Being an actor or Actress is one of the most challenging professions to pursue. You have to deal with countless rejections, never knowing when you’ll get your next role and usually work a side job to keep your finances healthy.
However, despite this, thousands of people worldwide attend auditions, acting workshops, and drama schools, all in the hopes of appearing on stage or screen. Acting isn’t just a job – it’s a passion, and every actor and actress puts up with rejection and job uncertainty because they love to perform and relish every chance they get to do it.
Our Correspondent recently spoke with Oludolapo Afolakemi Oyebamiji, a gifted thespian, she spoke on what inspired her to become performer. Her challenges, motivation for becoming actress is highly inspiring, she relayed her message with much tenacity and what endeared her into acting above what her parents wish for her.
Here’s what she shared:
Her Background
My name is Oludolapo Afolakemi Oyebamiji.
I’m an actor and a producer.
I’m a native of Osun State, I studied Guidance and Counseling from the premier university of Ibadan Oyo State. I am married.
My Journey Into Acting
I started acting on February 9 2009. I just saw that I have an intense passion for acting and every situation looks like a script and drama to me, so I thought I should pursue my passion, which I’ve never regretted doing.
Though starting a career in acting was a big deal for me as my parents are medical practitioners. My father is a Medical Doctor and my mother is a Chief Nursing Officer matron. My parents wanted me to be either a doctor or a lawyer but I was able to convince them to allow me to act which they eventually did.
My Challenges in the Profession
Challenges are inevitable in all professions, even in a family as a whole. But here in the movie industry, getting good roles when you are just starting and getting well paid is the first ever challenge to be faced, which God has taken me past. But now, the challenge is managing my time between work and family because this acting thing is so time consuming. But I now have a schedule manager who has really helped with that.
My Role Model
Sola Sobowale a veteran actor is my role model
She is an incredible woman, she really knows how to interpret roles and she delivers her lines with full authority and power. That’s what I really love to do
My First As An Actress
I actually did well, I was a bit scared within me but I managed not to express that emotion. I was just praying silently not to forget my lines and act well. But as an actor, no matter how bold you think you are, you will fidget a bit on your first day of acting. The lightings, the total silence, all the crew watching just you, and the shout of Action from the director might make you forget lines. But determination is the only thing that keeps one through the first experience
And I can boldly say I am a professional production manager too because I was trained in Acting, producing and production management because my boss Owolabi Ajasa is an A list production manager and you can’t go through him and not know the in and out of production management, So I’m a three in one person.
