Iremide Adeoye Strives for Excellence in Every Project

Though Iremide Adeoye first stepped into acting in 2017, it wasn’t until recently that he fully committed to the craft. And what a meteoric rise it’s been. In just a few years, he has carved out a notable presence in Nollywood, taking on complex roles that showcase his versatility. His portrayal of Lolu, a young man grappling with his queer identity and family relationships in the Showmax series Wura (2023), earned him critical attention. He followed this with compelling performances as young Israel in the acclaimed Funmilayo Ransome Kuti (2023) and as one of Lashe’s crew members in Netflix’s Madam Koi Koi (2023).

Yet Adeoye’s ambitions reach further. He’s now taken the lead in Under the Influence, a series exploring the internet’s double-edged nature as both a dangerous and educational space. This marks his first main character role in a series, a milestone that clearly energizes him. “I need to see a consistent flow of growth in my career as an actor, not just in the scale but also the quality of projects,” he shares.

In this interview with Culture Custodian, Adeoye takes us through his journey in the Nigerian film industry and explores his thoughts on this latest role.

Your ascent in Nigeria’s entertainment scene has been remarkable. Looking back at your roles in Wura, Madam Koikoi, and Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, which character stretched you the most as an actor, and what unexpected lessons did you learn about yourself through these roles?

Previously, it used to be Lolu Adeleke in Wura. It was that for the longest, but in recent times, it’s Dami Famakin, Dami Too Fresh in my new show, Under the Influence. For Lolu,  I think it’s quite obvious why a character as such would stretch me. I played a very unconventional character. Lolu Adeleke is a queer character, but he’s also a very layered character and he’s got a lot of emotional back and forth that he’s got to carry. Portraying a character like that as an actor comes with an extra workload. 

I’m so grateful for the fact that since I played the character, it came with a lot of backlash, though. I had people call for my arrest, threats in my DMs, and disgusting comments. But I like to pay attention to the good side of it. People have reached out to me, thanking me for taking on that character. I’ve had multiple people say stuff like I stopped them from taking their own lives or things they saw on screen made them feel seen, which is one of the best joys for me as an actor. I want to play characters that people feel seen and heard. So, as much as playing Lolu stretched me emotionally, the reviews that I got from playing that character were also rewarding.

In Under the Influence, you play Dami, a character navigating the complex world of social media influence. What aspects of Dami’s story resonate with your personal experiences? 

We have distinct personalities, as much as we have similar experiences. Dami Too Fresh is witty, but he’s annoying. He’s charismatic but flawed. He’s optimistic, ambitious, and there’s just some level of depth to him that I enjoy. On the other hand, I mostly take a laid-back approach to most things that Dami is super excited about.

For me to properly embody who Dami is, I had to find a balance between things that I naturally understood about the character and things that I had to stretch myself to become or things that I had to learn just so I could properly portray who Dami is. So even down to physicalities, I mean, he’s loud, he exaggerates most times, and more. I needed to train myself, my body, and my vocal cords to match his characterization.

Dami grapples with the pressure to maintain a certain image online. How has your own relationship with social media evolved over the years? 

I’m a little reserved. The people who know me know that if there wasn’t a need for me to be on the internet, I wouldn’t be. The internet stresses me out and drains me. So I would only love to do it at my own pace, you know, show up at my own pace, and not feel a need to do stuff. On other days, I enjoy it. I work here, so I can’t say I hate it completely, but it’s just like a love-hate relationship.  I’m always grateful to my community members because, as much as I’m not always consistent, they stay understanding.

Under the Influence touches on themes of identity, belonging, and the price of fame. What do you hope viewers take away from the show?

When I first took the role, I loved it because of the relatability factor. How relatable the show is and how relatable my character is to people across all boards. It doesn’t matter if you’re Gen Z or millennial; as long as you’re somebody pursuing to do something, it relates to you on some level. A major thing that I want them to take away is the fact that I want them to feel seen. I want them to feel heard, and I genuinely just want them to enjoy how relatable this show is, which is like the entirety of what the show is about. I want you to watch it, and it feels like something that you can relate to. It’s a feel-good show.

You’ve worked with some of Nigeria’s finest directors and actors. How has collaborating with different creative minds shaped your approach to character development?

 I think the beauty of filmmaking is in the creativity attached to it. You can give the same story to five directors and it would come out completely different. That shows how creativity is attached to the art of filmmaking. So working with numerous directors over the years has been a surreal experience for me. I always like to see my process of getting into a character or being a part of a new film project as a learning curve or a learning process for me. So from this director, I learned a new thing. From the other director, I learned another new thing. All of these experiences add up to my pool of knowledge on how to become a better actor and properly help my characterization process. 

What types of roles or stories are you eager to explore? Are there particular challenges or genres you’re hoping to tackle in your career?

I’d say I’d love to do something action-related, and I mean proper, proper action films. I don’t enjoy sci-fi films as much, so I don’t think that’s a genre that I’m looking to explore. But let’s say adventure and action. For characters that I would love to play, I’m still waiting on a script that would make me play a multiple-personality character or a character that has something relating to mental disorders. I’d love to play characters like that.

This role marks your first lead in a streaming series. What has been the most surprising aspect of headlining a show, and how has it differed from your previous experiences in television and film?

I had a similar experience with Lolu Adeleke, but I didn’t headline it. I was just one of the leading characters. But this I headlined; it’s based on my character. And one of the beautiful things about TV series is the fact that you grow with the character as an actor. You consistently grow in the journey of that character as episodes come by. I wouldn’t say it was shocking, but it was just a little bit of realizing that you must always show up with every scene, every episode. You must be in tune with the journey of the character as the episodes go by. So, your understanding of the character must align with the pacing of the series. And for the audience to be carried along on that journey, there’s no rush to it. You have to stay in the process. And then you must always consistently show up. Being the headliner comes with a lot of responsibilities that can be tasking but can be rewarding when the results are beautiful.