NEED TO KNOW

• Bolaji Ogunmola is a Nigerian actor, filmmaker, and producer who began her professional acting career in 2013.
• She studied Plant Biology at the University of Ilorin and Business Management and Entrepreneurship at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). She also trained at the Royal Arts Academy.
• Ogunmola gained wider attention for playing Aida and Mystic in Sobi’s Mystic. Her other films include Tough Love, Progressive Tailors Club, A Simple Lie, Ajosepo, Japa and Gingerrr.
• She won Revelation of the Year (Female) at the 2020 Best of Nollywood Awards.

Most people know Bolaji Ogunmola as the woman who brings love, heartbreak, and complicated relationships to life on screen. They know the tears, the romance, and the emotional characters that have made her a familiar face in Nollywood.

Her performances feel so believable that some viewers struggle to separate the actor from the women she plays. Ogunmola has faced criticism for romantic scenes and assumptions about her personality, even though the woman away from the camera lives a much quieter life.

She describes herself as deeply introverted. When she is not filming, she is often at home reading scripts, watching films, spending time with family or attending to her businesses.

Speaking exclusively with Guardian Life, Ogunmola talks about the difference between her real life and screen characters, the demands of filmmaking and the future she is building as an actor, producer, and other issues.

Before Nollywood knew Bolaji Ogunmola, who was the young woman behind the ambition, and what did she dream of becoming?
Before Nollywood knew Bolaji Ogunmola, I was just a normal girl trying to make ends meet, to be honest. I went to university and earned two degrees. I also attended the Royal Arts Academy in 2013, which was around the same time I started acting. I just wanted to make ends meet. That was the beginning of all this.

What did you study, and where did you earn your degrees?
My first degree was in Plant Biology from the University of Ilorin. I later studied Business Management and Entrepreneurship at the National Open University of Nigeria.

Why did you choose those courses?
I did not know much about the first course when I chose it. For the second, I wanted to study something useful and in line with what I was trying to do in life. I run a business now, so Business Management made sense.

What was life like while you were growing up?
I was not born with a silver spoon, but my family was comfortable. I grew up with my grandfather, so I spent much of my early life with him. That experience shaped me and made me grow up early.

Did you always plan to become an actor?
No. Acting was not something I planned to do. I tried it, and it worked out. It stayed with me, but it was not something I knew from the beginning that I wanted to pursue. I acted in church, and the rest is history.

When did you realise that people had started noticing you?
I still see myself as a regular person who is fortunate enough to work in front of the camera. I have never thought that I am bigger than anybody else. It is a job, and the only difference is that I work in front of the camera.
I think people began to notice me around 2016, during the ROK era. ROK gave many of us a lot of work, and we were consistent. After some of those films, people started noticing me. That was the beginning.

You once left acting after attending several auditions without getting roles. What made you return?
Yes, I left in 2013. A friend told me, “I think you are very good at this. You should keep going and try again.” I later attended a masterclass where I met Biodun Stephen, and she gave me a chance. I have acted consistently since 2016.

How would you describe your relationship with Biodun Stephen today?
It is very, very good.

Many people consider Sobi’s Mystic a turning point in your career. What did the film reveal about your ability as an actor?
It showed that I could play two different characters in one film and portray them so well that people had to check whether the same person played both roles. The characters were quite distinct, so that became a turning point for me.

You previously spoke about being restricted to ‘side chick’ roles because of your appearance. Has that changed?
It does not happen anymore, and I am grateful to God for that. That was a long time ago. People now recognise the talent. That is the beauty of life. You keep evolving as a person.

Audiences often associate you with romance and emotional films. Do you worry that success in one genre could limit how filmmakers see you?
People also say that I cry a lot and appear in many emotional films. I do not think it is limiting. Those are simply the films that have gone viral. It does not mean those are the only roles I am good at.

Romantic roles sometimes make viewers confuse an actor with the character. How do you protect your identity when people struggle to separate Bolaji from the women she plays?
When you do your work very well, that tends to happen, but those assumptions are not true. I am very different from my characters.

The people close to me are the ones to whom I owe an explanation, not the whole world. I cannot convince everybody that a character is not who I am. My family and close friends know it is a job and that I do it very well.

What part of your personality would surprise people who know only the confident and glamorous women you play?
I am extremely introverted. I hardly go out. My life revolves around work, home, my business, and my family. Those are the things I care about most.

You produce films for YouTube and cinemas. Which platform is easier to work with?
The process is largely the same, although each YouTube project has its own demands. Cinema is more intensive and not as easy as the other platforms.

Why did you create your YouTube channel?
I initially made lifestyle content, but I had films that I had licensed to Africa Magic and IROKO. When the licensing periods expired, I wondered where else I could put them, so I uploaded them to YouTube.

The audience responded immediately. I realised that I could build a community around other things I wanted to do. The experience also sharpened my skills as a producer and helped me understand the details of filmmaking.

