Multi-talented Nollywood actor, Deyemi Okanlawon, is currently one of the most-sought after in the creative industry having featured in over 50 movies and stage dramas. The Chemical Engineering graduate has had a stint at the corporate world before acting came calling. In this interview with MUTIAT LAWORE, ‘Deyemi The Actor’ as he is fondly called opened up on his journey thus far, projects, 2023 general elections among others issues. Excerpts…

Elections are fast approaching; what are your thoughts about 2023 and the state of the nation?

I believe Nigerians should stop looking for a self-professed “incorruptible saviors” who either wore or didn’t wear shoes to school or were liberated from prison like Joseph to come and “change” our fortunes to the next level. We should also stop looking to political/entertainment and social media influencers to tell us who to vote for, do our individual research for the right candidate and then put our effort and, if possible, put our money where our mouth is. If and when I find a candidate I believe in I will support that person with my vote, my influence and my resources. We need to stop focusing on career politicians to help us out of the mess they and their kind created and elect candidates who have proof of success in the real world and made their money and impact without political affiliations and favoritism. Candidates like Peter Obi, Banky Wellington among others.

Do you have any candidates in mind at the moment?

Well, let me say time will tell as I am currently keeping tabs on all the different candidates and what they have to offer. But the truth is, youths have a lot to do this time around rather than dropping points on Twitter and Instagram. The rightful path is for us all to have our PVCs at hand as that is the only we can be a part of deciding who leads us for another eight years.

Back to screen, have you always seen acting as your thing?

Acting was a serious hobby, as a matter of fact I considered it as ministry – my service to God, for most of my life but I really never intended to act professionally. In University, I studied Chemical Engineering and started a cake and bread business, which led to a career in sales and marketing while also being a part of a school fellowship drama group, which has blossomed into the career I have now.

Having studied Chemical Engineering, how easy was it convincing your parents you wanted to take up acting as a career?

The last time I needed my parents’ consent for anything was in JSS; once I had proven to them that I was good at taking care of myself they pretty much allowed me to live my life and were only there to give advice which I mostly didn’t take. Convincing myself to leave a great paying job was actually the real struggle but after a series of what I regard as divine occurrences followed by moments of deep reflection, I asked myself what it is that I could possibly be the best at in the world – the answer that came up was acting.

You appear to be on the faces of many people, mainly for good reasons. But before now, you could pass for someone who just wants to make his movie and go back home. What changed?

I came into the film industry straight from corporate Nigeria and my mind-set was to treat this career as any other regular job, it took a while to realise that in entertainment you also have to be a brand and be seen. I discovered that apart from the craft of acting there is also the business side of acting which includes building a brand but I’m quite happy that I worked on substance first.

At some point, you didn’t appear in movies and it seemed as though you may have been forgotten. How did you handle that moment?

Sometime in 2019, I felt a level of dissatisfaction with the work I was doing and decided to take a break so I dusted my resume and went to back to corporate world. I joined Ben Bruce’s Silverbird Film Distribution during which I got even more exposed to the workings of the Nigerian film industry and I barely had time to act in films. When the pandemic hit in 2020 and all cinemas were shut down I started getting calls from producers I had always wanted to work with including Funke Akindele, Kunle Afolayan, Kemi Adetiba, Niyi Akinmolayan, Moses Inwang; by the time cinemas opened back up the calls kept coming in so I decided to return to acting full time.

At the moment you are every director’s delight, will it be right to say you have quit the struggling stage of your career?

I have discovered that the “struggle” for an increasingly better life never ends. So while it’s true that I now attract the best Nollywood productions and much higher earnings than before, my new goal it to look towards working across Africa and the rest of the world.

You always play your roles passionately and intensely. How are you able to do this?

As a child, whenever I read books or watched movies, I always pictured myself as being inside the movie, not watching from outside, and was always keenly interested in each character and why or how they behaved in certain ways. I started to look at people around me the same way and took interest in human behaviour, hence each character that I play represents one I’ve experienced either in reality, i n movies or books, or purely from my imagination, and with whom I have a deep connection.

You starred in box office and major movies including Omo Ghetto The Saga, King of Boys among others. How have these projects enhance the Deyemi brand?

The first time anyone (except my wife) referred to me as an A-list actor was in 2021 but for almost eight years before that I had conducted myself as though I were already a premium, A-list actor and carefully selected people and projects to work with and on. I’ve been very fortunate that this has led to opportunities to work with some of the box office juggernauts and best producers (including Mo Abudu, Funke Akindele, Kunle Afolayan, Kemi Adetiba, Toyin Abraham, Niyi Akinmolayan, Uduak Isong Oguamanam, Biodun Stephens, Kayode Kasumu, Vincent Okonkwo, Inkblot production, Film One Entertainment, etc) and premium brands in Nigeria. I look forward to working with a lot more A-list producers like Bolanle Austen-Peters, Ayo Makun, Steve Gukas, Editi Effiong and others.

A lot of celebrity unions have crashed; how have you been able to manage your career alongside the home front knowing that your job can sometimes be demanding?

I’m not certain that relationships/ marriages being dissolved is a function of “celebrity status” but I’m just grateful to God that by His wisdom an imperfect man like me would have such a loving and patient wife. I am also very careful to compartmentalise my life – Deyemi The Actor is the superstar you see on the big screen and on red carpets with all the glitz and glamour while Deyemi Okanlawon is the simple guy who’s at home doing chores, watching the kids and living his best life quietly.

Which do you consider important at every given opportunity; the career or the money?

I really consider both to be equally important. In my opinion one cannot have a successful career if they die of starvation or are distracted by bills. On the other hand all the money in the world cannot make up for lack of career fulfillment.

What do you consider as your greatest assets when it comes to movie production in Nigeria?

I am a very driven person and at the core of my purpose is the need to take care of my entire family and leave my world/circle of influence a better place than I met it. Some of the things that work for me – my engineering mind-set has helped me develop a methodical approach to my acting; my entrepreneurial ventures helped me view and plan my career as a business with goals and objectives; my experience in sales and marketing taught me value-adding networking; and my work ethic ensures that I am always primed to give 100 percent to my craft.