Why I left Nollywood for US Navy – Grace-Charis Effah
Actress-turned-sailor, Grace-Charis Effah (formerly known as Belinda Effah), has opened up on why she took a break from Nollywood and embraced a new career path in the United States of America’s Navy. In an interview with Saturday Beats, Effah stated that she had an identity crisis and struggled to find meaning outside acting.
“Before joining the Navy, I had become passive in acting. I felt stuck and wasn’t adding much value to the movie industry anymore. It all started feeling too routine; just another job for the pay. I wasn’t feeling the impact my movies were supposed to make, and I am driven by the impact I make. I didn’t want to be just another actress putting out films no one watched,” she said.
Effah explained that although she joined the industry out of passion, it slowly became all about the money, and that shift left her feeling empty.
“I started losing myself in the characters I was playing. I didn’t know who I was anymore. Without acting, I had no identity. I had to go back to the basics and rediscover who I really am. It took me a while. Some people just noticed I was off the scene, but the truth is, I was away for over a year,” she shared.
Speaking on the journey into her new life, Effah said the Navy had always been part of her background. “I come from a Navy family. I went to Nigerian Navy School in Port Harcourt (Rivers State), and my dad retired as a Navy commander. So, this life resonated with me. Joining the Navy felt like a way to honour my father,” she said.
She also admitted that the transition wasn’t easy, especially at her age. “It was a bit of a challenge because I had just turned 40. But here I am, living the dream of being a sailor. Life over here (in the US) is a different ball game entirely, and the opportunity really challenged me,” she said.
