Nollywood actor Deyemi Okanlawon has revealed that he once walked away from acting entirely after becoming frustrated with the quality of movie roles and the poor financial rewards that came with them.
The award-winning actor disclosed that he temporarily left Nollywood in 2019, admitting he had reached a point where his passion for acting was no longer enough to keep him motivated.
Speaking during an appearance on the CreativiTea Podcast, Deyemi explained that he found himself taking on projects that neither challenged him creatively nor provided the financial stability he expected.
Reflecting on that period, the actor said he began questioning whether leaving his corporate job to pursue acting had been the right decision.
According to him, waking up each day to work on projects that failed to inspire him became emotionally draining.
“So, I quit acting in 2019. I quit because the pay and the work were nonsense. And I just felt like I didn’t leave 9-to-5 work to come and do mediocre work.”
He added:
“It was difficult to wake up in the morning and go to work. What is the point of being passionate about something and then not being fulfilled by it? So I quit and then went back to 9-to-5 work.”
After stepping away from Nollywood, Deyemi returned to the corporate sector, where he worked in marketing at Silverbird Film Distribution.
The actor has previously shared that his wife, Damilola Okanlawon, stood firmly behind his decision, giving him the support and space he needed to reassess his career and future.
Fortunately, the break turned out to be temporary.
Deyemi returned to Nollywood in 2020, and his comeback marked the beginning of one of the most successful periods of his acting career.
Since returning, he has starred in several critically acclaimed and commercially successful productions, including Omo Ghetto: The Saga, Blood Sisters, The Black Book, All’s Fair in Love, and Red Circle.
Today, Deyemi is regarded as one of Nollywood’s most sought-after actors, with his story serving as a reminder that sometimes stepping away from a career can provide the clarity needed to return stronger than before.
