By Agatha Emeadi
Omowunmi Dada has been trending recently as the lead actor in ‘Ada Omo Daddy,’ a 2023 Nigerian movie produced by Mercy Aigbe and recently premiered at IMAX Film House in Lekki, Lagos.
Soft-spoken Dada told Sunday Sun in an interview how she embraced the screen early in life and has lived with it as an adult.
How did you get into acting in the entertainment industry?
I have been that child who is highly interested and engrossed in the personality that I saw on television sets. I was that child who would imitate presenters when they are casting news. I just loved the idea of being on TV, all dressed up, looking really good and pretty, prim and proper and also casting the news. I loved all that and sometime, I thought I would be a presenter and then for films, I loved films a lot and used to act for my parents. As far back as when I was in primary school, I used to imitate actors, say some of their lines and just loved everything television, but then felt I was going to be a lawyer. Anyway, I remembered my dad told me the story of ‘Everyman’ when I was in primary school and as we prepared to leave primary school, I just got all my friends together, and told them, let us the do the story of ‘Everyman,’ while I apportioned roles to them, I did not even know that I was already directing. In primary school, I was in Igbo cultural troupe and was in Yoruba cultural troupe in secondary school and also the assistant secretary general of Press Club. I was in Dramatic, Literary and Debating Club in school and at this point I said I wanted to be a lawyer and that was the profession that I was very passionately inclined; not until I paid a visit to my friend on stage, unfortunately, the character that was supposed to act as Cain in the Bible was not available, therefore, I helped them to read the lines and that was what broke the Carmel’s back. All said, please go ahead and act Cain, I think this was what sparked my interest on acting. So, when I decided to go to university, initially, I chose law, but will always be at the Creative Arts department in University of Lagos. I wrote JAMB again and gained admission to my favourite department to study Theatre and Acting. Then, I started to act from the stage and the good thing with my department then was that my lecturers would always invite professional to come watch our school performances. From my second year in the university, I started doing professional productions and got paid from it. This is my journey into the acting career.
How did you rise to stardom?
My rise to stardom was God most importantly. But then, it has been a gradual process. Right from my university days in Unilag, I would go for auditions, I was also in mini soap opera like Tinsel, I attended a lot of auditions and got a lot of no, but one thing was that I never stopped, even when it was extremely challenging. It’s been a long time coming. I was through with National Service in 2012 and got my first major acting in 2013. It has been 10 years of being professional at it and never an over-night success. But the production that really put me in the faces of the people was Jimmy-Jee. I remember that I was auditioned for a few productions for a film production in 2019 and I did not get the role. But in 2016, when the audition was rife, and someone sent me an invite and I got cast for Jimmy-Jee, and someone remembered me when I came for audition for the role of Folake, the director remembered me and my performances. So, JIMMY-Jee was a 260 African Magic original episode series and I did it for a year and which means I was on people’s TV screen everyday for a whole year. That to a large extent made people to see me more often. Though not a one-day thing. It’s a lot of hard work, consistency and diligence.
Parents then wanted professions like medicine, law, engineering etc, what was their feeling when you showed interest in the entertainment world then and now that you have made it?
My parents, it is extremely different, and again, for the fact that I grew up with disciplinarian parents who felt, they have trained their children enough, to be able to decide what is good for their lives. So, when I told my dad that I was going to be an actor, he was not surprised at all because they had seen it written all over me through different cultural troupes, my dad is a fantastic dancer. I had always re-enacted characters and scenes before my parents, so it was not surprising and, therefore, became very supportive till date. I come from a family where everyone is arts inclined. All my brothers are music maestros, they play the keyboard, organs, guitar, piano and they are extremely good at it.
So, that I chose to be an actor was not a surprise at all and they were extremely supportive. My dad used to be present at all my school stage plays as one of my biggest fans, there are times, he calls me with the name of the character I am playing in a play or film, he would go to the cinema and watch my movies. For me and my family, my parents trusted us in our career decisions. I have an Engineer, Architect and Banker brothers.
How are you coping with the rise?
I am humbled actually seeing people love me, warm up to me, hug me and throwing accolades for the things I do, this is about my craft. Being an actor is from a place of passion and it is my ministry. All the love and support humble me and I am grateful. It is like a lawyer doing his job and being celebrated. Also, because this rise did not come in one day, it’s been long time coming. So, asking of how I am coping, I am still very much Omowunmi Dada; if there is one thing that I told myself even before I started mainstream acting, is never to lose touch with who I am. So, I am still very much the girl next door.
What opportunities being an actress has brought to you?
A lot of opportunities which I am very grateful for. Just recently, for 2023, I am the global artist in residence, for the University of Michigan in United States of America; being an actor was the reason for the recognition; it was an opportunity not just to showcase myself to the world, but the beauty of the African culture, story-telling and African film making. I spoke to a lot of students, lectured and met a lot of people who started to look for their routes and the wonders of Africa. I created content for the student in Yoruba Language and Swahili. So, this is a fantastic international and global opportunity that being an actress in Nigeria has availed me. One of my films also screed in the state of Michigan and 90 per cent of white people who got entangled with Nigeria films are also because I am an actor in Nigeria.
How is society threating you as an actor?
I am very much part of the society and live one day at a time in the society.
How was growing up?
Growing up was fun. I am grateful for the family I come from. I have three older brothers and was a bit of a Tom-Boy, who was very much in touch with her feminism. I played a lot of table tennis, football, fighting wrestling with my immediate older brother. I stopped when he sprained my ankle and I could not walk for some time. We were a nuclear family. At some point, my brothers bullied me and would not let me go out to play as an only girl. I would love to go downstairs to play with neighbours, but my mum would refuse. That also helped me into minding my business as an adult. I remember we go to grandma’s during the festive period, and proceed to the village, where we would go to the stream and swim and bath, I miss those days. My brother learnt keyboard and plays it well, so I play my voice and acting. I also remember that my mum used to decorate my hair with a lot of fancy ribbons. I was the only daughter of a fashionista mother; therefore, my hair must be colorful at all occasions.
What advice would you give to young actors?
Never forget the place of God who is the giver of all gifts. Let God lead you while you follow. Keep working on being a better person, as long as you know your craft, the sky would be your limit.