Femi Adebayo: My father doubles as my boss in the industry

Femi Adebayo is a lawyer, actor, director, producer and filmmaker. A native of Ilorin, Kwara, he grew up in Ebute Metta, Lagos. He attended the University of Ilorin where he obtained a bachelor’s degree, and then proceeded to the University of Ibadan for a Master’s degree in Law. Born into a family of entertainers, he played his first major role in Owo Blow in 1996, a film directed by Tade Ogidan. The movie got him the upcoming actor award and brought him to limelight. In 2016, he was appointed a Special Adviser to the Governor of Kwara State, Abdulfatah Ahmed on Tourism and Culture. Being the son of the legendary actor Adebayo Salami popularly known as Oga Bello, Adebayo got enough training that soared his career. Since 2006, he has starred in over 500 movies, and produced interesting films such as Jelili, Iro Funfun, Etiko Onigedu and most recently King of Thieves (Agesikole). In this interview with IJEOMA THOMAS-ODIA, he shares his experience in the industry and passion for indigenous movies.

Congratulations on your cinema epic, King of Thieves, what did you do differently to attain this height of success?
Honestly speaking, I didn’t anticipate this huge success when I conceived the idea. I was just very particular about doing it right. I felt for a very long time, the Yoruba culture is going out of extinction and I want to do a project that will bring it back to life. What I did differently here is having collaboration.

Also, I have always wanted to do something different as relating to the technical aspect. We have beautiful and fantastic storylines that are indigenous, but most times are not properly shot and done. So, my first point was to ensure it is shot properly, engage the best hands in Nigerian filmmaking.

Having achieved that, I looked at the marketing angle to ensure I have wider reach and so, I collaborated with Anthill studios and it gave me this result.

What can the Yoruba movie industry learn from your work to further improve its quality?
I think quite a number of those in the Yoruba movie industry should ensure that our stories should be shot properly and encourage collaboration. We should also believe more in our stories and ourselves; we should also avoid being scared of taking a risk. I took a risk and it came out this way. This has shown us that taking risks with our indigenous movies and stories that are properly shot and marketed, we will not have a cause to regret it.

What drives you?
What drives me is divine. I am a very determined person, so what I set myself to do, I do it. And most importantly, I have a very supportive wife; she makes it so easy to actualise my dreams. She believes so much in my career. If she is not, I might probably not be able to achieve anything.

Tell us what next you are looking at working on?
I am working on another project; the success of Agesinkole has made me decide that on a yearly basis, I will work on a major indigenous content. This has also proven to me that people appreciate indigenous project. So, I am currently working on an epic movie for next year and I know that people will appreciate it.

Share with us some of the lessons you have learnt through your journey in the industry?
I have learnt to be very cordial and friendly with other colleagues; we need ourselves in the industry. I have also learnt that there is no permanent friend or enemy. Everybody has to be your friend; you obviously need to lean on each other to achieve.

I have also learned that two heads are better than one, teamwork pays, you cannot be all in all. We should stop the habit of one person being the producer, director, scriptwriter and more on a particular project.

When you started out acting, you featured alongside your father. How much impact would you say he has in your career?
My father doubles as my boss in the entertainment industry. I was trained under his school of performing arts over 30 years ago. So, he has a huge influence in my experience and participation in quite a number of movies. Being on set with him obviously, I am still conscious of what I do, because I will expect that he could scold me at anytime. He has a great impact in my life and a huge inspiration to me. He is always playing the role of a supervisory director especially on my projects.

How would you define your style?
I am a very simple person. Simplicity and classy

What does fashion mean to you?
It depends on where I am going; my look should vary if I am going for an award, dinner, and picnic. It is determined by my event.

What is your favourite local dish?
I am not a fan of local food. I love Beans and plantain, if this can be classified as local dish.

Describe Adebayo in three words
Friendly, Godfearing and loyal

What changes do you hope to see in the industry?
I hope to see a significant level of growth in the industry. This will further improve career path for all. Another basic thing is that the government should come in to help us by creating more cinema houses that can be easy to approach, with this I think filmmakers will make more money.