Have you ever met Abulateef Adetola before? If you have, you must have immediately noticed his striking resemblance with Yoruba Star actor, Odunlade Adekola. He is as handsome as Odunlade. And his career is currently blossoming just like Odunlade. Some producers who can’t get or afford Odunlade settle for Lateef. Last week, in an interview with City People, he spoke about his rising career in acting.
How come you look like Odunlade Adekola?
(He smiles) A lot of people tell me that. I didn’t know him before. We only met recently.
Can you tell us more about Lateef?
I am a Muslim. I am a graduate of Mass Communication from Olabisi Onabanjo University. I present with Orisun TV, the Yoruba version of NIGEZIE. Basically, theatre has been what I do for long. I started my journey with a non-governmental organization, called Community Life Project whose main style of passing information across to the people is through dance, acting and songs. That was way back in my secondary school. Ilamoye Grammar School, in Okota.
The community Life Project is in Isolo. They always go to secondary schools to bring their best student and train them into acting to get message across to the grassroots people about HIV/AIDS. They actually molded me into acting. They later passed me on to African Radio Drama Association that does basically radio dramas on sexuality Issues and I started writing scripts for radio. I presented on Radio Lagos as a freelance for African Radio Drama Association for a year. That was 2004 and 2005.
Basically that was where my career started, when I produced my movie in 2007, my 1st Movie, I was advised to go join a movie caucus in the Yoruba movie industry that one need to belong to a caucus before people can start calling you for jobs. I had to join the Afeex Eniola/Muyiwa Ademola/Adebayo Tijani caucus. And that is where the career started.
How did you meet Odunlade Adekola?
I met him when I was shooting my very first movie; I featured in, in school in 2006. Uncle Peter Fatomilola was the first person that saw me and asked if I have met with Odunlade Adekola, and I said No. I haven’t because I didn’t use to watch Yoruba Movies then. So, when he told me that I look so much like him, he said I should go and watch Akobi Gomina, so I saw the movie.
On that location he Odunlade Adekola him that he has seen someone here who looks like him. He spoke with mw over the phone that they said we look alike, and I responded that, this was what I was told. We laughed over it. 3 years later, we met on location of Ko Gbodo Mo. That was the title of the movie, I was his house boy and that was the first movie set where we met. After that we started meeting.
The 1st movie I played the lead alongside him was Kulosoni, which was shot in Ilorin.
It was directed and produced by Yemi Amodu that was how I met him then. It’s not been easy, its been a very tough one. As a starter there is no money to be made. You don’t come into it thinking that you will get money. When I finished school in 2007, I was supposed to start looking for how to get jobs because my parents were already saying when you finish you will be able to help your siblings. But money wasn’t forthcoming.
It was directed and produced by Yemi Amodu that was how I met him then. It’s not been easy, its been a very tough one. As a starter there is no money to be made. You don’t come into it thinking that you will get money. When I finished school in 2007, I was supposed to start looking for how to get jobs because my parents were already saying when you finish you will be able to help your siblings. But money wasn’t forthcoming.
If I go on location, I had to go back home to say please borrow me money I have to go back to location. They used to make fun of me. I was always asked, were you not paid where you went to? And I would explain to them saying Nooo! They said I am still learning ooo. And they were like you don’t mean it?
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