MARRIAGE HAS BEEN EVERYTHING I WANTED AND EVEN MORE - KALU IKEAGWU

He is a lady’s man. Standing at six feet and light-complexioned, he is endowed with the features of a Greek god. Little wonder members of the opposite sex swoon over him, and lots of hearts were probably broken before he finally tied the knot a few months ago. However, British-born award winning actor and scriptwriter, Kalu Ikeagwu is apprehensive as fatherhood beckons. Commenting on how many kids he would want to have in an exclusive chat with Entertainer, he says: “Well, it is God who gives. Hmmm… I don’t want to have more than I can handle. I am a bit apprehensive about being a dad because I know what I was like as a child and how unruly I was. And in this age where there are a lot of outside forces that influence children, I am praying for the grace to be able to discipline my kids with love. So, I want as many as I can handle but I don’t want more than I can handle, let us say three kids.”

But then, Ikeagwu is already testifying to the joys of marriage. “I think I went for the best,” he says, as his face melts in a wrinkle of smiles. “When I prayed to God for my wife, I prayed for two things. I prayed that God should give me a wife who loves Him more than me and that she should be a companion to me.
“I threw away all my pre-conceived notions because, before now, I used to be very picky; she had to be very beautiful, look a certain way and all of that. Usually, I like dark-complexioned women; slim, beautiful and everything. But I just told God that, if you want to give me fat, light complexioned and whatever state she is from, I am okay with it.”

And the thespian says God met him at the point of his needs. “I got everything I asked for and more. Marriage has been everything I wanted and even more. I have the best in-laws, I have a daughter, stepdaughter and my wife is such a joy and exactly what I prayed for, a companion.”
Ikeagwu further confesses: “I am not a very patient person. I have always liked my solitude, and funny enough, she is one person I can share all that with. She doesn’t invade my space and I am very comfortable with her; and when she talks, she talks intelligently. It has been wonderful and I have been blessed beyond measure.”

Now that he is married, what has changed about him?
The actor responds: “I think I am more tolerant now. Like I said, I love my independence, but it has changed in the sense that you start to accommodate more of the other person. You sacrifice for her and also recognise that sacrifice strengthens your character. So, I think in that sense, my character has been strengthened quite a bit from what it was before. I still live the life I lived before, but it is a lot richer now. I get more favours business-wise.”