Many Nigerians have said Nolly-wood actor Ramsey Nouah doesn't walk red
carpets with his wife Emelia Philips-Nouah because she is not beautiful.
They have been married for 15 years, wedded in 2002 and have 3 kids together.
From a new interview with Premium Times, read Ramsey's reason for not doing red carpet with his wife.
*.Ramsey, your marriage appears to have stood the test of time.
You have been married for 15 years now. Some of your colleagues have
been unlucky in this regard.
RAMSEY: Contrary to a widely held notion, the success of a
marriage largely rests on the woman. But these days, a lot of marriages
are based on equality. A woman wants to get 50 per cent of whatever she
is giving into the marriage back from the man. This has led to the
breakdown of many marriages.
From time our mothers used to be the women that held their marriages.
They were in charge of the home. Our mothers took charge of everything
but today women don’t want that kind of responsibility. Hence, it is
affecting marriages.
My wife belongs to the category of “our mothers”. She believes in sustaining our marriage and holding it strong.
So whenever I am asked how we have been able to keep it together, I tell
them my wife is the woman who has actually held our home.
*.PT: Do you also accord her rightful place in the home?
RAMSEY: She doesn’t have a place because she owns the home.
It’s her call however (way) she wants things done. She is the driver of
the family and her decision is final. That is why I say she is not an
ordinary woman. She is a triple woman.
*.PT: Is she comfortable with your romantic and kissing scenes?
Ramsey: When some people ask me “how does your wife cope when
she sees you kissing other women in the movie?” and I tell them that my
wife is special.
She is not an ordinary woman. She understands things in a way many other
women don’t. That is why I say, an actor or actress, has to find that
special person. It is not love that will bond you. Forget love, love
dies. What sustains the marriage is companionship. If you cannot find
companionship in your partner from the beginning, then you do not have a
partner.
Don’t lust after a woman because of her beauty and don’t lust after a
guy because he is handsome. You must lust after the companionship that
bonds you together. It should be like “for some reasons you cannot do
without her; for some reasons there is something about her that brings
you home”.
It may be her sense of humour; or the way she keeps the home. Same thing
applies for the ladies; there must be something about him that you
cannot do without. If this quality is not there, then you don’t have a
companion.
*.PT: So, you guys have had it smooth sailing in your marriage all the while?
Ramsey: Don’t get me wrong, don’t think that we don't have our
moments of disagreement. But it depends on the way we handle it. Women
cannot stand the heat in the kitchen anymore and they just want to run.
That is why marriages are crumbling. A lot people don’t want to work
hard anymore, because marriage is hard work. So when you talk about
marriages crashing, it’s not my call. The only problem that I have is to
make sure I provide food for the family.
*.PT: Any counsel for your colleagues who have been unlucky with love and marriage?
Ramsey: Nobody gives advice when it comes to matters of the
heart. People say they are going for counseling and all but at the end,
it is what is in their heart is still what they want to do.
Because those things in your heart are laced with emotions and emotions are very hard to tackle.
When you have emotion that is full of jealousy, hate or anger, it is
hard to break it until you exercise it. That is why when your dad
screams ‘do not follow that boy’ the teenager does not listen until she
has satisfied what her heart desires from the boy. Most times, you learn
by experience.
Companionship is not easy. When everybody is running into marriages as
if marriage wants to go out of fashion, take your time and be ready for
it. Be ready to accept someone with his flaws. My wife has her problems
and I also have mine. A lot of it actually and I know. You must be able
to accommodate the other person.
*.PT: Divorce is on the rise. Why do you think this is so?
Ramsey: When a woman believes she earns more than the man, the
man should start doing the work of a woman like sweeping, changing
diapers. There is no sense in that. A woman’s place should not change
and the same applies to the man. I am not expecting a woman to overwork
herself with house chores. I help and support my wife when there is no
help in the house. I sweep when I have the time.
*.PT: In what ways do you also help out in the home?
Ramsey: I cooked two days before having this interview. I am a
great cook. No woman can do shakara for me oo. I made my stew and rice
with smoked chicken. I grew up with my mum and with her, you must know
how to sweep and do many other chores.
*.PT: Some of your fans cannot picture you doing house chores?
RAMSEY: The thing is that everyone now has the perspective of
wanting to live larger than life, forgetting the reality. We keep
forgetting that if we don’t do it, who will do it? At some point my wife
got tired of house helps. We have three kids at home and we have to
fend for them. I cannot
leave everything for her, so I help out.
Sometimes we tell the kids to wash their plates. At some point I
realized that my 12 and 13 years old could not sweep and that was very
wrong. So we started forcing them to clean. Most kids of these days
cannot sweep or clean. All they want to do is do is make their nails,
make their hair and carry big phones and tablets around.
*.PT: Are you romantic?
RAMSEY: Don’t judge me by my movie roles. I don’t think I am romantic. My wife does not think I am that romantic either.
*.PT: Many people wonder why you do not step out with your wife on the red carpet?
RAMSEY: My wife and I have an understanding. And this is one of
the reasons our marriage is still standing strong. We avoid the public
eye because the public has a way of messing up relationships. Sometimes,
my wife goes ahead of me into the event, so we don’t do red carpet. It
is the same people that harass you for not taking your wife to red
carpet event that will sit back and point fingers at how you both look.
*.PT: Some say you don’t take your wife to red carpet event because she is not beautiful?
RAMSEY: That is what they think. My wife is very cute. May be
because my wife is not loud or flashy when it comes to make-up or
wearing long weaves. She is very natural and she knows that I love her
natural looks.
