Actress Who Gets Insulted For Looking Like Mercy Johnson Speaks On Her Education, Career & Scandal

Her name is Keira Hewatch. She is a Nollywood actress. While speaking to Punch about her career, educational background and more, she also spoke about how she gets insulted for looking like her senior Colleague, Mercy Johnson. Read...

Background

I am an only child and I wanted to be a beautiful queen, like in fairytales. I grew up in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, and that is also where I hail from. I had a regular childhood like everybody else. I attended several schools because my mum was a police officer; she was often transferred to different cities.

Education

For my post-elementary education, I attended Police Secondary School, Minna, Niger State, and Sador Airport Authority Staff School, Calabar. Then, I studied Travel and Tourism Hospitality Management at the Graduate School of Management Studies, Ghana. I lived in Ghana for a while before returning to Nigeria but I plan to go back.


Acting

I have always wanted to act; I was very expressive and artistic as a kid. My mum also encouraged me to read by buying me a lot of books. The first movie I acted in was titled Crossroads. It was produced by Emeka Ossai and he starred in it as well. It was also on the set that I met Kate Henshaw for the first time. However, while in Ghana, I featured in some movies but they never saw the light of day.

Parents’ reaction

Initially, I didn’t enjoy the support of my parents because they are religious people and they believed that the industry was corrupt and immoral. They felt it was not a place for a Christian lady to be in. I understood their point of view but I had to do what I had always wanted to do. I respect and love my parents but I also have to take charge of my life. Eventually, they came to see that and they have been very supportive of my career.

Breakthrough

I became well-known after I featured in the movie, Two Brides and a Baby, but I have done a few films that have gone straight to online television. Other movies I have starred in include In the Name of Trust, Murder at Prime Suites, Dinner, Lekki Housewives and Fifty, among others.

Music

I am actually a musician but I don’t really do music mainstream. I have been trying in the last decade to make a name for myself as an actor but I have not gotten to where I want to be yet. Music is a whole career on its own which cannot be juggled (with another) if you have not mastered one completely. I will still do music but not just at the moment.

Scandals

I used to get insulted for looking like Mercy Johnson. The last time I got insulted was when I starred in the movie, Two Brides and a Baby. Since that time, I have not experienced such. Back then, it made me sad because I was being insulted based on something I did not understand. Mercy Johnson is a beautiful woman and for anyone to compare us is really something to be thankful for.