Veteran Nollywood actress Bukky Wright has opened up about her prolonged absence from the movie industry, revealing that she stepped away to focus on her children.
In a recent interview with Ebuka Obi-Uchendu on Channels TV, Wright explained that motherhood required her full attention, especially since her children live abroad.
She emphasized the importance of being present in their lives rather than leaving them in the care of others.
“I didn’t leave acting because I lost passion for it or felt I had done everything. There are still many things I want to accomplish. But at a certain point in a woman’s life, her children need her the most. That’s why I had to take a break,” she said.
Wright further stressed that raising children overseas comes with unique challenges, as they may struggle with authority when raised by someone other than their parents.
“You don’t want to leave your children with someone else, especially when they reach a certain age and start saying, ‘You’re not my mum, you can’t talk to me like that,’ or ‘You’re not my dad, you can’t tell me what to do.’ That’s why I had to be there for them,” she added.
She also reflected on the sacrifices mothers make, highlighting the traditional expectation for women to take on roles such as Omugwo (postnatal care), something men are rarely expected to do.
“Mothers will always be mothers. I’m not saying fathers don’t play their role, but in Yoruba culture, we say, ‘Iya ni iya mi, Baba ni baba gbobo aye,’ meaning ‘A mother is a mother, but a father can be a father to many,’” she concluded.