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In today’s world, it’s almost a taboo to be unidirectional in your career. There are numerous opportunities viable for creatives to explore as many outlets of creativity as possible, and certain personalities have seized this opportunity to explore different art forms.
There is an official term for it – Portfolio Career. Having a variety of roles rather than one job.
What if I told you that some of your favourite actors are more than their acting careers, and some of your cherished artistes do more than songwriting and recording?
Here’s a list of Nigerian celebrities who explore different outlets of creativity.
Tayo Faniran
If you watched the new Jade Osiberu fiilm that’s got everyone talking, ‘Gangs of Lagos’, then this name and face should ring a bell. Tayo Faniran has made a name for himself in the movie industry and has carved a place for himself in our hearts through his role as ‘Ninalowo (Nino)’ in Gangs of Lagos, but what a lot of people might not know is that he’s quite an industrious man.
The actor and second runner-up of Big Brother Africa 9 is the proud owner of Tayo Faniran Clothing, Nsuku Food and Chills, and a skincare brand, Bewaji Cosmetics. That’s a busy man!
Gabriel Afolayan
The award-winning actor has become a household name like his brother and father, Kunle and Adeyemi Afolayan and is recognized for his superb acting skills and versatility. Some of his most popular lead roles include Tavier Jabari in Hoodrush, Kossi in Coming from Insanity, and Chukwudinma in U-Turn which he also wrote, directed, and produced! He was also featured in the popular Netflix limited series, Blood Sisters. Yet, with all this, he also makes music.
Gabriel Afolayan’smusic career began in 1997, and since then, he has released a few singles and two albums, Instinct and Alternative Trip, and I must say, he’s got quite the voice and songwriting skills too.
Funke Akindele
Funke Akindele, or ‘Jenifa’, as she is widely known, is a sensational actress, director, and filmmaker. Some of her most popular movies include Omo Ghetto: The Saga, Battle on Buka Street, Chief Daddy 1 and 2, Jenifa’s Diary.
However, not a lot of explaining needs to be done here as we all remember how the nation expressed shock when she emerged as the running mate to the PDP Lagos state gubernatorial candidate in the 2023 elections.
Jenifa in politics? Even if we were expecting an aftermath of The Return of Jenifa, nobody would have seen that coming! It might also interest you to know that Funke is actually a lawyer. Although she has never practised, she discovered her passion and talent for acting as a law student at the University of Lagos; you know what they say, man proposes…!
Tobi Bakre
It is safe to say that Tobi Bakre has become the talk of the industry with his splendid performances in the movies, Gangs of Lagos and Brotherhood.
He seems to be making a name and carving a niche for himself with these bad-boy roles, and we love to see it! Tobi came into the limelight as a Big Brother Naija Season 3 finalist in 2018, next thing we knew, he was on the set of Hustle, an Africa Magic series, and then he got his big cinema break as a character in the 2019 movie Sugar Rush.
Many might know that he is also a model, and some might know that he co-hosted the very first edition of MTN Y’ello Star in 2018, but only a few might know that he is also a photographer and a visual artist. Talk about multi-talented!
Folarin ‘Falz’ Falana
Folarin Falana a.k.a. Falz the Bahd Guy whose activism recently came to the fore, was raised in a home of activists. He was one of the prominent leaders of the End SARS protest of 2020, but over the years, Falz has proven to be a great and intelligent entertainer.
He has been a comedian, a musician, and an actor, and he’s equally great at all three! As a musician, he has six albums and two EPs to his name. He’s also starred in some Nollywood movies that topped the Box Office charts like Brotherhood (2022), Chief Daddy 1 and 2 (2018, 2022), Quam’s Money (2020), and Merry Men 1 and 2 (2018, 2019).
One admirable thing about Falz is how he combines art with activism by speaking against bad governance through his music. (He still does skits.)
Omawumi Megbele
Omawumi a.k.a Omawonder first shot to the limelight when she emerged as the first runner-up of the inaugural season of Idols West Africa in 2007. She went on to release her debut single In the Music the following year and has released quite a number of hits, including Bottom Belle, If You Ask Me, and Megbele. Interestingly, though, she is as good a singer and songwriter as she is also an actress!
She was among the cast of some popular Nollywood movies like Night Bus to Lagos, Oloture, and a new favourite, Brotherhood, and she played her parts wonderfully. We’re hoping to see and hear more of her in the nearest future!
Uzoamaka Aniunoh
You might know her as ‘Cynthia’ from MTV Shuga, ‘Kumene’ from Riona, ‘Ibiba’ from Venge, or ‘Inspector Ijeoma’ from the AMVCA-nominated series, Diiche, but there’s even more to the real ‘Uzoamaka’ than what we see on screen. This versatile actress is also a writer. Amazing, right?!
Her writing career began professionally with a blog she created while studying at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and got a Master’s degree in Creative Writing from the University of Birmingham. An excerpt from her work, Balcony, was edited and published by world-renowned Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Now, that’s big!
Debo Adedayo a.k.a Mr Macaroni
Mr Macaroni is famous for his hilarious digital content and his signature statements, ‘ooiin’, ‘freaky-freaky’ and ‘you are doing well’. The uniqueness of his comedy skits lies in the celebrity features. Hardly would you find a video of his that doesn’t feature a celebrity you might be familiar with. He has featured some veteran actors like Patience Ozokwor, Kelvin Ikeduba, Kanayo O. Kanayo, and Mercy Johnson, so it might not have come as such a big surprise when we began to see him in movies, and we’re talking blockbusters!
He was among the cast of Gangs of Lagos, Brotherhood, Anikulapo, Ayinla, and Ponzi. One admirable thing about Mr Macaroni, though, is that he knows when it’s time to be serious. Thus, he is an activist.
He joined the End SARS protests in 2020 and has been serving as a voice of the people since then. Debo, you are doing well!
Chike
Chike Ezekpeazu Osebuka, simply known as ‘Chike’ is one of Nigeria’s most cherished loverboy artistes. His debut album ‘Boo of the Booless’ topped the charts and even won the City People Music Awards as the Album of the Year in 2020.
The singer-songwriter also has a couple of hits to his name which include Roju, Running (along with the remix featuring Simi), Amen, Nakupenda featuring Ric Hassani, among others. However, Chike has recently reminded us that as an actor, he’s still got it!
After his excellent performance as ‘Mayowa’ in the 2017 Africa Magic series, Battleground, he played the role of ‘Ifeanyi/Ify’ a.k.a ‘Panama/Pana’ in the trending Nollywood blockbuster, Gangs of Lagos. We’re hoping this will open many more doors for him.
Dorcas Shola-Fapson
Miss DSF, as she’s fondly called, is a DJ who doubles as an actress. She is famous for her 2017 short film, I Got Flowers Today and her role as ‘Sophie’ in MTV Shuga Alone together in 2020. She also made appearances in the Africa Magic series, Hustle and Castle and Castle and was among the main cast of the 2022 Netflix movie, Man of God, but what you probably don’t know is that she’s also an entrepreneur.
Dorcas Shola Fapson is the proud owner of The Blackskin Bible, a brand that caters to people with dark skin, just like her. In fact, the inspiration for the brand came from her own struggles with “problematic” skin. How thoughtful!
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