Speaking in a recent episode on the Deep Dive podcast hosted by TV host Teju Babyface, Deyemi Okanlawon revealed that though he had his wife’s support when he started his acting career, she eventually “became uncomfortable after a few years,” prompting him to stop acting briefly in 2019.
“I remember sitting my wife down. We got married in January, this was August. I sat her down and said this is what is going on. And I am scared. We talked through it and I assured her that look, we had some money here. I have invested some money over here. I am kind of good for us over one or two years,” he said.
It didn’t take long for his wife to notice his attitude to acting and a corporate move. He said of her,
“…She reminded me one night and she said ‘I have watched you shoot from 7 am to 7 am the next day and you were more alive at the end of that 24-hour shoot. This is what you obviously love to do. And I see you wake up and try to go to work dragging yourself. Maybe you should do this. With that, I was encouraged to make that move.
He continued, “I did the first gig. The next gig came. And what I thought was going to be a year, I actually kind of said ‘babe let us try this thing for a year. So after one year, the jobs fell into the next year. It has been 10 years going into 11th.
However, things took another turn “In the middle of the fifth year.” According to Deyemi, his wife woke him up in the middle of the night and said ‘Young man, this is not the deal. What is happening?’ I was like it is working. “I have noticed for the first, second years… I asked for some time.
So in 2019, he quit acting, picked up his resume, and went back to work as the head of marketing for Silverbird film distribution.
According to him, no one was aware he was not acting anymore. People called but he told them he wasn’t available.
He said of this period, “It felt like something was not working. It was very frustrating. She wanted the change. I saw I needed the change. Working with one international streamer was the plan moving forward.”
“I don’t understand fame. I have never dreamt of being an actor. If certain things had happened the way I wanted it to happen, I would never have left the cooperate world,” he said.
“In 2019, I quit acting. Fame is nothing, impact is everything.”
“If look away was a person, that is my baby girl [wife]. I remember one time I went out with friends and some lady tried to kiss me. My wife has never questioned me about female fans flirting with me.
“My wife has not been following me on social media for years. She has never followed me on social media.”
The actor who has featured in over 50 film credits, 8 stage credits, and 2 Television commercials, is one of the most sought-after Nigerian actors with some of his most notable roles being; Omo Ghetto: The Saga, Blood Sisters and King of Boys: The Return of the King, amongst others.
