Funke Akindele, who is now a well-known actress and director in the Nigerian film industry, has related how, back when she was a fledgling thespian, she was prevented from playing significant roles because people labeled her as “not fine.”
In the most recent episode of the TokeMoments podcast, which is hosted by Toke Makinwa, Akindele stated that the reason she was passed over for prominent roles in Yoruba indigenous films was due to the fact that she was too physically large.
Advertisements
She claimed that actress Iyabo Ojo came to her aid on multiple occasions during her conflicts with directors who rejected her because of her appearance.
The actress from “The Jenifa Diary” stated that the producers were only giving her little roles, which caused her to cry.
Advertisements
“I recall that many people told me, ‘You are not fine. You have no balls at all. You do not possess any breast tissue. You won’t be appearing in this movie at all,” she recalled.
“And, I distinctly recall crying. A lot of the time, I would cry, then I’d break down, and then I’d go cry in the bathroom.