Nigerians Saw Actors And Actresses As Special People In The Past – Samuel Akinpelu

Veteran Nollywood actor Samuel Akinpelu a.k.a Alabi Yellow began his acting career after a lengthy break in Mokaliki, a cultural movie shot by Kunle Afolayan months back.

Since that project, the actor has acted in few movies here and there.

In a recent with chat with Joe Agbro Junior, the veteran talked about his career and the things Nollywood legends go through in the industry.

He was asked when he got into acting and how it all began, he said, “I started when I was in primary school at African Methodist School, Ikorodu. Then, I was in primary three. There is a biblical story about Job, and we acted that story on stage and I took the part of Satan that went to torment Job. The audience was large and vivacious. So, when I came out of the stage, people came and gave me money. Later, I joined my late master, Pa Oyin Adejobi in 1978. We did a lot of TV programmes.

I think we had two television stations then -WNTV/WNBS and NTA Channel 10 in Lagos. Before I left the place, we shot a few celluloid films, Aiye, from our late legend, Baba Ogunde (Hubert Ogunde). It was shot from 1979 to 1980. Then Baba Moses Olaiya comes in, Ade Love comes in, Ajani Ogun too. I left my master in 1981 to start my own theatre group. And since I have started the theatre group, I’ve made name. God has helped me to promote the talent. The passion is still there.”

Joe then talked about the period in the movie industry when he was very popular and how he felt at the time. he replied “The period was very okay because anything we did then was with passion. It’s not that money but the interest, the passion was there. When people see you on television or hearing you on radio, people knew these people were special. They saw actors and actresses as special people because they educate people. They teach people what to do and what not to do. I did a programme for John Hopkins Population Communications in the US. It was a family planning programme and I did 13 episodes. It was a joint production with Ogun State Television. So they invited me. I’ve written a Yoruba literature book, A ba oko ku for pupils in JSS 1 to JSS 3. They use the book. It’s in the syllabus.”

He also talked about what inspired his writing a literature book, “That’s what I’m saying about talent, and inspiration. If you’re talented, God is there to clear the way for you. When you are from Professor Wole Soyinka, Baba Ogunde, Baba Adejobi, you have the basic talent.”

On being on the set of Kunle Afolayan’s movie, he had this to say, “I see Kunle as a visionary. I just phoned him, “Kunle, how are you?” He said, “fine.” I said, “I need a little help from you.” He said, “What kind of help? I would do it for you.” And after that help, he said “I need you, you old artistes. I need your encouragement. We don’t have to leave you like that. We need you. Also, you’re the ones that do a lot of things in our lives.” So, he called me to his office and when I got to his office, we talked together. He has a vision about what he is doing. And he has the foresight. When you have a vision, you need to have a foresight.”

Talking about his role in the Kunle Afolayan movie titled “Mokalik”, he said, My role is that of Argentina. Argentina is a mechanic assistant chairman that knows much about the mechanic work and he has so many apprentices under him, showing them what they should do and what they should not do. The storyline is fine, very, very educative.