You once said YouTube was not designed for films. Why do you believe that?
Films are expensive to make. You can spend heavily on a production and put it on a platform where nothing is guaranteed. I still believe YouTube was not initially designed for films because filmmaking requires a considerable budget.

How much does it cost to produce a film?
I cannot give one figure because films differ. The cost depends on what you want to make, the scale of the production, and the actors involved.

Has YouTube genuinely created opportunities for filmmakers, or has it introduced another difficult system to survive?
YouTube has created opportunities. Filmmakers can sharpen their craft, find an audience, and build a community. It may not always be as lucrative as people expect, but it is a starting point for anyone interested in the business.

It has also created jobs and introduced new stars. We simply want it to become better. We want to produce films with the same high quality people expect on other platforms, but nobody wants to invest heavily in a project without a reasonable return.

That is where the problem lies. When producers can expect a certain return on their investment, they become more willing to improve the quality and scale of their productions.

What advice would you give someone who wants to enter filmmaking?
Research and learn. Watch interviews and films. Ask questions. Attend seminars and masterclasses. That is the first step. Do not simply jump into it because you cannot do something well when you know nothing about it.

Start with whatever opportunity is available to you. The important thing is to begin instead of sitting around and hoping. If an opportunity is available, take it.

How do you balance production costs with the quality audiences demand?
We try our best. It is not easy, and not every film can operate on the same scale. A channel needs both smaller and bigger productions because you have to manage risk. We try as much as possible to find a balance.

As both an actor and a producer, which role gives you greater control, and which brings more pressure?
Both. I enjoy being in front of the camera and playing different characters. It is beautiful to create characters with whom people connect.

I also enjoy the creative side of producing. When you are at the helm, you put all the pieces of the puzzle together. It is interesting and demanding. I am a creator at my core, so it is an amazing privilege to do both.

Does promoting a film heavily guarantee better returns on YouTube or in cinemas?
I cannot say because people approach these things differently. You should promote both. If you have a YouTube film, ensure people see it. It is a project, regardless of the platform, and every producer wants the project to be seen.

You once described yourself as one of the smartest people anyone could meet. What did you mean?
The question in that interview was about why people often assume that certain people are not intelligent. I said I was one of the smartest people anyone could meet because there is a stereotype that an attractive person cannot also be intelligent.

We all have brains, and we develop them. People did not watch or read the full interview to understand the context. They simply took that line and ran with it, but that is fine.

If you have to dance for people to notice your YouTube film, please go ahead.

What does Bolaji Ogunmola do when she is not in front of the camera?
I watch films at home, read scripts, go to the gym, and attend to my other businesses. There is always something to do outside acting.
We are currently in pre-production for six films that we will begin shooting next week. There is a lot of planning and running around. It has been a crazy week. I come home, sleep, wake up, and return to work. It is not easy, but I thank God.

You often interact with people on X. Do you still intend to continue doing that, and why?
X used to be a place where people could relate and have intelligent conversations. I also wanted to speak personally with fans and audiences so they would not feel that I lived in a bubble and ignored them. I wanted them to feel invested in my journey, even when we disagreed.

However, that may no longer be the right approach in 2026. Things are easily misconstrued. People create drama where there is none and give meaning to things you did not even consider.

I am human. Nothing I have said or done on X was intentionally malicious. I do not like quarrels. I have realised that the platform may no longer work for me, so perhaps I will post my films and leave.

Some people appear interested only in creating drama. The intention seems to be to cause chaos instead of having meaningful conversations that move things forward. There is often a strange agenda or narrative, and people look for a scapegoat.

I do not have the energy for that. The curses, negativity, and toxicity have become very bad. X used to be a good place.

How do you feel when people attack you for playing romantic roles?
It comes with the job. I am happy that they watched the film. Sometimes the reactions make me sad, but I understand that they are part of the work I do, so I move on.

Have you ever rejected a role because you did not want to play the character?
Yes. I turn down a role if I do not like the story or I am unsure about the people behind it. I do not accept everything. At this stage, I am extremely careful about the roles and characters I take because I want to do good, intentional work.

What kinds of roles and stories do you want to pursue next?
I would like to make biopics. I want to work on films that are intentionally well made, regardless of their scale or budget.
Good work begins with the producer, the script, and how intentional everyone is about the story they want to tell. That is the kind of work I want to do.

At this stage of your career, where do you hope your story goes next?
I want to extend the ladder to younger people and those starting their careers. That could come through mentorship, conversations, practical support, or funding. I am interested in providing small amounts of funding to filmmakers who are passionate about a story they want to tell.
I would also like to make films across borders. That would be a dream come true.

What should audiences expect from you next?
We have a film coming to cinemas next year, and I am very excited about it. My company and two other partners produced it. We will share more details soon.

We also have a strong line-up of films coming to our YouTube channel from October through December. We are working.