Nollywood actor Uzor Arukwe has shared how he lost his job, went broke and survived a car accident in the same year he got married.

The 42-year-old spoke during a recent interview on Tope Olowoniyan TV. He said the events pushed him into one of the toughest periods of his life just months after his wedding in 2013.

“The same year that I settled down, I lost my job. I got married in August, and I lost my job in November. That happened, and my finances just went crazy,” he said.

Financial struggles after marriage

Arukwe said losing his job was only the beginning of his problems. He also had a car accident while trying to keep up with rent and other family expenses.

“At that same period, I had an accident with my car. It was stupid, it was a mess. My yearly rent starts in January, so when everyone is doing Detty December, and this has been happening since 2013, I’m always calculating.

“I am not spending, I am not partying, I’m literally calculating stuff. My rent was due every January, and when my first daughter came, school fees happened too. So, yes, my finances have been a mess for the longest. My small circle of friends know.”

Why did he choose acting

The actor said the difficult period came as he left the corporate world to become a full-time actor. He admitted that many people questioned the decision.

“There was a time everybody thought I was crazy when I wanted to become a full-time actor after coming from the corporate world. I worked in communication for five years, and I did retail for another five years,” he said.

“I got a job with Keystone bank, but I couldn’t do it because I was coming from telecoms, and I kept asking myself why I should be wearing a suit and tie to market to people when I wanted to do something that would allow me to express myself.

“Then my partner was like, ‘We need money now. This is your dream for later.’ So yeah, my finances were a mess. I was broke. I know no one to fall on because my father was a tough-love type of guy. He was a Biafran soldier. He no send your papa. My mom is caring, but she didn’t have as much money as my father did.”