Veteran actress Ireti Doyle has revealed that she almost rejected the role of Sisi Carol in Fuji House of Commotion, a character that would later become one of the biggest milestones in her acting career.
Speaking during an interview with Pulse, Doyle said she was hesitant to accept the role because she had just starred in Amaka Igwe’s Solitaire, where she played the love interest of Richard Mofe-Damijo. She believed taking on a comic role would not suit the classy image she had established.
According to her, the late Amaka Igwe challenged her acting ability during a meeting, prompting her to reconsider.
She said, “Fuji House of Commotion. Believe it or not, I didn’t want this role. At the time, I had just come off Amaka Igwe’s Solitaire, now that was extremely posh, and I was acting opposite RMD, the RMD. I was his love interest, it was very classy, very high-end.
“About two weeks after we wrapped, she summons me to her office, and she’s like, ‘I want you to take a role in Fuji House of Commotion.’ She didn’t say much. She just shrugged, looked down at her mobile phone, and she said to me, ‘A consummate actor is one who is able to run the entire gamut, from hardcore strong characters all the way down to slapstick. Maybe you lack range.’
“Me? Lack range? Of course, my artistic ego was pricked. I took the role, and it made me a household name quicker than I thought it would.”
Doyle’s performance as Sisi Carol went on to earn widespread recognition, making Fuji House of Commotion one of the most iconic sitcoms in Nigerian television history.
