Standing ovation for leading stars of Citation

The following spot is on the leading men and ladies of the compelling Nigerian drama on rape culture Citation —Jimmy Jean Louis, Temi Otedola, Gabriel Afolayan, Adjatey Anang, Joke Silva, and Ini Edo. These notable screen celebrities put up a delightful performance in the 151-minute movie about a 21-year-old female student on a Nigerian campus who was forced to find a way to deal with an awkward situation of sexual harassment from a male lecturer.

Directed by Kunle Afolayan and written by Tunde Babalola, if the movie has continued to retain number one position on Netflix where it is currently streaming, it is because the movie is not just a delight to watch; Afolayan pulled a good cast that gave the movie its acting credits. The spotlight is on some of the leading men and ladies.

Temi Otedola (Moremi)
THIRD Daughter and last child born to the billionaire Femi Otedola, Temi played Moremi Oluwa, the lead character and the fun-loving 21-year-old student who dragged her lecturer before the University’s Senate over a case of sexual assault. It was Temi’s debut movie appearance and the younger sister to popular disk jockey Dj Cuppy was believably in character.

Temi was steady and she lived the role of Moremi so well that many are still wondering if indeed her outing as Moremi was her first time in a movie. A fashion and travel blogger, Temi who was lavish with gratitude to Kunle Afolayan for the opportunity to express herself, is the honcho of JTO Fashion, a multimedia platform from which she expresses her fashion, beauty, art, and travel exploits.

Currently a student of Art History at the University College in London, Temi like her elder sisters- Tolani and DJ Cuppy – have enjoyed the backing and support of their dad in the quest for a successful career in the entertainment industry.

Gabriel Afolayan (Koyejo)
THE multi-talented Gabriel Olasubomi Afolayan played the role of Koyejo, a medical student who had a crush on Moremi but stood by her all through her travails with the randy Professor. And Gabriel, younger brother of the filmmaker Kunle Afolayan, lived the role delightfully.

Son of the legendary filmmaker late Chief Adeyemi Afolayan, the ‘Kokoro Ife’ (Love Bug) crooner who is also a singer, put up a convincing act in the well-helmed movie that has a social value proposition. Indeed G-Fresh, as Gabriel is fondly called by close friends and colleagues, has acquitted himself severally as an actor and he has raked in plenty of awards as an actor including the Most Promising Actor’ award at the 2012 Yoruba Movies Academy Awards and the awards of ‘Best Actor in a Supporting Role’ and The ‘Rising Star’ at the Nollywood Movies Award (NMA). He previously won an AMAA crest for supporting actor.

Born into the arts, Afolayan studied theatre arts at the University of Ibadan (UI). He graduated in 2004, returned to the acting scene, and since then he has not looked back. The bearded actor has featured in a couple of movies and television programmes including Ojuju, Kasala, King Invincible, Heroes and Zeros, Tatu, and For Maria: Ebun Pataki.

Jimmy Jean-Louis (Professor Lucien Nd’yara)
HAITIAN-AMERICAN actor and producer Jimmy-Jean Louis played the role of Prof. Lucien Nd’yara, the respected academic who was dragged to a panel of the University Senate over a case of sexual assault brought against him by the fun-loving 21-year-old postgraduate student Moremi. And the actor and producer who are best known for his role, as ‘The Haitian’ on the popular NBC television series Heroes, was believable as the randy professor whose world was pit against that of his intelligent but yet fun-loving student.

An actor who is having his second outing with Kunle Afolayan having starred in Afolayan’s last huge effort CEO, Jimmy started his career as a model and was very successful as an international model. The actor who studied business in graduate school and who speaks five different languages- English, Spanish, Italian, Creole, and French moved to Paris early in his career and later to Spain where he furthered his modeling career and had early roles in television commercials and in Spanish musical theatres.

Jimmy later moved to Los Angeles in the late ’90s and whilst there, he featured in a movie before breaking out in the widely travelled film Toussaint Louverture. Star and co-producer of the hit film Rattlesnakes, Jimmy has a starring role in season two of the television show Claws and he has made a name playing The Haitian on the series Heroes.

Adjetey Anang (Kwesi)
THE handsome and trendy Ghanaian actor, who is popular as Pusher, played the role of kwesi, Moremi’s coursemate in Citation. An actor of vast credit who was voted Africa’s best actor in a supporting role in an earlier edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), Pusher combined so well with Temi and Ini Edo who played Gloria to make their outing in the movie a delight to watch.

Citation is Pushers first outing with Kunle Afolayan and the soft-spoken actor thanked Afolayan for the opportunity to strut his stuff. Pusher described working with Afolayan as professional, refreshing, and rewarding. A well-married actor who off-screen is said to be a very shy and reserved person, Pusher’s career ambition is to launch into full-time production and directing.

Ini Edo (Gloria)
POPULAR Nollywood actress Ini Edo played Gloria, Moremi’s roommate, and course mate in Citation. For sure, the Akwa Ibom native interpreted the supporting role with zest. Petite looking and always gorgeously dressed, Ini Edo is an actress of vast credit.

The English and Literary Studies graduate is today ranked amongst the busy actresses in Nollywood. Humble, jovial, and unpretentiously friendly, Ini has had a rapid rise as a screen actress in Nollywood. She formally joined the industry in 2002 graduate school and since she set out, there has been no stopping Ini whose most recent screen effort includes While You Slept, Uyai. Weekend Getaway and Chief Daddy.