How I turned taxi driver  to pay my bills in the US  –  Joseph Benjamin

Joy Bakare

Actor Joseph Benjamin has opened up on why he started driving people to make ends meet after relocating to the United States of America with the hopes of breaking into Hollywood.

 He recounted how his hopes were dashed by someone who promised to get him gigs in the global movie scene.

 The 46-year-old recalled selling his cars and practically gifted out his other belongings with high expectations when he got to the US but that was dashed two days after he arrived with only S1,500 in his possession.

 Discussing with Teju Babyface on his comedy podcast, ‘King of Talks’, Benjamin noted he had to settle for the life of an Uber driver after a church member gave him a car. And with the proceeds, he was able to pay his bills.

 He said: “I got to America on a promise that I had some gigs waiting for me. So I thought I was going to have a soft landing there. I packed up everything from Nigeria, bought a one-way ticket, and came to America.

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 “I was put in a well-furnished house and all of that. Then two days later, the person who I was supposed to book a deal with said to me, ‘Those our financiers have pulled out. They have an issue.’ So, I said, what do I do? He was like, ‘From next month on, you will have to start paying rent in this house.’ The amount of the one-month rent was equivalent to a one-year rent in Nigeria.

 “I’m like, ‘I’m not earning any money so what do I do?’ I don’t know what to do. So, shot into that life, I had to figure out what to do.

 “I had nowhere to go. Nothing to turn to. My phone was buzzing, like, ‘When are you coming back to Nigeria? We have this gig for you.’ Teju, $1,500 was all I came to America with. How do I buy a ticket to go back to Nigeria?

 “My life pattern then was so disorganised in the sense that I didn’t have a proper saving culture. With all the money I was making in Nigeria, my life was a mess.

 “I sold my cars and gave out like 90 per cent of all my belongings in Nigeria. I was like, I’m going to America to live a good life and all of that stuff.

 “How do I buy a ticket to go back to Nigeria? Lord, what do I do? And God said to me that ‘Welcome to the life that I arranged for you. I needed to break you away from your comfort zone so that I can build you.’

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