I could not believe it when I saw Genevieve Nnaji cracking jokes – Jemima Osunde

When I got the call for ‘Lionheart’, I thought it was a prank call. I had told the person that unfortunately, I had exams at school and I would not be able to do this project, sorry.

That was it. Then a day later, he calls back and he’s like “Oh, the executive producer said we should get your timetable, we will work with your schedule.” I was like “The hell? I said I’m not doing, is it by force?

Tell them I have exams in Lagos, you people are filming in Enugu, how do I want to do it?” Then he was like, “Oh but Miss Genevieve–” I said “Wait, what? Who? Which of the Genevieves?”

He was like, “Genevieve Nnaji, that is the owner of–“, I was like “Ohhh, you should have started with that!”. I have always wanted to work with her. Always wanted to meet her. And I think the whole experience for me was wholesome.

I went there with a perception. I thought she was very strict and nah, Genevieve was cracking jokes. I remember the day that I was supposed to catch a flight to Lagos for an exam I had the next day.

My clinical exam which if I had missed was an automatic extra year. I missed my flight. So I was sitting in Enugu on set at 7pm when I had clinical exam 8am the next day in Lagos. I was sweating, I was under pressure, and I was just like I don’t know what I’m gonna do.

Anyone who has watched Lionheart knows it’s about a transportation company. So (Genevieve) was like “Ah, should we reserve one of the drivers for Lionheart?” I was just like honey, this is not a joke. I was under pressure.

But she had sorted it out. She already had a way out for me. So it was somehow comical for her to watch me be under pressure and react not knowing what she had planned. I had the absolute best time working with her.