Oluwaseyi Akinsola: The Dream to Become More

Sometime in 2018, Oluwaseyi Akinsola was with a group of his classmates. He was sitting on the floor with his fellow classmates and watched as some of his classmates rehearsed a stage play that would be graded as a course for him in the university. He had joined the group late because he was hoping to get admitted to study Law. But it failed to happen, so he settled for English, where he was to participate in a theatrical performance as a compulsory course. Moments later, Oluwaseyi was summoned to pick up a role and at that moment, his performance captivated the director of the stage play. Oluwaseyi would go on to compose a song for the orchestra group of the play.

“I have always been a performer ever since I was little but funnily enough, I didn’t think I would choose acting as a career. My passion for acting started growing expeditiously when I got admitted to the University of Ilorin. My first audition for a theatre course in university then; no word, till date, can explain how I felt, the joy knew no bounds and at that point, I knew this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.”

Since Nigerian Nollywood has been yielding with evolution and advancements, the industry has welcomed a new generation of actors and actresses to our screens. There used to be a time when familiar faces got thrown at our screens, and without alternatives, we watched on. This evolution has allowed the industry to stretch in experimenting with different forms of genres like having Nigeria’s first Netflix Original Series, Blood Sisters, and Nigeria’s first Young Adult Series, Far From Home. These new experimentations allow for new and young actors to be introduced and gain the spotlight. It is undeniable to accept that Mike Afolarin’s talent became appreciated for his outstanding performance as the lead character in Far From Home.

This has bolstered a new form of confidence in young Nigerian actors to dream. And it was this dream that Oluwaseyi Akinsola, subtly called Seyi, jerks on his back to drive himself on. Seyi, like other young actors, knew that getting an appearance on the screen on big projects was a cliff they dared not to climb. With the evolution that has caught up with the industry, Seyi believes someday he’d become a global star.

He is on the path. When he sees his face on posters hung on the street lights in Lagos as one of the stars in Wura, Showmax’s first telenovela series, the dream becomes a form in his head. “I am on the path”, he said to himself. Seyi plays Femi in the series.

“The past years have been great, all thanks to God, but working on two Africa Magic projects, award-winning movies and Showmax’s first telenovela series, I think the world is getting ready to experience Oluwaseyi Akinsola properly.”

When describing how he got to be on this profound project, he said, “Audition”. He put in through an online casting call, submitted the necessary information about himself, got called back and the journey began for him. He’s that brilliant and talented.

Apart from being the grandson of the late veteran Nollywood actor, Chief Duro-Ladipo, Seyi also worked hard on himself to improve on what he has a passion for.

“I can say I discovered this talent myself, and being the grandson of Late Chief Duro-Ladipo is just by the side, which I’m proud of. Basically, I am involved in a lot of artistic creations. Aside from acting, I direct [movies], I’m a fashion designer, a media presenter, interior decorator and yes, I own an Adire textile production brand.”

Despite blooming, the Nigerian movie space is still difficult to crack and poses a lot of challenges to young actors. “So many [young] actors work tirelessly on their crafts just to be undervalued and underpaid by producers. This is one aspect we can’t overemphasize. Not all producers of course but others need to understand that actors are key to the success of their works, they should be paid and appreciated well. Actors should not go through the stress of asking for what they deserve when they’re giving their best on your project,” Seyi said.

However tumultuous, Oluwaseyi is not deterred to get on more projects and put his best. It is primarily for passion, and once needed effort has been invested, the incentives will definitely come. This is why Seyi has a lot of actors he would love to collaborate with or work with.

“I have a few Nigerian actors that I wish to work with but Richard Mofe Damijo (RMD) tops the [list].”

He is one of the blooming talents to watch for this year and in the coming years. He’s currently working on projects and also awaits the release of the projects he’s worked on like One Night Stand and Last Days in Lamaki, both coming out this year.

“Nollywood is growing and I’m glad we young actors are finally getting the chance to expose our talents to the world. I believe more producers are starting to see the need to put new, fresh and young talents out there for the sustainability of the industry”.