Award-winning actress, filmmaker and producer Funke Akindele has opened up about the personal sacrifices she made in pursuit of success, saying years of dedication and hard work have been key to her achievements in Nollywood.
Speaking in a recent interview with BellaNaija, Akindele said her focus on filmmaking often took precedence over her personal life as she immersed herself in research, writing and film production.
According to the actress, she spent years placing her career above self-care, explaining that she rarely paid attention to her appearance except when attending major red-carpet events.
She also said she stayed away from parties and social visits so she could devote more time to her work.
Reflecting on that period, Akindele said she is only now beginning to embrace a more balanced lifestyle by prioritising relaxation and personal grooming.
“It is a lot of work. When I say a lot of work, I mean giving your all to it. I was looking back, and I was telling myself that, ‘People are saying you look beautiful. You’re loving yourself in the mirror. Why did it take you so long to care about yourself?’” she said.
“I abandoned myself for work. I don’t even make my hair, except when I am going on the red carpet for something very important. I don’t attend parties. I don’t visit people. I put everything into work. Research, writing, work.”
The filmmaker said her demanding schedule required significant personal sacrifices but believes those decisions contributed to her success in the industry.
“It was a lot of sacrifices for me. So for me to get all these achievements, for my last movie ‘Behind The Scene’ to gross 2.7 billion naira, it required many sacrifices,” she added.
Akindele attributed the continued commercial success of her films to maintaining a strong work ethic and giving every project her full attention, saying unwavering commitment remains central to her approach to filmmaking.
