Nollywood Was My Refuge In Time Of Need — Foluke Daramola Salako 

 Veteran Nollywood actress, producer, and activist Foluke Daramola Salako has built a career rooted in both passion and purpose. Born on February 15, 1978, in Ondo State, she earned a degree in International Relations from Obafemi Awolowo University and later pursued a master’s degree in International Law and Diplomacy at the University of Lagos. Since her debut in the 1998 TV series Palace, she has featured in over a hundred films, including Olokiki Oru, Jenifa, Family on Fire, Iya Oko, and Kudi Klepto. Beyond acting, she is widely recognised for her advocacy against domestic violence and her efforts in championing women’s rights. In a recent conversation with TOMI FALADE, she discussed her YouTube series, the inspiration behind her sitcom Ogba Mecho, and how Nollywood became her career path despite her background in international relations. She also shared insights on the challenges she faced breaking into the industry and how fate led her to her first role. 

 I understand that you’re doing a YouTube series now. 

I’m doing a YouTube series for my husband’s school. It talks about the ills of society. I also shot a short film called ‘I’m Sorry’. It’s a comedy, but it has a very strong message about abuse in marriage. It’s funny, but nice. 

Youalsohavethissitcom, alsoonAfricaMagic, called Ogba Mecho. 

Yes. The mechanic craft, especially in Africa, a lot of times it’s a male-dominated environment. And then everybody believes that it’s for illiterates. I was trying to pass a strong message that such an industry, such a craft, is not restricted to just the illiterate and is not restricted to males. I was making it comical, but I was also sending a message. 

I like to pass messages with any series or movie I do. I like to focus on topical issues that affect individuals directly, something they can learn from. I also like to make it as comical as possible. If not comical, then romantic, because I’m a romantic. 

You studied international law, and diplomacy. It sounded like you were planning to become an ambassador or a diplomat. With you choosing Nollywood, it feels like an imbalance of sorts because Nollywood is not the easiest of industries. Why did you stay? 

It’s not. Actually, Nollywood came as a refuge and a source of help to me in my time of need. I lost my father when I was only three. By the time I got admitted into the university, my mother, a poor widow, was struggling to support my sibling and I through school. She couldn’t maintain two children in university at the same time. 

Before I left secondary school, I had already started doing talk shows on DBN TV with Chichi Okaro. I was also on Our Time on AIT. So, acting came as a way for me to balance things in my life. I had always admired people like Omotola Jalade when she starred in Mortal Inheritance. When I watched that movie, I looked at Omotola and thought, I think I can do this. 

When my mentors, Tunji Bamisigbin, Ralph Nwadike, and the late Charles Owoyemi, started Palace, I had a very close friend, Bisola, whom we were watching the series together, and she said, ‘Ah, I have a crush on Antar Laniyan. I would love for him to be my boyfriend in a movie’. And I said, ‘I would love for Jide Kosoko’ to be my father in a movie. 

At the time, it was just teenage fantasies. But, lo and behold, we were at AIT, just chatting in the reception area, and Uncle Charles and Uncle Tunji suddenly asked, ‘do you guys want to act’? I immediately said yes. They asked what movie set we would like to be on, and we both shouted, Palace. 

Then he turned to me and said, You’re going to be Jide Kosoko’s daughter. And to Bisola, he said, you’re going to be Antar Laniyan’s girlfriend. But the twist was that she later discovered she was actually his daughter in the movie. It was like our teenage dreams just came true. 

The next challenge was telling my mom. At the time, showbiz was not considered a respectable profession. Parents believed it was a path that could ruin a child’s life. My mom was worried that I was throwing away my future. 

Fortunately or unfortunately, when we went for our first shoot, I ended up being featured in the teaser, the advert for Palace. One day, I was at home with my mom, and she was watching TV when the teaser came on. She turned to me and said, Foluke, is that not you? 

I quickly denied it, I said, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about’. 

It was really funny. Eventually, I had to take my mentors to our house to convince her that I would still go to school, that I wouldn’t let acting affect my education, and that I would graduate top of my class. 

She was worried that people would say, ‘Oh, because she’s the daughter of a widow, that’s why she’s gone astray’. So, I had to prove to her and everyone else that I could succeed in both in academics and acting. 

After all your achievements in school, you decided to pursue acting full-time. What was your mother’s reaction at the time? 

Throughout my time in school, it was tough, but I managed. Every week, I traveled from Ife to Lagos to shoot Palace. We were paid about N2,000 or N3,000 per episode, which sustained me. With just N500 or N300, I could take a bus from Lagos to Ibadan, and the rest of the money covered my expenses. 

On set, Uncle Tunji would write the script as we were available. If we weren’t around, he wouldn’t write anything. That was how it worked. In between, I attended auditions, mostly for English-language films. 

What movie gave you a big break? 

The Barber’s Wisdom gave me my big break. It was produced by Uncle Tunji Bamisigbin and directed by the late Amaka Igwe, with Tunde Kelani as the director of photography. That film earned me N1.5 million, which was a lot at the time. A tokunbo car, like a Toyota Corolla, cost around N300,000 or N400,000 then, and I was excited to buy my first car. 

But when I told my mother, she started crying. She didn’t want me driving from Ife to Lagos, fearing it was too dangerous. So, I had to put the money aside until after graduation. 

