Deyemi Okanlawon Reveals Why He Quit Nollywood Before Making A Successful Comeback

Nollywood actor Deyemi Okanlawon has revealed that he once walked away from the film industry altogether, frustrated by poor pay and the quality of roles being offered to him.

Speaking on the ‘CreativiTea’ podcast, the actor disclosed that he quit acting in 2019 after deciding the sacrifices he had made to pursue his passion were no longer worth it.

“The pay was nonsense; the work was nonsense. I just felt like I didn’t leave 9-5 work to come and do mediocre work,” he said.

“It was difficult to wake up in the morning and go to work, and what is the point of being passionate about something and then not being fulfilled by it?”

Rather than remain in an industry that left him disillusioned, Okanlawon returned to the corporate world. He took up a position as Head of Marketing at Silverbird Film Distribution before moving on to lead the company’s Nollywood distribution division. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he also served as the company’s acting CEO after the substantive chief executive relocated.

Ironically, it was after leaving Nollywood that the opportunities he had long hoped for began to arrive.

According to the actor, some of the industry’s biggest names, including Mo Abudu, Kemi Adetiba, Jade Osiberu, Funke Akindele and Kunle Afolayan, all reached out with offers to work with him.

“Everybody kept saying, ‘Come back, come back,’” he recalled. “I kept saying, ‘No, I’m done.’”

He eventually returned to acting in 2021, and this time, he said, the industry welcomed him differently.

His appearance in Funke Akindele’s Omo Ghetto: The Saga is widely regarded as the role that reignited his career, paving the way for a string of major projects that have since cemented his place among Nollywood’s leading actors.

Looking back on his journey, Okanlawon said it all began in 2010 when he landed his first two acting roles.