Genoveva Umeh, a Nigerian-British actress, recently shared that although acting has always been her true passion, she initially didn’t pursue it academically. She revealed on the latest episode of the Is This Seat Taken podcast, hosted by Nollywood actress Chinasa Anukam, that she studied law in university. However, her realization of her passion for acting came when she failed her first year of law.
Umeh explained that while choosing to study law was her own decision, she also felt a responsibility as a first-generation immigrant to take a course that reflected the sacrifices her parents made to secure her education in the UK. At the time, she considered acting to be just a hobby. It was only after her academic setback that she began contemplating what she truly wanted to do, rather than what she felt obligated to pursue.
Therefore, Umeh’s journey in acting started as a personal realization during her university years, prompting her to reevaluate her path and ultimately follow her passion.