Despite this, I had to fulfill one promise to my mom: education. She insisted I go beyond a degree, at least get a master’s, if not a PhD. I agreed to the master’s, but we settled that she should let go of the PhD. Still, deep down, I knew I might go for it someday. Over time, acting became my first love. Initially, I wanted to be a diplomat, but filmmaking provided sustenance and purpose. I stuck with it, even though some of my colleagues in other industries earned much more than I did back then. 

Your breakthrough came from an English-language film, and you gained popularityonTV. ButwhenyoumovedintoYoruba films, you rose to prominence almost immediately. Was this because of your TV exposure? And why did you ultimately settle for Yoruba cinema? 

I didn’t start Yoruba movies until after I had almost graduated. The shift happened because of something one of my lecturers told me. He said, “You can never speak English better than an Englishman. But if you embrace your culture, you can become a true international actor.” 

He explained that even world figures like Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama are international actors, not because they perform in movies, but because they represent something unique. He advised me to tell my own story in a way that connects deeply with people. That’s what pushed me into Yoruba filmmaking. 

The Yoruba film industry operates on respect. That’s the first thing you must understand. I remember one of my first Yoruba film sets in Oshogbo. When I arrived, I greeted one of the senior actresses properly, and she later told me she expected me to be distant or proud. But instead, I quickly adapted, respected the hierarchy, and that made a difference. 

Financially, Yoruba films don’t pay as much as English-language productions. When I worked with actors like Kenneth Okonkwo and Uche Jombo in English movies, we earned big money. In Yoruba films, the pay was lower, but the fame was massive, almost ten times more. 

I had to ask myself, do I want money or fame? But I’m a deep thinker. I knew that fame could eventually translate into financial success if I played my cards right. Understanding the strengths of both industries helped me navigate my career. 

Despite working in Yoruba cinema, my first major production, Cobwebs, was an English film. I produced it for about N15 million, with sponsorship from Procter & Gamble through Sola Fajobi. I merged both worlds by bringing English actors into Yoruba productions, creating a blend that worked well. 

There is a common notion that most Yoruba actors perform in Yoruba-language films because they lack the proficiency to act in English-speaking films. How true is that? 

For me, it’s about versatility. Whether it’s an English set or a Yoruba set, I fit right in. That’s the key to longevity in this industry. 

I wouldn’t want to talk down on any tribe, but let me tell you something, take me to any Yoruba film set. Do you know how many master’s degree holders we have in the Yoruba film industry? Do you know how many Ph.D. holders we have, from the older generation to the younger ones? 

Because of our dialect or intonation, people assume that we cannot speak English fluently. Maybe it’s an Ondo or Ekiti undertone, but that does not mean the person is not well-educated. In Ekiti, for example, you will find some of the highest numbers of professors, yet their English still carries an accent. Does that mean they are not speaking English? No. 

The Igbo, for instance, are more accustomed to speaking English because it has become a common language alongside their native tongue. But that does not mean Yoruba actors cannot speak English. If I start counting now, I could list numerous Yoruba actors with degrees who speak impeccable English. 

The fact is, acting in Yoruba is a deliberate choice. Take, for instance, Bukky Wright. The first movie I did with Fidelis Duker, Blood Brothers, featured Bukky Wright. She told me she wanted to be involved, and she delivered excellently. That doesn’t mean she cannot act in English films. 

In fact, acting in Yoruba films is more challenging. It requires improvisation while maintaining continuity. Sometimes, a script demands improvisation, and you have to ensure the flow remains intact. How do you even script incantations? It requires creativity. 

So, when people say Yoruba actors act in Yoruba films because they can’t speak English, I find it insulting. It undermines the immense effort and artistic dedication put into these films. Acting in Yoruba films is a passion and hard work, and the veterans in the industry have paved the way for its success. 

Yoruba cinemas thrived on drama rooted in cultural traditions. However, the industry is evolving, and we now see diverse genres, drama, fantasy, and others that were once considered foreign to African storytelling. With new genres emerging, roles are expanding. Whatkindofrolesareyou looking forward to that you haven’t yet explored? 

I have a script that will be quite controversial, but it carries a strong moral and spiritual message. It also has some unconventional elements. 

For example, portraying a lesbian character isn’t just about dramatising; it requires full immersion into the role. True acting means embodying the character convincingly, without shortcuts. 

As a director, when I work on movies that involve intimate scenes, I always ask actors if they are comfortable. There’s a difference between a peck and a kiss. If you’re going to play lovers, there must be chemistry, and it has to be believable. 

Good storytelling isn’t always about explicit scenes. Sometimes, subtle actions create powerful imagery. For example, in a film I directed, there was a scene where a man simply held a woman by her waist, pushed her gently into the bathroom, and shut the door with his leg. That alone made the audience’s imagination run wild. 

As an actor, you must be mentally ready to take on certain roles. If I’m to play a morally ambiguous character, say, a chain-smoking, hard-drinking woman , I have to fully commit to it. There’s no point in doing it halfway. 

Growing up, I was more conservative, but as an adult, I make my own decisions. If I take on a role, I will embody it completely. Patience Ozokwor, for example, is a fantastic actress. People see her and say, I don’t want her as a mother-in-law! That’s because she plays the role so convincingly. 

From 2025, I have decided not to take on strictly morally upright roles anymore. I want to push my artistic limits and challenge perceptions. If an audience finishes watching a film and believes I am truly that character, then I have done my job as an actor.