Nollywood actor Deyemi Okanlawon has opened up about the period he stepped away from acting, revealing that dissatisfaction with the quality of work and the financial rewards prompted his decision.
Speaking on the CreativiTea podcast, Okanlawon said he left the industry in 2019 after becoming increasingly frustrated with the roles he was offered and the compensation attached to them.
According to the actor, he questioned whether pursuing his passion was worthwhile when it no longer gave him a sense of purpose or professional satisfaction.
He explained that he had left a conventional 9-to-5 job to build a career in acting, but eventually felt the work available at the time did not meet his expectations.
Okanlawon said the experience became so discouraging that he found it difficult to stay motivated, leading him to return to corporate employment.
“So, I quit acting in 2019. I quit because the pay and the work were nonsense. And I just felt like I didn’t leave 9-to-5 work to come and do mediocre work,” he said during the interview.
He added that the lack of fulfilment made it increasingly difficult to continue in the profession, despite his passion for acting.
Although he temporarily exited the industry, Okanlawon has since returned to the screen and has established himself as one of Nollywood’s prominent actors, featuring in several acclaimed film and television productions.
