Why She’s in London

[Sola]

From Newswatch

Sola Sobowale, popular Yoruba actress, has explained her decision to dump acting. Poor renumeration for her acting roles pushed her to England to do menial job, to cater for her twins. She said the money she gets from movie was not enough to take care of her needs, especially now that her twins are in the university in England. “How much are we being paid for our roles? If I do a movie, I get maybe N500,000 and I spend almost all paying school fees for my children. Although I don’t pay house rent because I have a house of my own. So, what do I have left?” she asked.

Sobowale said she was aware people were wondering why she opted for a petty job, moving from grace to grass, especially after being a high earner in Nollywood while she was in Nigeria. She said she wasn’t bothered about what people say for as long as she is not into any immoral or illicit deal. “If it is to sweep the streets of London, to make money to survive or keep my children going, I Sola Sobowale will do it. I believe in what is called the dignity of labour,” she said.

For Sobowale, the journey to showbiz started when she opted out of College of Education to follow her dream by going to Ibadan, the hub of Yoruba movies. Later she got into the University of Ibadan, with the help of Tunji Oyelana, her brother in-law, to study music. When she could not get her fulfillment in music, she eventually opted for acting.

Sobowale, won the heart of her fans with her vibrant role in Wale Adenuga’s TV drama, Super Story, Oh Father, Oh Daughter and also Tade Ogidan’s films, Madam dearest and Dangerous Twins among many other movies.

Source

 

[blackbutterfly]

You do what you have to do! Acting is a job that one can do at any age, if she decides to come back at 70, there are roles for grandmother, family matriarchs etc. I respect her for putting her family first. There should never be any shame attached to doing an honest day's work! She could have opted to do runs or pimp young girls out to older, rich men as a way to make quick money to take care of her children while still being able to act in movies.

 

[ssergit]

and the foolish newspaper did NOT think that attaching her picture would make the article better? hiisssssssssssssssss

how about those of us that don't really know her?

 

[amet13]

Toyin Tomanto, love her to bits

 

[Sifu]

There is something about the woman that always shouts R-E-S-P-E-C-T to me. This just tells me that I read her very well.

 

[Dsampler]

and the foolish newspaper did NOT think that attaching her picture would make the article better? hiisssssssssssssssss

how about those of us that don't really know her?

Dust off the movie "Madam Dearest". You go see her true acting character there.

 

[Dsampler]

You do what you have to do! Acting is a job that one can do at any age, if she decides to come back at 70, there are roles for grandmother, family matriarchs etc. I respect her for putting her family first. There should never be any shame attached to doing an honest day's work! She could have opted to do runs or pimp young girls out to older, rich men as a way to make quick money to take care of her children while still being able to act in movies.

I totally disagree. She's much of a better actress than what she's done to her own career. She could get a real agent and venture more into the English movie section of Nollywood and boost up her image & start making real money if she really wanted to. Yes! she's that good. IMHO, she's a superstar actress who doesn't know it. No one can play the kind of characters she plays better than her in Nollywood. She needs to overhaul her career. Sweeping the streets of London, and (waiting till she's 70yeras old like you advised), is not the way to go.

 

[funmo]

Knock me over with a feather duster! DSAMPS and I agree on something! WHAT??
Sola is one of the best actresses ever and madam dearest is one of my fav movies EVER!! I think that it is sad that she felt that she had to take this route! So saad!

I totally disagree. She's much of a better actress than what she's done to her own career. She could get a real agent and venture more into the English movie section of Nollywood and boost up her image & start making real money if she really wanted to. Yes! she's that good. IMHO, she's a superstar actress who doesn't know it. No one can play the kind of characters she plays better than her in Nollywood. She needs to overhaul her career. Sweeping the streets of London, and (waiting till she's 70yeras old like you advised), is not the way to go.

 

[blackbutterfly]

I totally disagree. She's much of a better actress than what she's done to her own career. She could get a real agent and venture more into the English movie section of Nollywood and boost up her image & start making real money if she really wanted to. Yes! she's that good. IMHO, she's a superstar actress who doesn't know it. No one can play the kind of characters she plays better than her in Nollywood. She needs to overhaul her career. Sweeping the streets of London, and (waiting till she's 70yeras old like you advised), is not the way to go.

You are just responding to this matter just to have something to say to me. First and foremost, ogamadamesir, I was not advising her to come back to acting at 70, I simply stated that acting is a career field that is open ended; one can come and go because all ages, shape, size can find work within the field if there is talent to be found in the person!

Who get real agent in that Naija? And who tell you say them pay more for EMG than YMG? No be the same Nollywood? She has acted in EMG, I don't think she ever excluded herself from that genre; what the woman is arguing is that the money was NOT enough for her to solely rely on that to keep her twin children taken care of properly. And with two children, I am sure she couldn't be running from one movie set to another like the rest do; shooting three and four films a month.

