Tomike Adeoye on acting, 'Ajosepo', and loving Tobi Amusan

Nollywood blockbuster ‘Ajosepo’ star, Tomike Adeoye, talks about her acting career, equal pay for national teams, her love for Tobi Amusan, and more in this interview with PETER AKINBO

How did you start your acting career?

To be honest, acting was not my intention. It was something that was born as a result of my trying to push somebody to act. So, there was this roommate back in school who was a very good actress, and I was pushing her to go for auditions, and then she said if I didn’t go with her, she wouldn’t go for that audition, that she needed moral support, and so I went with her. But I ended up getting there before her because she had a class that day or so, and I was just like, ‘let me just drop my name’, because they were writing numbers. And I couldn’t write her name for her, so I just wrote my name, and they called me, and I got the role. That was how acting started for me.

What made you keep at it after the first role?

The honest truth is that I didn’t like acting. It’s very time-consuming, and because I’m also a content creator, and in one to five minutes, I am done shooting my content. I can control how long it is going to be, unlike acting, which is dependent on other actors, the production crew, the console, camera, and lights. So, it’s more time-consuming than content creation, but I just decided to try again. I didn’t act for a while, but I decided to try again after I had my second child. They called me for two different movies around the same time, and I just said, ‘Let me do it.’

Did your parents support you going into acting?

Yes, they did. They have always supported my career choices, and I think if I had even pursued sports, then they would have really supported me with all they had.

What would you say has been your favourite movie to shoot?

Oh, it’s definitely Ajosepo. I absolutely loved everything about it, my co-actors, the vibe was so good, we were either always dancing or singing. I feel like they didn’t let me feel the stress of how time-consuming acting is. It was fun working with them, Timini (Egbuson), Mike Afolarin; our behind-the-scenes shoots were always lit. I think that was what I loved the most about filming Ajosepo. And you know when you are doing something, and from filming, you already love how interesting it is. There were some scenes that we had to do multiple takes because we would just burst into laughter while we were shooting. That was one project I really appreciated, and I was so glad. I wasn’t disappointed that I joined the movie because I mean, it’s Kayode Kasum, he’s an amazing director.

While growing up in school, what sports did you participate in?

I participated in a lot while I was in school. I did mostly races, sack races and relay races; it was quite fun.

Were you good at it then?

Not that I remember, I don’t think I won medals then either. It was mostly about the fun and participation for me.

You have co-organised a Celebrity Inter-House Sports, can you tell us about it?

Yeah, Enioluwa Adeoluwa and I did that together, and it was so fun. It brought back so many memories and the joy that we had back in the day; it made us feel like children again. It was Eni’s idea at first, though, and I came on to support.

What did you enjoy the most about it?

Oh my God, I enjoyed the chaos of it all. The event itself was fun; it was just vibes, and nobody was too serious. We were competing, but it was fun, more fun than the Inter House Sports we did as kids. I know I won one competition, threading the needle, and I was so happy.

Did you grow up in a sports-loving household?

Well, my mum loved Scrabble a lot, and I think she passed that down to me, and I love the sport as well. I was very good at Scrabble, but it wasn’t a sport that my school played in then.

Who would you say is your favourite sportswoman?

I would say Tobi Amusan, she keeps breaking her own records, and I think that’s remarkable. It is one thing to be good and just get comfortable with being good, but Tobi is never comfortable. She always strives for better, and that’s just impressive and incredible.

Are you an advocate of equal pay for male and female national teams?

Yes, of course, I think so. The country should be fairer to everyone. I don’t think it matters that some people get more revenue because we know the males have started since, and that is from outside, from those holding the competitions. Internally, from the country itself, I think they should support all athletes the same, regardless of gender. The government should not be biased, and since the female athletes are doing well, if not even better recently, I think they should get equal treatment.

Would you encourage your kids to pursue a career in sports?

Yes, my son will play ball o. Either football or basketball, he will play one. We already have so many balls for him, and he is just one year old, so he will definitely like sports.

Click here to read article