Olumide Owuru was born on December 11 1994 in Nigeria and is a versatile actor, model and surprisingly, a rapper. He began his acting career at the age of six with the television series, ‘Everyday People’ and is best known for his roles as ‘Tari’ in the Africa Magic series, ‘The Johnsons’. In addition to his entertainment career, Olumide ventured into politics, running to represent Surulere constituency one in the Lagos State House of Assembly in 2023. He spoke in this interview about his journey in Nollywood, politics and his future plans.
A lot of things happened during the election. And funny enough, you ran against a senior colleague in the industry. How did that make you feel? Do you still relate with Desmond after the election? Because there were a lot of stories left, right and center.
So, we haven’t seen since after the election. But I mean, my very first ever acting gig, ‘Everyday People’, he was in the production as well. So he’s known me since I was six years old. I have a lot of respect for him and you know that he’s accomplished in industry as well. So, on my side, I’m cool. Like if I see him, it’s cool, I might even be able to ask some questions. Obviously, he has way more experience politically than I do. But it’s an opportunity that I’m very thankful that I was able to even be a part of. And it’s something that is one of the proudest moments of my life so far, just being able to run at such a young age, because I was 28 when I did that. And that just means a lot to me personally.
There must have been something that prompted that decision, to go all out because you didn’t just say, “oh, I want to contest” and you just let it be on social media, you actually went out and walked your talk. So, what actually prompted that decision to go all out?
We just need to be a part of our affairs. I want to live in Nigeria, I want to raise my family in a Nigeria that is good, that is a land of opportunities. And I know how things were when I was growing up. And it’s just sad to see that we’re just on a downward spiral, almost nothing, minus like the entertainment industry and sports and a few other industries have anything positive. Everything else just seems to be nosediving. And I just really want to be a part of the people that are going to make some form of change in society.
I see that your mother manages your career…
Yes.
Why is that?
My mother has been my manager since day one. She’s the reason why I even started out in entertainment. I started doing radio jingles when I was about a year and a half and I was modeling for corporate brands up until when I was about five. She took me to my first ever audition, which was for ‘Everyday People’. And she took me to every audition I was a part of until maybe I was about 20, 21. So she really was the one who had the vision. I mean, obviously, there was the talent, but she spotted it and she helped me nurture it. And I believe there’s no better person to manage the trajectory of my career than my mom. Even if I do, at some point, get somebody else that’s going to do more of the day-to-day ups and downs, because she can’t be doing that as much, but the person’s still going to report to my mother. My mother is still going to have final say. If she says we’re doing something, we’re doing it, If she says we’re not, we’re not. Because I also trust her discerning spirit as a mother as well. It’s also very convenient. I have 24-7 access to my manager. So that also helps as well.
So ‘Everyday People’ started off your whole career. You’ve done ‘The Johnson’s’ which is quite big, and you’ve moved on to do several other things. My question is, if you look back to where you’re coming from to now, is it that you have this thing for TV only? As much as you’re in films, you’re on streaming platforms, but do you think there’s this affinity for TV?
Well, I started on TV. ‘Everyday People’ was my first big break and that was on TV. But I think the thing for me I like about TV is it allows you to grow into the character because you have a longer period to play the character. For film projects, you just come, you get on set for six weeks, eight weeks, four weeks, whatever the case is, and you’re done. But for TV, it allows you to nurture the character so you can keep adding layers as you even grow and develop as a person and as an actor. So I definitely do have a soft spot for TV, for sure.
Tell us about your love life…
So the thing about being in entertainment is it takes a lot of your time and a lot of your personal space. So you don’t really have a lot of privacy when it comes to you as a person, because a lot of people are trying to find out what’s going on or you’re moving around. There are cameras and there are reporters and things like that. So as much of my life that I could hold on to and feel like that is private for me and the people close to me, I try to be selfish with that as much as I can. Also, just there’s the same pressures that come with being in the industry. And I’m also trying to ease my partner into that because it’s very different from being, as I say, in the regular world. Entertainment is a lot. And if you don’t know how to maneuver in the world, it might be a bit overwhelming. So that’s why I haven’t posted her just yet. But the reason why I do post is at the end of the day, I’m very proud to be in a relationship. I’m not hiding my girlfriend. I recommend even just finding your person because the world is such a crazy place and it just helps to just have somebody that, you know, is in your corner, has your back and more importantly, somebody that you see yourself building a future with and having an amazing family with. And I definitely see all these traits in my partner. So that’s why I post.
Let’s talk about your 2024 project. 2024 was such a great year.
Yes, it was. Yes, it was.
