Nollywood actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele has reflected on her early years in the movie industry and how determination turned her small waka pass roles into big opportunities.
She revealed that her first major breakthrough came with the 1990s television drama I Need to Know, which also earned her the first one million naira of her career.
In a video shared on her Instagram page on Saturday, the actress said her journey into acting began in 1996 when she struggled to land meaningful roles despite attending countless auditions.
According to her, years of rejection finally paid off in 1999 when she was cast as “Bisi” in I Need to Know, a role she said brought her first major pay.
“I started acting in 1996, doing waka pass roles and going from one audition to another. I kept hearing ‘no’ until I finally got a big ‘yes’ with I Need to Know. That was when I earned my first one million naira,” she said.
Akindele recalled that she nearly lost the part after producers complained that she was overacting during the pilot shoot.
“I performed so well during the pilot and was waiting for a call that didn’t come on time.
When they eventually called me in, they said I was overacting and asked me to go back and study the character again,” she said.
She explained that her younger sister helped her understand how a teenager should sound, which helped her perfect the role.
“She told me I didn’t sound like a teenager. Then she read the script and acted it out for me. I picked it up from there, and that was how I truly became Bisi,” Akindele said.
The actress noted that her performance in the show gave her visibility and marked the beginning of her steady rise in Nollywood.
On how she spent her first one million naira, she said she first showed the money to her mother, who advised her to pay her tithe before she went to Yaba market to buy clothes and shoes.
“I didn’t have good shoes or decent clothes. I paid my tithe and went to Yaba to buy new ones. The girl who once had nothing finally had something,” she said.
