Mercy Johnson returns from hospital bed with a bang!

…shaves hair for multi-million naira story

…says ‘my only goal in 2011 is to be more committed to Nollywood’

…goes to Liberia for massive concert with huge pay

What a way to start the year for star actress Mercy Johnson. Late December she was down with malaria that earned her admission in a hospital inside Omole area of Lagos. A week after that she was on location in Enugu where she charted a new course for herself by going bald to play the role of a maltreated widow in a multi-million naira movie directed by Michael Jaja

Speaking through her publicist, Bigsam Media, Mercy Johnson said she is merely walking her talk at the beginning of the year.  ‘after a strategy meeting with my management company, Platform Management and publicist, Bigsam Media, we set a goal for my career and that goal is for me to be more committed to my craft. Year 2010 was wonderful but we hope to move to greater heights in 2011 hence my decision with the agreement of my team to remain committed to my craft. I want to do more, break boundaries, move higher and contribute my quota to further put and entrench Nollywood, our industry on global map. That is my goal and that is why I will do whatever it takes to interpret my role and entertain the audience without debasing womanhood and African culture’.

The decision we learnt led her to shaving her head as the script demands.

The movie which is yet to be titled was directed by Michael Jaja, shot in Enugu and had Kenneth Okonkwo, Artus Frank, Angela Okorie and others as other members of the cast.  

It is a story of love, obsession and desperation. It tells the story of ‘a lady; she meets a man and the man falls in love with her and tries getting her but all to no avail. The man then travels out and he comes back two years later. A trusting friend to the returnee then offers the returnee an opportunity to stay in his house. He moves into the house and unexpectedly meets the girl he had loved and wooed before he travelled to be the wife to his friend; he kills his friend, rapes the widow, and forces the widow to hold the weapon. The widow is now accused of a crime she did not commit. Hell becomes her food’

MJ as Mercy is often called by admirers and fans was reported to have been paid millions of naira to go that route. ‘It is not about the money it is about my commitment to my craft. Yes, I was well paid but 2011 is about my going all the way, pushing myself to the fullness of my potential’ she said.

Meanwhile, Mercy will be in Liberia in February to be part of a massive valentine concert and if information at our disposal is anything to go by, her appearance will be setting the organizer back in millions as she will be spending three days to meet and greet her fans who overwhelmingly asked for her, sign autographs and give inspirational talks.     

On past negative rumour and hate, Mercy said she is only concentrating on her acting career. “above all else, I am an actor before any other thing, so I am concentrating my energy on what I am than what I am not’ she said.