Nollywood actor Deyemi Okanlawon has given fans a deeper look into why he once stepped away from acting, and the story is more personal than many expected.
Speaking on the CreativiTea podcast, Deyemi explained that he left the industry in 2019 because the money simply did not match the effort he was putting in. He said the standard of work around him also left much to be desired at the time.
He recalled that he had walked away from a stable nine to five job to pursue acting, so settling for what he called “mediocre work” was never part of the plan. According to him, waking up each day for such low reward work became draining, and he questioned the point of pursuing a passion that left him unfulfilled. That struggle eventually pushed him back into regular employment.
Deyemi is known for being open about his career journey. He has spoken before about how a lack of social media followers slowed his rise, and about nearly choosing the priesthood over acting as a child. His latest comments add fresh context to how tough Nollywood’s pay structure has been for even its established faces.
