Lack of Instagram Followers Held Me Back’ – Deyemi Okanlawon on His Early Acting Challenges
Deyemi Okanlawon recently shared how not having a large Instagram following hampered his progress as an actor during his early days in the industry.
In a conversation on the Echoo Room Podcast with host Quincy Jonze, Okanlawon revealed that numerous producers turned him down because his social media presence was not strong enough.
“Not having Instagram followers hindered me. I’d tell myself, ‘I’m the guy who comes to kill himself on set. Why am I being judged by the number of followers I have?’” he explained. “I realized there’s no point fighting it. There will always be new people who care more about the brand than the craft. So, I decided to start building my brand.”
However, his fortunes changed when prominent filmmakers Funke Akindele and Kunle Afolayan offered him roles in their projects.
“Just when I thought everything was over, I got a call from Funke Akindele, next was Kunle Afolayan, then Mo Abudu and Niyi Akinmolayan. By the end of 2020, ‘Omo Ghetto: The Saga’ hit the cinemas and became the highest-grossing movie, with me as the lead actor. I also became the highest-grossing actor at the time,” Okanlawon recounted.
When asked about his favorite actors in Nollywood, he named Richard Mofe Damijo, Olu Jacobs, and himself. He also expressed admiration for Bimbo Manuel and Femi Branch.
Okanlawon added that his ultimate goal was not acting but achieving greatness.
“Acting was never the dream. Greatness was the dream. Anytime someone tells me they want to act, I ask, ‘What else do you know?’ If you’re a martial artist coming into the acting industry, you’re different. Learn to not box yourself into one thing. Bring something else. Learn something new. Don’t be a small dreamer. Go for it all. Never let your current situation limit the size of your dreams,” he advised.
