Kesh, and Mercy Chinwo.
