Olatoun Abidemi Adebowale is a Nigerian actress and a movie producer who also owns an event management firm in Lagos SIMSHA WORLD Of VARIETIES.
Olatoun Abidemi Adebowale was born in Lagos on the 8th of April 1986. She hails from Oke Ago Owu town in Abeokuta , Ogun state.
Our reporter Badejo Adeyemi spoke to her on her aspirations to take the movie industry a notch higher with her current project.
Excerpts
Q: How did you come into the movie industry?
Olatoun: I came into the movie industry through my boss Iyabo Ojo in the year 2010 . Initially, I wanted to apply for the post of presenter for a new program on African magic then which was to be managed by her, because I love interacting , I applied but unfortunately the show was cancelled and she encouraged me to join Future stars an acting school she owned. The deep knowledge and experience still nutured me till today .
Q: Can you recall the first movie you acted?
Olatoun: Awww I can’t really recall the first movie I acted , but I featured in most of Iyabo Ojo and Muka ray released between 2011 to 2013. I featured in Baba no regret , Arinzo, Tembelu , Enu orofo and many others.
Q: Tells us about your first time standing before the camera, what was the experience like ?
Olatoun: Well it was challenging and also fun . It was like a practical examination because most of the things I learnt in acting school has to be displayed on the movie set . It was fun because I got to understand some camera terms like close up shot , wide shot and medium shot and the director was a bit friendly then ( Lasu Ray )
Q: What are the challenges you have faced so far ?
Olatoun: Hmmm a lot ooo , but the major challenge is financial, trust and marketing challenges so far.
Q: How do you relate with your male fan(s) ?
Olatoun: Smiles… I relate with them maturely , politely and in a friendly manner .
Q: What project are you working on presently ?
Olatoun: I am working on different project , but the current one is a web series titled “Market Palava” . Which Is mainly vendors and customers stories , it is entertaining and educative .
next season in few months time before it will be released online .
Q: Of all the movies you have produced or featured, which one is your favorite and why is it your favorite?
Olatoun: My favorite is my first movie production titled Oneness , still showing on YouTube . I will say it is my favorite not because it is my movie but because it broadens my knowledge more on the business and management aspect of movie production and also boost my confidence as a determined actor .
Q: Can you tell us three fun facts about yourself?
Olatoun: I am very playful once am in a good mood , I love to act like a baby even to my teenage kids lol.
Q: My favorite food was yam porridge , but now yam and egg .
Olatoun: I don’t really fancy parties but I love party jollof rice. Other things to know about me, I am a mother of two, aside being an actor and a producer , I am also a chef and manage an event company SIMSHA WORLD OF VARIETIES LTD) and finally I am into Real Estate
Q: What is your take on the quality of movies produced in Nollywood presently compared to the last five years ?
Olatoun: The quality of movie produced now is of great high standard compare to five years ago . Movie productions are now on the competitive level , this has prompt a lot of producers to put in more efforts in getting quality equipments to achieve high standard shots .
Q: As a female actor how do you feel other female actors like you can be protected from producers or directors who request to have them in bed to get an acting role?
Olatoun: Well as for me there is nothing much to be done to protect we female actors from such harassment or attitude , probably if the acting bodies can normalize a call out publicly for anyone doing that , it will stop . But for now my opinion is female actors should try to put in their best in any regular role they are being casted and keep pushing for opportunities out there , they should avoid lobbing for roles , what will be wil be will be .
Q: What inspired your new movie?
Olatoun: My new production is not a movie but a content , more like a series .
I needed stories that are not too common , what people can relate with and learn from while we entertain the viewers . As an entrepreneur and business tycoon , we experience various issues between customers and we vendors , that inspired me to create content on different kinds of customers and vendors and also to promote small business owners gradually .
It is a mixture of Yoruba , English ad pidgin English in other to carry everyone along easily.
Thank you so very much Olatoun for a refreshing session. I have enjoyed this conversation thoroughly.
Olatoun: Thank you so much for having me as well.
