Omoni Oboli, a well-known actress and filmmaker, recently opened up about her journey in the entertainment industry and how she transitioned from acting to directing.
In a candid interview on Radionow FM, Omoni Oboli shared the struggles she faced during the early stages of her career and the key moments that led her to take control of her creative vision.
Omoni Oboli revealed that when she was just starting out as an actress, she would often exchange her scripts for movie roles rather than asking for payment. It was a practical way for her to secure roles in films, but over time, she began to feel frustrated with how her stories were being brought to life on screen.
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As she put it, “I was trading my scripts for movie roles. I’d say, you know what, don’t pay me, just give me a role in the film.” This approach helped her get her foot in the door, but it soon became clear that something wasn’t quite right.
When Omoni Oboli would watch the final version of the films she acted in, she noticed that they didn’t match the vision she had in her mind while writing the scripts. She explained that as a writer, she tends to visualize her stories in a very detailed, picture-like manner.
However, when the films were directed by others, they would often take on a different shape. “I write in pictures,” she explained. “So when I’m watching the movie, it’s so different from what I had imagined. Not to say that the films were bad, but no two directors will direct the same script in the same way.”
“It was a scary thought,” she admitted, “but then I said to myself, ‘Warri no dey carry last.’ I thought, what do they have that I don’t? I was like, I can do this.”
Omoni Oboli transition from actress to director also reflects a broader trend in the entertainment industry, where more and more creatives are taking control of their work. For Omoni, it was about more than just directing films; it was about ensuring that her stories carried her personal stamp. As she explained,
“If my stories are going to have my DNA, then I’m going to have to direct them myself.” This drive to preserve the authenticity of her work is what pushed her to take the leap into directing, and it’s what continues to fuel her passion for filmmaking.
