Producers rejected me due to my limited social media presence – Nollywood actor
Nollywood actor, Deyemi Okanlawon, has opened up about the obstacles he faced early in his career. In an interview on the Echoo Room Podcast, Okanlawon said despite his talent he was repeatedly rejected by producers due to his limited social media presence. He recalled feeling frustrated and undervalued, but instead of giving up, he chose […]
Nollywood actor, Deyemi Okanlawon, has opened up about the obstacles he faced early in his career.
In an interview on the Echoo Room Podcast, Okanlawon said despite his talent he was repeatedly rejected by producers due to his limited social media presence.
He recalled feeling frustrated and undervalued, but instead of giving up, he chose to focus on building his brand.
According to him, his persistence paid off when he was called to work with top producers.
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He said: “I remember one producer wanted me on a project and when I said this is what I want as a fee, they were like but you don’t have that many Instagram followers. I would tell myself I’m the guy who comes to kill himself on set.
“Why am I being judged by the number of Instagram followers I have? I said to myself, There is no point fighting it. There is always going to be a new set of people who focus more on the brand than they are on the craft. So I said, let me start some brand-building.
“The first call came from Funke Akindele, the next was Kemi Adetiba, then Mo Abudu, Niyi Akimoloyan and Kunle Afolayan.
“In my mind, I was thinking but I’m done, then I thought I need to feed my family so I’m going to do this job. At the end of 2020, Omo Ghetto the Saga hit the cinemas and became the highest-grossing movie and I was the lead actor. I also became the highest-grossing actor at the time too.”
Okanlawon, a Nigerian film, television, theatre and voice actor, is best known for his roles in Omo Ghetto: The Saga, Blood Sisters and King of Boys: The Return of the King.
He has been listed as the highest grossing Nollywood actor of 2020 and 2021.