Bolaji Ogunmola Opens Up on Being Typecast in Nollywood

Nigerian actress Bolaji Ogunmola has shared how she struggled with typecasting in Nollywood, saying her physical appearance often influenced the roles she was offered.

During an interview with JayOnAir, Ogunmola revealed that she was frequently pushed into playing “side chick” roles because she is dark-skinned and curvy.

“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.”

The actress also looked back on her early days in the entertainment industry, including her appearance on the Next Movie Star reality show, where she did not make the final stage.

“My journey has been crazy, but I have just kept at it,” she said.

Ogunmola explained that she turned to entrepreneurship alongside acting because she always wanted financial independence outside a traditional office environment.

“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,” she explained.

“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 advised entertainers to think long-term and prepare for life beyond fame by investing wisely and creating additional sources of income.

“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,” Ogunmola said.

The actress further praised filmmaker Biodun Stephen for shaping her understanding of film production 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. Every time I am on set, I am watching her,” she noted.

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