Nollywood actress Bolaji Ogunmola has spoken about the challenges she faced in the early stages of her acting career, revealing that she was often stereotyped and restricted to certain roles because of her appearance.
Speaking in a recent interview with media personality JayOnAir, the actress said industry preferences at the time influenced the kinds of roles she was offered.
“It was almost like they wanted to put me in a box. I am dark-skinned. There was a time when light-skinned people were reigning, and they told me I was very curvy and tried to limit me to ‘side chick’ roles,” she said.
“That went on for a while, and I didn’t like it.”
Ogunmola, who previously participated in the Next Movie Star reality show but did not make it into the final house, described her journey in the movie industry as difficult but rewarding.
“My journey has been crazy, but I have just kept at it,” she said.
The actress also spoke about starting a side business early in her career, explaining that she never envisioned herself working a conventional office job.
“I just wanted my life to have meaning at that time. I am not somebody who likes to sit at home; I wanted to do something. I never wanted to do 9–5. I will not do 9–5—it’s not just me. Shoutout to people who do it, I applaud you. But for me, I am business-savvy like that,” she added.
Speaking on financial discipline and long-term planning, Ogunmola stressed the need for actors to invest and diversify because fame can be temporary.
“Life is in phases. You are popular today, you may not be tomorrow. What are you doing to put food on the table? You should be investing, positioning yourself from now. I have always been that kind of person, so I always have something else I am doing,” she said.
She also highlighted the importance of humility and learning from others in the industry, crediting filmmaker Biodun Stephen for influencing her growth.
“Before you lead, serve. A lot of the things I learnt were from other producers. Biodun Stephen was my first teacher when it comes to movie production. Every time I am on set, I am watching her,” she noted.