Actor and filmmaker Lateef Adedimeji has disclosed that his frequent crying scenes at the beginning of his acting career were a calculated move to stand out in the highly competitive movie industry.
Speaking in an interview on The Morayo Show, Adedimeji explained that breaking into Nollywood was challenging, prompting him to develop a unique style that would leave a lasting impression on audiences.
He also revealed that, at the start of his career, many people identified him because of his striking resemblance to a senior colleague.
While he appreciated the comparison, he wanted to be known for something uniquely his own.
“When I came into the industry, it was quite challenging. I resembled one of my senior colleagues whom I love so much. People would say, ‘That guy who resembles Odun, Odun’s brother.’ It was a beautiful thing because they were comparing me to someone great, but at the same time, as a practitioner, people need to know you for something of you”
“So I had to sit, did a lot of research, I asked myself, ‘What is it that people are not paying much attention to that is still important?’ So if I were given a role where I only had to shed tears for two seconds, I would mount pressure on it and make those tears come well”
“So at one point, people started calling me a crying machine. They didn’t know my name, but they would say, ‘That guy who cries so much in movies’ when describing me.
“That was when I knew I was getting somewhere because people were beginning to identify me with something that is of me; then, eventually, you get to know my name,” he said.