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For Oluwashola Ogundele, acting is not just a profession, it is a calling that has shaped his life since childhood.
Today, he is celebrated as an actor, and producer with a strong footprint in the Nigerian performing arts scene. His path, however, was not built on privilege or a straight line of opportunities. Instead, it emerged from passion, persistence, and an unshakable belief in the transformative power of storytelling.
Ogundele’s journey began in the church, a place where his earliest creative instincts were nurtured. “My church gave opportunities to young folks to participate in various activities,” he recalls. “Some went into the choir, some into ushering, others into protocol. But I gravitated toward drama, and I was good at it.” Those small church performances planted the seeds for what would become a lifelong passion.
When the time to pursue formal education came, Ogundele set his sights on studying performing arts at university. Although, his initial application was unsuccessful, he did not let the rejection deter him. “Even though I wasn’t admitted at first, I was always invited for productions,” he says.
By the time he was in his third year, he had staged his own play, ‘Black Friday’, a production that cemented his identity as a rising talent in Nigerian theatre.
That resilience has defined his career. Ogundele has gone on to feature in prominent productions such as AWO: The Musical, which toured three Nigerian states successfully, and Shadows of the Ancestors, where he played Ifediba. He has also taken on roles in Obaluaye and Mulatto, a play that pushed him to new heights as a performer. Each role has been an opportunity not just to act but to embody a slice of history, culture, or human struggle.
When asked about his most defining roles, Ogundele does not hesitate to recount the journey. One of his earliest standout performances was as Megida, portraying former Head of State General Ibrahim Babangida. The role was so impactful that it gave him the stage name “Megz,” which still sticks with him today. Another milestone came when he was cast as a slave master, a character that demanded he learn a new accent and carry the heavy psychological weight of cruelty. Then there was King Esupofo in Obaluaye, a dance-based adaptation where he had to train in choreography to deliver a convincing performance.
“These roles showed me that I am versatile,” Ogundele says. “They proved that I could step into any character and bring it to life. Each role shaped me, not just as an actor, but as a storyteller capable of adapting to different artistic demands.”
But perhaps the most challenging of all was his role as George in Mulatto. In this production, Ogundele had to embody the persona of a British slave master, cruel, intimidating, and emotionally complex. It required months of accent training, intense study of body language, and a willingness to shed his natural comfort zone. “It was tough, but it paid off,” he admits. “That role gave me my first standing ovation in theatre, and I’ll never forget it.”
While acting remains his core, Ogundele has also built a reputation as a coach and mentor. Through workshops and training sessions, he helps aspiring performers find their unique voices. His teaching philosophy is simple but profound: every artist has something original to offer.
“I believe every artist has a unique voice,” he explains. “My job is to help them explore their personal style and themes, and discover what resonates most with them.”
His sessions range from foundational skills like diction, movement, and stage presence to advanced techniques involving improvisation, voice modulation, and character development. “I provide hands-on exercises that promote experimentation,” he adds. “It’s about giving young actors the freedom to discover new ways to express themselves.”
For Ogundele, improvisation and voice training are more than just technical tools, they are survival strategies in the world of theatre. His years in school, where productions often happened spontaneously, taught him the value of always being prepared. “Because many of our productions were impromptu, I learned early that no role should ever catch me off guard,” he says.
Voice, too, has been an essential part of his growth. By studying great actors and mimicking the depth, range, and flexibility of their voices, Ogundele has built a vocal toolkit that allows him to take on a wide variety of characters, from kings to villains to narrators.
In addition to acting and coaching, Ogundele has ventured into producing plays. For him, stepping into production was a natural evolution. “As an artist, your creativity should not be limited,” he insists. “I didn’t just wake up one morning and decide to produce a play. I had observed the craft for years and learned the rudiments of producing a successful performance.”
Production, he notes, requires more than artistic talent, it demands business acumen. “You have to be both skillful in the craft and business-minded. Producing is a mix of doing something different creatively and also being smart about sustainability.”
Unlike in film, where actors sometimes have a say in the roles they pursue, theatre often leaves little room for choice. “You really cannot choose the roles you want to play,” Ogundele admits. “Casting directors or producers already have a role for you. My responsibility is to play it in ways that surpass expectations.”
This mindset has made him deeply committed to every project, whether lead or supporting. “All it takes is one role to change your career trajectory,” he says. “So I put in my best every time.”
Ogundele’s passion for diverse cultures has greatly influenced his approach to acting. For him, understanding the cultural background of a character is just as important as memorizing lines. “Playing a character transcends knowing the script word for word,” he explains. “You need to understand the culture, the history, and the motivations behind the character. That understanding is what brings authenticity to a performance.”
If there is one philosophy Ogundele holds dear, it is that storytelling is the foundation of theatre. “Storytelling is what keeps the audience in their seats,” he emphasizes. “People say plays should not be longer than two hours, but I disagree. The reason audiences binge entire TV series in one sitting is the same reason they will sit through a three-hour play, if the story is compelling enough.”
Despite his successes, Ogundele acknowledges that the performing arts in Nigeria face significant challenges. Chief among them is competition. “There are so many great actors, and maintaining your stance in front of casting directors and producers is tough,” he notes. But for him, competition is not discouragement, it is motivation to keep improving.
He also worries about the cultural shifts in theatre. While he appreciates the innovations modern theatre brings, he is concerned that traditional values are being lost. “On the good side, new approaches are making theatre dynamic. But on the bad side, some of the hardcore principles we were trained with are fading away. If we are not careful, we may lose that depth of theatre we once had.”
Ogundele is not slowing down. His latest ambition is to create a one-man stage play, directed by Moshood Fattah. One-man shows are rare in Nigerian theatre, and he is eager to take on the challenge. “I believe it will be awesome,” he says confidently. “It’s not something you see every day, and I want to push myself to create something extraordinary.”
To young actors and performers hoping to find their place in the industry, Ogundele offers timeless wisdom. “Be original,” he says firmly. “Don’t try to be someone else. Carve your own niche and let it pave the way for you. And above all, be consistent. Consistency is key.”
His advice is grounded not just in personal experience but in the reality of an industry that can be both rewarding and unforgiving. “The challenges are real, competition, rejection, and limited opportunities. But if you stay true to yourself and keep pushing, you’ll find your place.”
At the heart of Ogundele’s journey is a relentless passion for performance and a belief in the power of storytelling. From his early days in church drama to the national stage, from acting to coaching and producing, his story is one of resilience, versatility, and vision. He stands as a reminder that in theatre, as in life, the roles we play are less about the scripts we are given and more about how we choose to interpret them.