You were in ‘Alakada’. ‘Alakada’ is the second highest grossing at the moment. You are in ‘Lisab’i. As we speak, ‘Lisabi’ is number one on Netflix Nigeria. Part two is number one. Part one is number six as of this morning. I’m looking at your trajectory with the kind of everyday people, ‘The Johnsons’, ‘MTV Shuga’. How do you get into the right production?
I would say number one is definitely the grace of God in my life for sure. You know when you are blessed and you are working in line with God’s plan for your life, a lot of things seem easy and a lot of things that you can’t explain, but you also have to tap into that grace. So number one, definitely the grace of God. Um, number two, I genuinely believe in my ability as an actor. And I believe that I love the character that I’ve played. I’ve done justice to them in a way that only me could do justice to them. I believe there are certain roles for certain actors.
And I’ve just been fortunate enough to also have people that speak for me in rooms when I’m not even present. And I have an amazing relationship with people that I work with and I give off good energy. So I’m also somebody that people genuinely look forward to working with. And I think if you put all these things together, those are just a recipe for success as an actor, just working hard, working smart, tapping into the grace of God, but also just being somebody that people want to actually interact with and work with. Because if you have good energy, it just makes the work environment a lot more healthy.
At 30, it’s about 24 years you’ve been in the industry.
Yes.
Yes. I mean, you’ve got to go for schools. Has there been a time where you felt “mommy, do you think I still want to do this thing?” First of all, what did you study?
I studied mass communication. So public relations and advertising. So it’s a thing where even as I got admission is when the Johnson’s… I’m not going to lie. There have been times where I’m like, “Omo all this acting P be like, say we go full dump or jump ship.” Because up until very recently in Nollywood, we’re still developing and growing, but we’re only just starting to have a structure. And things are only just starting to fall in place.
Things are only becoming a lot more clear, especially with the recent presence of streaming platforms. And now our industry is now being taken seriously. So there was a time I can’t lie, where as an actor, you go into every month, not even knowing what you’re going to do in that month. You’re just winging it. There’s no shooting schedule. I remember even in COVID like I didn’t, I didn’t cause obviously we’re all at home. So I didn’t film. So I didn’t earn for like almost a year. So I’m like, “omo this acting. Shey I will not just leave. Shey I will not just leave with these my degrees?” I can’t act from home, but, um, you know, after, after COVID, honestly, God has just been so faithful and things have just been taking shape. And it’s just amazing to see where I’m at now and all, you know, the amount of work that I’ve put in people that have come through for me, believed in me and just be where I’m at now. I’m, I’m just super thankful. And I’m also very excited, just getting into my thirties. This is probably the most excited I have been about being in the entertainment industry.
Are you going to produce your own projects and will there be wedding bells in 2025?
Yes, at some point I definitely, I’m going to direct my own projects and produce my own projects, but I believe it is also important to work on timing. Timing has to be right. I still believe there’s a lot to learn as an actor. There’s a lot I have to learn in terms of the business. As I said, now it is only just taking shape. So “how do we make a movie? Where’d you put the movie? How’d you get it to the final consumer? Importantly, how’d you make money?” So these are things I’m really trying to understand. So I’m well equipped for when I then start to produce my own things, but I enjoy taking pictures. I love making videos of things. Editing is my problem. I don’t like to edit, but I’m in love with just capturing stuff, capturing events, capturing moments.
And I believe there’s a lot that I can put into making my own projects. So in the not too distant future, for sure, you know, there’ll be Olumide Oworu productions or something along those lines, but making my own films for sure is definitely on the cards for me. And in terms of marriage, it would be nice if I can get it done this year.
I’m actually very excited about the prospect of getting married, but I also want to put, you know, one or two things in place first, I need to make sure that my partner is coming into comfort. I cannot take somebody out of her daddy’s house and I’m not, do the rightful. , but yeah, I, I’m, I’m looking forward to getting married. I genuinely have an amazing partner. Um, she’s changed my perspective on so many things in life and I really can’t wait to give her my last name.
Finally, how many times have you been told that you look a lot like Kunle Remi?
A lot. So when we did ‘Ijakumo’, we always used to joke about it and be like, “you’re the first producer that’s going to put me on you in a film as brothers or something, it is going to be crazy.” And we did ‘Ijakumo’. I played the younger version of Kunle. And that was amazing, but we still haven’t played brothers yet. So, I mean, whoever does it first, omo it’s going to be a hit oo. Because everybody really just says me and Kunle look alike. I genuinely look forward to working with them as a brother. I feel that it would be fun to call him Egbon (my elder brother) on set.
and then