10 Minutes With Deyemi Okanlawon.

When you talk about Nollywood bad boys, I almost always add Deyemi to my list. I first saw him on the show Desperate House girls on Iroko Tv. Then I saw him in the movies “In our trap,” “taxi,” “diary of a crazy Nigerian woman” and “dreams.” After which I fell in love with his style of acting.

It took me a while to reach out to Deyemi because I had this idea that he was this guy who would totally brush me off if I asked him for an interview. After following him closely in our group “VentVille” on Facebook, my idea of him changed. I realized that he is a very approachable person. Every week he makes motivational posts encouraging us to believe in ourselves and he generally posts positive messages to give us something to smile about. He’s all about self worth and being true to whom you are.

One thing I like about Deyemi is his dedication to putting his family first. In his world, family is everything 🙂

To me, Deyemi is effortlessly stylish. He reminds me of the old Victorian men, with their hats, bow ties and fitted jackets. I admire the fact that when it comes to fashion, he can float comfortably between old and modern. It’s just like art 🙂 Apart from RMD, Deyemi is the only one I can forgive for wearing skinny flooded(ankle length/cropped) trousers with no socks. Funny enough, he has been said to be compared to RMD(Richard Mofe Damijo). Even when it comes to the infamous “beard gang” I am NOT a fan. But you see, Deyemi’s beard, it’s a Super Hero. In fact, it’s the real Black Panther 🙂

 

I remember seeing him in a movie and he was actually eating. I thought “this ajebutter!” Little did I know that his favorite food is Amala with Gbegiri, Ewedu and Ogufe(goat meat). I would really like to see a picture or a video of Deyemi with his fingers stained with Nigerian red stew mixed with some silky yellow bean soup(Gbegiri). That would be a million dollar sight 🙂

Amala, Ogufe(goat meat), ewedu(jute leaves)     and gbegiri(silky bean soup). Image by     Chioma Bethel…Pintrest

I know we all don’t follow celebrities, but there are celebrities I secretly admire for their strength and the way they push through when it comes to their career. I also always wonder “what does this person eat?” “Do they cook?” “Are they picky?” “Goodly” enough, Deyemi is cut very straight and he no sabi do serenren; he just fits :). When it comes to his career, he interprets each role he is given accurately. He plays the perfect taxi driver; just as much as he plays the perfect nappy headed bad boy who is constantly jealous of his brother while he tries to kill a woman who he’s holding hostage.

With this interview, the individual that is Deyemi grew really fast on me and I hope he does on you too; after you have read our interview below.

Nlc: You’re an actor. Where are you from in Nigeria?
Deyemi: “My parents are both from Ogun State. I was born and raised in Lagos State.”

Nlc: How do you balance your family life and your job?
Deyemi: “I try to make sure I make out and dedicate time to family first, my job in
secondary.”

Nlc: I know you said you’re not a foodie, but you like good food. What’s your
favorite food and how often do you get to eat it? Do you cook?
Deyemi: “Amala dished with gbegiri and ewedu and goat meat. Hardly, my wife is a
much better cook than I am.”

Nlc: How did you get your break into the movie scene?
Deyemi: “I started out by doing short films (BLink) and web series (Gidi Up) so I
guess you could say that’s where I was “discovered”.

Nlc: How do you impact the community around you with your work as an actor?
Deyemi: “On and off-screen my mission is to tell stories that educate, inspire and
motivate Nigerians, especially the youth to be the best they can be.”

Nlc: What’s your passion? One thing you’re passionate about.
Deyemi: “I am passionate about… acting!”

Nlc: When it comes to your career, where do you see yourself in the future?
Deyemi: “Continuously doing excellent work as an actor both locally and
internationally as well as take up more responsibility to provide
excellent service in the Nigerian film industry.”

Nlc: What is one thing you want us to know about you, that we do not know?
Deyemi: “I don’t like what I hate” (LOL)

Nlc: You always talk about living your truth. How do you live your truth?
Deyemi: “I live my truth by intensely searching and actively living out my
God-ordained life purpose through each season of my life and breaking away
from self-limitations and the limitations people and society try to place
on me.”

Nlc: What advice will you give to me and others who are pursuing their
passion; mine being food?
Deyemi: “Discover your purpose and passion, pursue excellence in the work of your
hand, seek first to add value to others and then be decisive about what
value you want in return.”

Thank you Deyemi. May the force be with you 🙂

2 comments

  1. Eketi says:

    I like Deyemi, although I know him on Instagram. He seems like a great guy.

    By the way, this picture of amala and ewedu has made me hungry.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.