- Iyabo Ojo has revealed how she ventured into the Nigerian movie industry.
- The actress spoke during a recent interview with AY comedian.
- Iyabo Ojo credited the likes of Bimbo Akintola, and Ogogo for playing pivotal roles in making her entry in Nollywood smooth.
Nigerian actress, Iyabo Ojo has opened up on how she was able to get into the Nollywood industry without having a personal relationship with anyone and at a tender age.
Speaking on the Glass House show with comedian Ayo Makun, the actress shared her journey from the beginning.
Iyabo disclosed that she was a very outspoken child who was involved in various social activities from secondary school. She said she could sing, act, rap, debate, amongst other activities, which earned her the social prefect.
Iyabo Ojo said upon completing secondary school, a friend told her of Bimbo Akintola’s house in Opebi and she set out. The actress revealed she had earlier seen the veteran actress’s exceptional performance in a movie, Out Of Bounds, which made her conclude she wanted to be an actress. She said:
“For me I’ve always wanted to be in entertainment, so I was involved in all social activities in secondary school. I was very famous, from secondary school not as Ojo, as Ogunro
For years I didn’t know which exactly, weather i wanted to sing, I was singing, rapping, debating
Back to acting, I watched Bimbo Akintola, and there was this movie I saw, it was Out Of Bounds, and I just said this is what I want to do, this is who I wanna be. This is what I want and that was it for me. That’s when I made up my mind.”
Reaching her house, Iyabo Ojo knocked Bimbo Akintola’s gate and asked to see her, telling her she wanted to act.
Akintola surprisingly auditioned her on the spot, asking her to cry if she wanted to be an actress. Ojo said she couldn’t but she was sure she could act. Bimbo Akintola then led her into the house and that was how her acting journey began. Ojo said the veteran actress helped her to secure her first role by introducing her to Keppy Bassey, another veteran actor. In her words:
“I started moving around with her and I was going with her for auditions, then she introduced me to uncle Keppy Ekpenyong Bassey and his beautiful wife.
“They were so nice to me and one day he just gave me a note somewhere in Surulere. So I took the note and I went there.
“I was very excited at least for the first time I was going to have that opportunity to work in front of the camera and that was a big deal for me.”
Iyabo Ojo further stated that she landed her first role as a sub-lead actress in 1998, in the movie Satanic.
Shortly after, Ojo revealed that she got pregnant, got married and after having her two kids, decided to go back to Nollywood.
In 2001, the mother of two returned to Nollywood and discovered Bimbo Akintola traveled to the east, so she reached out to Taiwo Hassan better known as Ogogo who is from her ex-husband’s hometown.
Ogogo then took it up and she got into the Yoruba movie industry, like a friend of hers earlier suggested.
Watch Iyabo Ojo speak below:
