In a raw and honest conversation with Chude Jideonwo, Nollywood actor Daniel Etim-Effiong didn’t dodge the tough questions.
He admitted to once being a womanizer though only for a short while.
The actor, who left a career in engineering to pursue film, described that phase of his life as “exploring.” When pressed further, he called it a period of learning.
Chude asked:
“Were you a womanizer before you got married?”
Etim-Effiong replied:
“It depends on what is your definition of a womanizer.”
Chude clarified:
“A man who dates multiple women at the same time.”
Etim-Effiong responded:
“Maybe there was a time in my life I was. Definitions would differ, but in that definition, maybe there was a period in my life that I was, I wouldn’t say for long periods of my life.
Maybe for some certain periods that I explored. So, perhaps.”
Chude followed up:
“Was it good periods?”
Etim-Effiong answered:
“Yes, they were periods of learning for me. If I learned, then they were good periods.”
And what exactly did he learn?
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His response was direct: “I learned that certain things don’t necessarily bring you the fulfilment that you think they would. On paper, it feels like that is the life, but experientially maybe not.”
He now passes this wisdom on to younger people who think the “player” lifestyle is harmless.
“I tell young people a lot that it is cool to be a player but if you develop that habit or lifestyle, you won’t automatically change overnight.”
He explained that emotional habits are hard to break.
If you are used to keeping multiple relationships or walking away from issues before marriage, that same attitude can ruin your commitment later on.
“When you marry that muscle hasn’t been developed so you encounter one challenge and you want to immediately jump or you just be like, ‘I’m talking to you, you are not listening to me, let me find somebody that would listen to me.’
If you are the kind of person that before you got married it was easy for you to just walk away, keep different relationships, keep ladies on the string, that won’t change when you get married.”
Daniel’s honesty stands out in an industry where image often overshadows truth.