Nigerian actress and filmmaker Bolaji Ogunmola has opened up about the challenges she faced in the early stages of her acting career, revealing how industry stereotypes tied to skin tone and body shape affected the roles she was offered.
Speaking during an interview with media personality JayOnAir, Ogunmola said she was repeatedly typecast and restricted to certain character roles because she is dark-skinned and curvy.
According to the actress, there was a period in Nollywood when lighter-skinned actresses were more favoured on screen, leaving her confined to “side chick” roles despite her talent.
“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. That went on for a while, and I didn’t like it,” she said.
Ogunmola, who once competed in the Next Movie Star reality show but did not make it into the final house, described her journey in the entertainment industry as challenging but rewarding.
“My journey has been crazy, but I have just kept at it,” she added.
Despite the setbacks, the actress said she remained focused on improving her craft while building financial stability outside acting. She disclosed that she ventured into business early in her career because she was never interested in conventional office jobs.
“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,” Ogunmola explained.
The filmmaker also stressed the importance of financial planning and diversification for actors, noting that fame in the entertainment industry 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 and positioning yourself from now,” she said.
Ogunmola further credited acclaimed filmmaker Biodun Stephen for shaping her understanding of movie production. She said she learned valuable lessons by closely observing Stephen’s work ethic and leadership on set.
“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,” she noted.
