Veteran Actor/Film Maker Wale Adebayo (Sango) Talks About His Life in America

He is a big actor in Nollywood. He has been around for decades doing what he knows how best to do, acting out big roles. And he has done well in that regard. For years now, Wale Adebayo has been living abroad where he still acts. He told CityPeople his story a few days ago. Below are excerpts of his interview.

 Please introduce yourself to us and what you do for a living

My name is Wale Adebayo also called Sango by a lot of my friends due to my playing the role of Sango.  I am an actor and a filmmaker.

How did acting start for you?

I actually started acting while I was in Secondary School. Satellite Secondary School to be precise with the dramatic society of which I later became the president. It was during one of our plays presented during the first annual HIV/AIDS week that I was noticed by Ms. Julie Coker and she invited me to NTA in Victoria Island and got me my first television gig which was in 1990.

You have been acting now for how long?

I have been acting now for over 30 years and my first official stint in acting was in 1990 on NTA channel 10 weekly play on the roll.

How challenging has it been sustaining your interest in acting abroad?

It's been very challenging while back home in Nigeria and looking at Movies produced in Hollywood it always looked like once you get here and you can prove yourself then Hollywood will just accept you but on getting here its proved a hard nut to crack and not for lack of trying but thank God for Netflix and other streaming sites it's looking better now for some of us indie producers. I have also been keeping myself busy with acting and directing in Movies produced by Nigerians in America.

Who are those actors you roll with abroad?

Fortunately for me I have a lot of colleagues here who also relocated to the US almost the same time I did that are also doing pretty good the likes of Doris Simeon, Toyin Adewale, Femi Brainard Bayo Bankole(former boy Alico) Mistura Asunramu Queen Oluwa, Florence Onuma, Femi Ogedegbe, Ashabi Olorisha quite a lot. We are slowly growing a unique base of Nigerian actors and filmmakers in America and we are carefully researching how we can integrate ourselves into the film community here.

Where were you born? Where did you grow up? Which schools did you attend?

I was born in Abeokuta in Ogun State Nigeria. I am from Ondo town in Ondo State and I grew up in Lagos state. I attended Satellite Town Primary and Secondary Schools and graduated from the faculty of Law, Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife Osun State.