Why I rejected ‘Liz Benson of Enugu’ title, as a pet name – Patience Ozokwor
Veteran actress Patience Ozokwor has shared her experiences with being forced to accept titles early in her career and how she overcame them.
The actress claimed that when she first started her acting career, some attempted to compare her to the renowned actress Liz Benson by labeling her as “Liz Benson of Enugu,” but she turned down the comparison because she thought both women were distinct.
She revealed that she had also declined offers to use her husband’s first name as her surname, preferring to use his family name.
Patient Ozokwor made this revelation during an interview with Nwafo TV.
She said;
“I don’t know how it started, all I know was that when I started [my acting career] and people started recognising this woman from Enugu.
“So, there was a time I came to Lagos for a shoot and people started saying, ‘That’s her, this woman from Enugu.’ They said, ‘You’re the Liz Benson’ of Enugu.’
“I said, ‘No, with all due respect, I don’t want to be like Liz Benson, I want to be myself. I am Patience Ozokwor of Enugu’,” she recalled.
She added: “And some people came and said, ‘You don’t even need to answer Patience Ozokwor again. Answer your husband’s first name Edmund; Patience Edmund.’
“I said, ‘No, because in Igbo land you’re not just married by one man, you’re married by a family. I don’t know about other tribes.
“So my husband’s people, their name is Ozokwor. When you mention Ozokwor in any part of this world, people who know the Ozokwors would say ‘I know where she comes from’.”
