Nollywood actor Lateef Adedimeji recently reflected on the early days of his career, revealing that he was paid as little as N4,000 for lead roles in 2014.
In an interview on the Tejubabyface show with Teju Oyelakin, Adedimeji shared that it wasn’t until 2015 that he started earning between N100,000 and N200,000 per role. He described his earlier earnings as part of a learning process.
Adedimeji also recounted the greatest advice his father gave him, which he continues to heed. “My father once told me that the day you know you are successful is when women surround you to get your attention. However, he also warned that the time of doom is near when you can’t control yourself and start following them. Females come with success and ruin,” he explained.
Reflecting on his humble beginnings, Adedimeji noted, “If I tell people that I wasn’t earning N100,000 or N200,000 until 2015/16, they wouldn’t believe me. Before then, the highest I earned for a lead role was N4,000, N5,000, or N10,000.”
The actor’s revelations have elicited various reactions:
– Jaiye Jejeomo commented, “They call it ‘the sacrifices you have to make to get to the top,’ but only when you reach the top. Those who go through the same process but don’t make it, well, that’s their story.”
– Emmanuel wrote, “Now he is big, you have to always press on.”
– Ajehmahn remarked, “Every successful person put in so much work in the past.”
– Ifeanyi noted, “Everybody has a starting moment.”
– Tim Cook commented, “N4,000 in 2014 for a lead role is too small, tf.”
– Reverse Truth observed, “No wonder most of these legendary actors are not doing so well.”
The advice from Adedimeji’s father also drew mixed responses:
– Gbade Conceptz said, “Same thing my father said before he died.”
– Taibat Ajiboye countered, “Females don’t come with the ruin. If you’re not disciplined, it’s on you.”
– Olujet Boss remarked, “Facts.”
– Erelu Bade Ladele wrote, “Your father is a wise man.”
This isn’t the first time Adedimeji has spoken about his early struggles. Last year, while counting down to his birthday, he revealed he was once paid N5,000 for a lead role. He recounted being a young boy who unintentionally made people laugh, which eventually opened doors for him.
Today, Adedimeji’s career has flourished. Although he recently lost the Best Actor in a Lead Role award at the 10th edition of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) to Wole Ojo, he was honored for his role in Femi Adebayo’s movie, “Jagun Jagun,” and received an international award for his performance in “Ayinla” in Vienna, Austria, much to the pride of his wife, Mo Bimpe.
