He is a popular actor. He has been around for many years acting in different roles. And his stage name rings a bell. Just mention Boy Alinco and you will be surprised at how many people will tell you they know him. Interestingly, many don't know his real name. He is Bayo Bankole. A few years ago, he relocated abroad and he now lives in Texas, where he has continued to act.
He spoke to CityPeople a few days back about his life in Texas. Below are excerpts of the interview.
Please
introduce yourself to us and what you do for a living
My name
is Bayo Bankole, aka Boy Alinco, aka Jeje, am a proud Owu man, Owu Abeokuta. I
presently reside in Arlington Texas, I am an entrepreneur, and I am
into logistics business and still manage to do a bit of entertainment business,
as a side hustle
How
did acting start for you?
Acting started for me way back as a kid, growing up at Ebute Metta Lagos. I was part of the cultural group in my Primary school, African Church Bethlehem Primary School, at the then Griffith Street, now Bornu Way, Ebute Metta. I was also a member of ACYA African Church Youth Association, African Salem Church, Freeman Street, Ebute Metta. I spent some time hanging around and watching some Yoruba theatre groups rehearsing and performing at Lisabi Hall, Ebute Metta, before taking a bold step to attend an audition for a stage play at National Arts Theatre, Iganmu. The play then was King Emene, the tragedy of a rebellion, written by Late Prof. Zulu Sofola and was directed by Frank Vaughan. This was in 1989.
In 1991, I joined Sola Fosudo and Bakky Adeoye to run Centre Stage Production, a Sola Fosudo company and producer of "Concert Theatre, a celebration of music, dance and drama... In the same 1991, I
joined Chuck Mike's PSW Performance Studio Workshop. I took part in several plays in several seasons at PEC.
My rise to stardom started in 1992 in a play
performance of EDA, an adaptation of
Duro Ladipo's ENIYAN. It was
the play of the season, the best of all season. The high point of the play is
the bit of the area boys. It was the first time street will be live on stage,
therefore I can boldly say I brought the street to our entertainment industry. It
was the excellent performance of the area boy on stage that gave me the role of
JEJE in OWOBLOW, directed by Tade
Ogidan, in 1995 and it was my
performance that gave me the role of Boy
Alinco in Papa Ajasco, produced by
Wale Adenuga in 1997... Now, to God be the Glory the rest is history
today.
You
have been acting now for how long?
Professionally since 1988, that should be 34
years....now.
How
challenging has it been sustaining your interest in acting abroad?
It has
not been challenging because of my mindset. When I decided to settle down
here, I made up my mind to make acting a secondary career, because bills got to
be paid and I know acting cannot pay the bills.
The only
challenge, I have is that our people producing are still doing it the way they
ran it in Nigeria. They are still making movies without ambition, very
annoying.
Who
are those actors you roll with abroad?
I have my
twin brother WALE ADEBAYO aka SANGO, my Brother FEMI BRAINARD, FEMI OGENDEGBE and
several others.
Where
were you born? Where did you grow up? Which schools did you attend?
I was
born in Ebute Metta. I am a proud Ebute
Metta boy. I attended AFRICAN CHURCH BETHLEHEM PRIMARY SCHOOL, Griffith Street, now Bornu Way, St Timothy's College, Onike Iwaya, Yaba, Lagos.
I went to Akure, spent a session
at Oyemekun Grammar School Akure, before returning to Lagos and went to Nigeria Railway Technical School, Loco, worked briefly at the Federal Radio Corporation, Ikoyi, before going to OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY where
I graduated with BA Hons in Dramatic Arts.
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