Maria Chike Benjamin: I’m Not Chasing Fame, I Want to Be Known for My Acting

Maria Chike Benjamin is not chasing fame; she wants to be recognised for her craft as an actress. From leaving a career as an Emirates air hostess to becoming a reality TV personality and now pursuing her place in Nollywood, her journey has been one of reinvention, self-discovery and resilience. Although reality TV opened doors to new opportunities, Maria says she wants audiences to look beyond the fame and appreciate her talent, hard work and commitment to storytelling. In this interview with Ferdinand Ekechukwu, she reflects on the difficult decisions that shaped her career, her father’s influence on her values, the transformative experience of motherhood, and her determination to build a lasting legacy in acting. Excerpts:

You transitioned from an air hostess to a reality TV star, and now an actress. How has the journey been?

I would say every transition did come with its own challenge because I was stepping into completely different worlds. Leaving aviation meant walking away from stable career to pursue opportunities where nothing was guaranteed, you are just famous. I would say I didn’t do my research properly in terms of jumping into the world of reality TV. I wasn’t very much aware what the fame and I wasn’t chasing fame. Truly the most secret or rather sacred thing about me is I’m a very private person. So being famous and being private just don’t go together. So, I would say the transition has been good and bad; the biggest lesson through the journey has been believing in myself having moved back to Nigeria since 2021 as an airhostess with Emirates Airlines to being a reality TV star and now an actress. If any reality TV opportunity came, I would turn it down like 100 percent. It’s too much of an exposure. I see reality TV as an open door to the path to everything that I’m doing today. It shaped so many more opportunities that I’m evolving into.

Can you share with us your first set experience as an actor, any surprises stepping onto the set?

I would say stepping onto a movie set for the first time it was both exciting and intimidating. I studied performance which was strictly acting and script writing. I have been in front of the cameras. Even some journey in my life after I finished university, you know l lived in Los Angeles in America for three months and I was going for acting auditions and stuff like that. The high cost of living in LA chased me away from LA and I moved back to the UK. I just went for a little short period to get acting jobs and stuff like that and it never really happened for me. I have been in front of the cameras, in front of so many auditions. So as much as my first ever time being on an actual real movie set that was going to feature, it was exciting but it was also intimidating. Abroad or when I was in acting school, they would give you weeks, months, they would give you script ahead of time. But Nigerians we do things completely different. They give you a script today and they expect you to be on set tomorrow morning. Or you are on set for the first time and that is when you will see your script, all you are doing is to quickly learn the script not even going into character. So, it’s very intimidating because it wasn’t what I studied, it wasn’t how I perceived acting and it was quite challenging to just come on set and have to quickly just read script and then they expect you to just be in character straight away. I’m like wait, I’m supposed to read this script right now? And you are supposed to film me? I wish I was given my script weeks in advance to submerge into this character, to own my character, to be that character, to come on set and give a different type of standard acting. I haven’t been in a lot of movies in this industry in any industry. I have just been in few. But I do hope that someday the film industry in Nigeria or Africa would actually change.

What are your expectations coming into mainstream acting and what should viewers expect from you soon?

Stepping into mainstream acting I do expect myself to keep growing because I do believe we keep growing. I’m not chasing quick success or simply trying to be recognized. I’m focused on building a career that is rooted in hard work, consistency, and great storytelling. I want people to look beyond my reality TV journey and see me as an actress who is committed to her craft I’m excited as well to take on challenging roles that would push me outside of my comfort zone; things that I would never imagine that myself or personality would be able to achieve. Whether its drama, romance, action or something completely unexpected. I want every character that I play to leave an impact and connect with audiences in meaningful ways. As for what viewers can expect, I do believe this is just the beginning. And if this is my path in life, God’s willing; I would definitely let him take control of where this acting takes me. ‘Properties of the Gods’, which is the latest movie that I featured, I’m incredibly proud to be a part of the film that tells such an important story. But there’s so much more to come.

What is one thing about your creative prowess that your fans and industry haven’t seen yet?

