Tokunbo Malvins has opened up about the struggles he faced while chasing his acting dream, revealing that he spent six years sleeping on a burial ground and lived at the beach for a whole year in pursuit of his career.
Malvins recounted his early career struggles during a recent interview on Oyinmomo TV.
The comic actor revealed that he left his father in 1991 to pursue a career in acting, beginning with stage performances at various ceremonies as part of a travelling theatre group.
He explained that despite performing tirelessly at different events, the group received no payment for their efforts.
He also spoke about squatting with six other apprentices in cramped quarters, but even that space came with conditions that pushed him to unimaginable lengths.
“I slept on the burial ground for six (years). It was the house where I was living when I was learning about travelling theatre. The burial ground was directly behind the burial ground of the landlord named Alhaji Toriola,” he said.
“The room was small. I only kept my luggage in the room. I stole a woven cloth at a movie location. It was the cloth I would spread on the burial ground to sleep on. Any time the door was locked, it meant I would be sleeping in the burial ground. That was how I slept for six years.”
“From there, I graduated to the passage. There was a woman who always warned us not to sleep in the passage. Anytime we refused to listen to her, she would intentionally pour urine on us.”
The comic actor revealed that his breakthrough finally came when he met Gbenga Adewusi, CEO of Bayowa Films, who offered him his first television compere role at LTV 8.
He said that appearance brought him into the spotlight and marked the beginning of his journey to recognition as a comic actor.