Omowunmi Dada is a Nigerian award-winning actress with a bankable talent. Among other things, the University of Lagos, Theatre Arts graduate who began her acting career in 2013 won the 2024 BON Awards, Best Actress for her role in Unknown Soja just two weeks ago. Currently, Omowunmi’s movie Suspicion, which premiered on Amazon on November 28, is currently getting some rave reviews, and she’s also in the highly anticipated Everybody Loves Jenifa. In this interview with TOMI FALADE, she discusses her craft, how she prepares for roles, and why fame is not a driving force for her.
One of the first films that you were in was called Somewhere in the Dark, and the role you played was also not a regular role. You were still very young in the industry when you played that role and much less experienced than you are now. How was it playing that role?
I think that from the moment I knew I wanted to be an actor, I knew what I wanted to do with my career. For me, being an actor is showing my talents to the worldlike. I’m not interested in playing fine girl and all that. I’ve been very intentional with the kind of stories I take, the kind of movies I appear in, the kind of characters that I play. As far back as when we did Somewhere in the Dark, I wasn’t even this big, but I was always turning down scripts. My dad would tell me that if you don’t know where you’re going, every path will look like the way. I wouldn’t be involved in some productions. I would read some scripts, and I would know that I don’t want to do this. So when Biodun Jimoh reached out to me and we had a sit-down, myself, him, Gabriel Afolayan, and Jumoke Odetola, we had a sit-down, and we all had an input on how to make our characters better, and how to make the film as a collective better.
I think it was the first time I was filming in Abeokuta. It was very sunny, but I loved the story and it was something very different. At this point, it wasn’t even about the money. I can’t remember how much he paid me, but it wasn’t anything about the money. It was putting the talent out there in a very good production. And I’m happy the film went ahead to win in the AMVCAs. But it was very challenging. Sometimes, we would get on set and the lighting design and everything would make it scary even for us actors. There was this deserted house we shot and there was this man and he had to start summoning some spirits in the film. Even while we were filming, I was just speaking in tongues because we were also filming in the middle of the night. It was a beautiful experience but a scary one.
I noticed that after that you did one or two Yoruba movies, you stopped starring in Yoruba movies. Did the scripts stop coming or they could not afford your bill again?
No, the scripts never stopped coming. It’s always about the story, the story has to get me. At this point, Yoruba films had not even started going upscale, like to the cinemas. But language is just a medium of expression, it’s always about what story we’re telling.
Which movie would you classify as being the movie that pushed you out?
It’s hard to say, but I would say three productions. The first one was Jemeji, which was an African Magic series. In the cinemas, I would say Omugwo, which was directed by Kunle Afolayan. And I was the leading female. Globally, I would say Oloture, which was a Netflix original and it showed in 2020, during the lockdown.
What film made you fully realise that you are now an actor?
I won my first award as an actor, which was the BON Awards, I can’t remember the year now, but I think we did it in Akure. The first time I was in front of the camera was in 2008, I was a student then. Even right from the stage, I knew this was what I was going to do. But I know that one production that challenged me was Oloture, and we shot it in 2018. It stretched me. I had to make some character decisions. For example, I went to a brothel every day for two weeks, relating with prostitutes, you know, gisting with them, being their buddies, because if I had to be one of them, I had to understand their modus operandi.
Secondly, I don’t smoke, but on Oloture, I smoked. I smoked from day one. In fact, on my day one onset, I smoked 14 sticks of cigarettes. By the time I got to my hotel, I was throwing up. I remember telling Sharon Ooja then, and she said she feels it too, but someone told her to take milk. The milk did not work for me, and there were days I would get on set, I was already sick, and the director, Kenneth would say, “Omowunmi, maybe you should take today off.” I’ll be like, “No, just give me paracetamol, and give me a few minutes to rest. Let us go.”
I didn’t know how big the project was going to turn out, but I knew how important the story was, especially Linda’s story, that it needed to be told, because,right now, some girls are making that decision, and following the Linda character path. So, if Linda was going to stress me this much, it’s fine. If it is one person or two Lindas that I would have to save from going this route, that gives me so much joy.
For instance, I’m a very hairy person. I wax almost every week, but to fit into the Linda role, and so that I would look gritty, I left my hair. Sometimes when I go back to watch Oloture, I’ll be like, oh god, this hair, because I needed to look as raunchy, and as perfectly like Linda as possible.
How have you avoided anything that could tarnish your name?
I wasn’t interested in stardom, I just wanted to be a professional actor. Stardom came on that road, because when you’re good at what you do, people appreciate it. Hence, stardom. My dad would always say “Don’t forget the daughter of who you are. And secondly, do not ever forget who you are. Never lose touch with the person. Never lose touch with the things that make you, you.” People are bankers, lawyers, journalists, bakers. They do these things as their job. In the same way, I am an actor, and this is my job, and I’m very passionate about it. As life would have it, this job I have chosen comes with a lot of eyes on you. So does that mean you should forget who you are? When I’m in my space with my friends, I’m still me. When I see people and they go, “Oh my God, we love you so much.” Sometimes it humbles me because this is me just doing what I love to do. And the fact that people love me based on that, I feel very honoured with it. I have always been a private person, even before I became an actor. I’m still a private person. In fact, if I were not an actor, I’d probably not even be on social media.
Are you thinking of producing a movie of your own very soon?
I’m already an executive producer of some projects, but yes, I’m looking at making my own films.
Aside from entertainment, do you have a side hustle?
I’m cooking something that has nothing to do with entertainment next year. But I don’t even know if I want to put my face on it, I think I just want whatever it is to just have its own life.
What advice will you give somebody who is trying to come into Nollywood?
The first piece of advice I’ll give is don’t come into Nollywood if all you want to make is money. Know who you are, if you’re very certain of your talent and you know that what you want to do is show your talents to the world, come in.
Secondly, you have to be disciplined. Forget whatever it is you hear out there and everything. You cannot thrive in Nollywood or any industry without discipline because talent is not enough. Attitude is everything. There are so many talented people that their character has killed them. In rooms that matter, people will be like, “Oh yeah, he or she is talented, but you don’t want to work with this person.” So never forget the place of talent, the place of discipline, the place of always working on your skill. Keep making sure that you’re becoming a better version of yourself and never forget God. He’s the giver of all gifts. Let him direct your path. I am really big on God.
I’d also like to say to young people, please never give up. When I started, there were too many odds against me. I was dark. I was short. I was small and all of that. I’ll go for auditions and they will say, we’ll get back to you. And they never go back to me, but I never let that deter me. The only thing is that once you give me an opportunity, even if it is a small role, I will give it my all
