Bunmi Mojekwu plays Mercy Olubunmi, the granddaughter in Eastenders first ever Nigerian family. She took ten minutes out of Albert Square to chat to Pride about her character, her best friend and her favourite artist right now.
How would you describe your character on Eastenders? She’s a good wholesome girl, with strong Christian values. She always does the right thing and wants to do right by everybody.
Your character is from Nigeria and you are of Nigerian descent. Does that help with your role? Yeah I can identify with her a bit more, having that culture. It helps a lot, it makes me really proud being from Nigeria and being the first ever Nigerian family on Eastenders, it’s a nice little plus.
You’re on a popular TV soap but you also have a background in theatre as well as film. Which do you like best? I can’t really choose because they are all so different. In the theatre it’s like every day you get a nice rehearsal period, so you get to bond with the rest of the cast, and then you get a live audience. With film it’s a lot more fun because you’re in different locations, you meet different people every day. There’s a lot more going on.
What’s on your iPod right now? I just downloaded Diddy-Dirty Money – Last Train To Paris, I love that album.
Name three things you can’t live without. My best friend – she’s like the perfect man for me. If only she were male, I’m so upset she’s not! My passport, because I like to travel and scriptwriters because without them I wouldn’t have a job.
What’s your favourite TV show? Luther. I like everything, the whole plot, the amazing actors in it. And I like watching BET as well. I don’t watch a lot of TV, I watch everything on YouTube. And OMG – Bad Girls Club, I love watching that too.
Who’s your favourite artist right now? I’d say Nicki Minaj because she just gives me life. I love her lyrics, I love everything she says, her look, everything. My favourite song is ‘My Chick Bad’. I like what she says in it because it’s all so true! If I’m ever feeling a bit glum I just put her on and she makes me feel so much better.
Have you ever had a date from hell? I don’t really go on dates but one thing I hate is when they call me Mercy instead of Bumni – that’s awkward.
If you weren’t acting, what would you be doing? I’d be a teacher, a drama teacher. I probably wouldn’t do the curriculum until the last week. I’d make them watch films and study performances and make them do their own films, and plays. That’s what I really wanted to do in drama class.
Tell me something we don’t know about you? I still suck my thumb. I can’t sleep if I don’t. I can’t do it in public because I feel really silly, it doesn’t feel comfortable. I need to kick it out – it’s not a good look. I also like to sing but I would never take it seriously, it’s just singing in the shower or to my iPod. I do little performances for my family, and my siblings are the audience.
Catch Bunmi playing Mercy in Eastenders on BBC1.
