Funke Akindele Inspires Young Dreamers As She Shares Her Early Career Struggles And How She Launched Herself Into The Movie Industry
Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Funke Akindele, has opened up about her early career struggle in acting and her self-taught journey into movie production.
In an interview with Arise News, the 46-year-old movie star known for her roles in both English and Yoruba films, revealed that her journey wasn’t smooth at all.
According to the mother of two, she struggled to get roles in English Nollywood despite her talent.
Funke added that her inability to get roles in Nollywood, led her to explore Yoruba genre. However, she still wasn’t successful. The actress said that setback didn’t make her to give up.
The turning point in her career, she said came when she worked on a project with the actress Ayo Adesanya.
“I didn’t get a big role in the Yoruba industry, I launched myself with my first production. My brain was always working, you have to just move, do something, what can you do now? I remember then, before the biggest break, Jenifa, I got into the Yoruba movie genre and I didn’t get a big role.”
The interviewer then asked: “But was that your original idea to get into Yoruba movies first? How did you go into that for you?’
She replied:
“Okay, when I didn’t get roles in English and I got frustrated, I was on a project with Ayo Adesoya. I told Auntie Ayo, I don’t have roles. I said, I’ll talk to your producer, I’ll have you on board for Yoruba movie.
And she spoke to the producer, I was invited to come and act in Oshugo then. And from there, I met with Titi Abalogu, I met Iyabo Ojo, and I told him, I need roles. And Iyabo said, okay, come, come.
She took me to the Audun Fakako, where you have the Yinka Quadri Ogogo, Taiwo Hassan. She said, this is my friend, give her a job, blah, blah, blah. They didn’t give me the big role. I actually launched myself with my own production, my first production.”
Funke continued:
“I wrote it, I produced it. But I learnt a lot from the Yoruba movie genre, how to produce. I learnt a lot, I was always focused on the cameras, how things were moving up and down.
While I walked on, I need to know, I was directed by the late Lloyd Weaver. I was always checking the cameras, checking the props, checking everything, asking questions. You know, I’m actually self-taught, I didn’t go to school to study production.”
Interviewer: Yeah, because you are so talented.
Funke: Yes, I studied everything, you know, I was just looking at what they were doing. With what I have up in here, I came up with a plan and produced my first movie, the 13th movie.”
Interviewer: You’re self-taught, basically.
Funke: Yes, I’m self-taught. You’re self-taught.
Interviewer: How have you been able to cope, separate? Because a lot of people say people who are naturally funny, people who are all happy, good, lucky, that on the other side, they’re very shy, very quiet, very private. Are you like that?
Funke: I am. It’s part of me.
Interviewer: How have you been able to keep your life separate from your public life?
Funke: By just being me in my space, like, I don’t really like going to parties. I’m not a party animal. I don’t like it at all. I like my space. But because, you know, my colleagues, they have parties, friends, families, you must be very, very important for me to leave the job, the work, and come.
I run a studio, the Funke Academy Network Studio, and we film every year. We have content on YouTube, you know, and movies at the cinemas and streaming platforms. I’m very busy. So I just get busy with work and my children, you know, because I have to give them time. I must be in their lives.
So when I’m not working, I’m with my children. I’m in my space. You know, I give out what I want you to see because the social media space makes people believe who I made already. I have a particular number of followers. People love me so much. I’m big up, you know, I don’t let that get into my head. The fame is dead. No, no, no, no. The accolades, I appreciate the accolades.