I think people have only seen a small part of me because I haven’t done much. So, they’ve seen a very small part of what I’m capable of doing. I love challenging myself emotionally and I can’t wait for audiences to see the depth and range I know that I have when it comes to acting. Beyond acting as well, I’m also passionate storyteller. In the future I would also love to be creating projects from ground, not just to be an actress. I do pray in the future to divert into being a producer; producing a lot more series and movies of my own and eventually help bring authentic African stories to life. I’m still at the beginning of this journey like I said I haven’t been in much movies and that’s what excites me the most. And I know there are so many layers of me that audiences haven’t met yet and I believe the best version of Maria, creatively, is still ahead of us.  

Can you walk us through your background – your family, early years, and childhood memory that stands out?

I was born to a Nigerian father, an Igbo man, and an Austrian mum. I’m one of three sisters, and two brothers, from a family of five. I’m the second to the last. And I have two step siblings as well. I grew up most of my early years partly in Nigeria and partly in the UK. But we did visit Austria quite often every other summer in my early years. We were always moving around a lot. My dad, a very cultural and traditional Igbo man, is late now. I do remember my mum would be in the kitchen with the helps and I would also have my own pot in the kitchen next to her. Whatever she puts in the pot I would put in my pot. That was practically how I learnt how to even cook traditional meals at a very young age as well. My dad was very strict, I wasn’t allowed to party. We were only allowed to go out with our parent and that was practically almost every weekend, some Saturdays, Sundays. But during the week, it was all school, and then back at home. I think growing up from a very young age, that sort of restriction stayed with me that when I became an adult, living by myself I became such a loner, I didn’t like to go out.

You speak fondly of your dad, what was it about him you cherish and so much remember?

My dad instilled a lot of hard work. Every weekend we would all have chores and if your chores are not done prior to breakfast, you are not going to eat breakfast. That was how disciplined my dad was. I remember during the festive periods when all the village dancers would come to our house, I would dance with them. My dad instilled a lot of my Igbo culture. He was a very loving father and a great husband. And when you even ask who I am, I would say ‘I’m my father’s daughter’. That’s very true of me. I know at a very young age you couldn’t just ask for anything, I had to work for anything that I wanted to get from my dad, be it anything you don’t ask, you have to bargain. We were very well to do I would say that. But he didn’t let that influence our mentality.

How would you describe your background influence your values and outlook on life?

Looking back, I think my upbringing gave me the confidence to adapt to different environment and to be able to chase opportunities without losing sight of who I am whether as a cabin crew or reality TV personality or even an actress. I feel like if I was fully Nigerian, and didn’t have the opportunity to live abroad, I probably, at 17, would be in my father’s house waiting on his monthly allowance and all of that. I have worked two jobs whilst going to university just because I needed to make payments to whatever my life’s stage at the time was. It has shaped me to be hard working but been very resilient. I would give that honour to my dad. I mean he always wanted me to be a lawyer back in college days in Manchester, in the United Kingdom. But I didn’t like law and kind of failed some years and went to do what I actually loved. . I went to a performance school in Salford University. And he was quite upset but we squashed things afterwards.

How has motherhood reshaped your routine, perceived by the public eye?

Motherhood has definitely changed me in the most beautiful way ever; changed me a lot in terms of my way of thinking, in terms of patience, oh my God! I was a very impatient human being prior to being a mum. I’m married. It has given my life a completely different sense of purpose. And it has also made me a much more intentional person in everything I do, every decision I make now personally or professionally. Becoming a mum didn’t slow me down at all. It just gave me a deeper reason to succeed. It’s kind of made with my children in mind. I’m a mother of two I’m in a different phase of my life. Motherhood has also changed me in the way that I navigate the public eye. I’m much more mindful of what I allow to be shared.  

Where do you draw the line between what you share with your millions of followers and what you keep strictly private?

There has to be a really important balance. It’s something I have become much more intentional about over the years. At the same time, I have learnt that it’s not everything that has to be shared. Some of the most meaningful part of my life deserves to be protected. So, yes sometimes fans can be very overwhelming in their demands. I think with my age and my growth or my understanding of the industry, I have learnt it’s not everything that has to be shared. I chose to share moments that inspire, entertain or allow people to genuinely connect with me.