Who are you to judge her chosen course of action? Sweeping the streets of London (which I am sure she said facetiously and which she prefaced with the word "IF") has worked for her, her children are studying in a university in the UK so it is a gamble that paid of for her so who are you or I to question her choices? Na she dey wear shoe, na sabi wey e dey pinch am and you in your sneakers wan to tell her e no dey pain am? The choices she's made does mean she is no longer one of the best, I loved her as well but hey, best actress or not, the woman couldn't feed her children on accolades! She was probably tired of the politics of the business as well, what ever the reason, it is her choice!

Abeg, now that I have responded to you, will you leave me alone? Thanks!

 

[funmo]

Err, I know that your wahala na with dsamps o, and that history dey with you two, but from my perspective, this is how it goes:

There are some talents in Nollywood that you just feel heartbroken when you see them wasting away. And you wonder what justice there is in VV getting all the work and money when he cannot act a lick, while a truly talented person like Ms Sobowale cannot make a decent enough living at acting. I am not judging her choices, but I am saddened by them. She is so gifted. Her expressiveness, her verbosity, I love me some Sola Sobowale. I hope she comes back and I hope New Nollywood will find a place for her.

You are just responding to this matter just to have something to say to me. First and foremost, ogamadamesir, I was not advising her to come back to acting at 70, I simply stated that acting is a career field that is open ended; one can come and go because all ages, shape, size can find work within the field if there is talent to be found in the person!

Who get real agent in that Naija? And who tell you say them pay more for EMG than YMG? No be the same Nollywood? She has acted in EMG, I don't think she ever excluded herself from that genre; what the woman is arguing is that the money was NOT enough for her to solely rely on that to keep her twin children taken care of properly. And with two children, I am sure she couldn't be running from one movie set to another like the rest do; shooting three and four films a month.

Who are you to judge her chosen course of action? Sweeping the streets of London (which I am sure she said facetiously and which she prefaced with the word "IF") has worked for her, her children are studying in a university in the UK so it is a gamble that paid of for her so who are you or I to question her choices? Na she dey wear shoe, na sabi wey e dey pinch am and you in your sneakers wan to tell her e no dey pain am?

Abeg, now that I have responded to you, will you leave me alone? Thanks!

 

[blackbutterfly]

Err, I know that your wahala na with dsamps o, and that history dey with you two, but from my perspective, this is how it goes:

There are some talents in Nollywood that you just feel heartbroken when you see them wasting away. And you wonder what justice there is in VV getting all the work and money when he cannot act a lick, while a truly talented person like Ms Sobowale cannot make a decent enough living at acting. I am not judging her choices, but I am saddened by them. She is so gifted. Her expressiveness, her verbosity, I love me some Sola Sobowale. I hope she comes back and I hope New Nollywood will find a place for her.

My dear, acting and making it in Hollywood, Bollywood, Nollywood or any other woods sometimes has more to do with look less with talent which explains VV and some other folks. I can agree with you that it is sad to see truly talented people not be paid what they are worth OR have the platform to express themselves. It is truly sad that Sola Sobowale had to make a decision that I'm sure hurt her deep inside but like I said, I respect the fact that she put her family first and set her priorities straight. We may miss seeing her on screen and enjoying her talent but the woman get pickins to feed and our adulation can't do it for her. I can venture to say that I doubt it was an easy decision to make, I do hope she comes back to the game after she's made sure her children are set.

 

[Abike]

Folks, we don't know the whole story. The 100%. We can never know it. Until we do, let's take everything with a heavy grain of salt. Sure one would want this or that with some of our beloved screen actors, but at the end of the day too, their decision to continue in the craft or discontinue is just that. Theirs...

 

[His Majesty]

I totally disagree. She's much of a better actress than what she's done to her own career. She could get a real agent and venture more into the English movie section of Nollywood and boost up her image & start making real money if she really wanted to. Yes! she's that good. IMHO, she's a superstar actress who doesn't know it. No one can play the kind of characters she plays better than her in Nollywood. She needs to overhaul her career. Sweeping the streets of London, and (waiting till she's 70yeras old like you advised), is not the way to go.

Word! I totally agree with you right there, Dsamp.

The grass is always greener on the other side, innit??

If she can't make on a 500K in naija, how could she make it doing menial jobs in a city with one of the highest cost of living in the world?! I pray and hope she doesn't take run come back to naija. All in all, I wish her all the best in her career choice.

O pari

 

[kolinzo]

This is sad! But she knows what's best for her. This is why most YMG actors do many things at the same time. They produce, write, and direct (Nollywood actors are recently doing the same). I believe she's only stuck in England because she doesn't have papers, otherwise she can still act in Naija while she does her job in England.

 

[Dsampler]

This is sad! But she knows what's best for her. This is why most YMG actors do many things at the same time. They produce, write, and direct (Nollywood actors are recently doing the same). I believe she's only stuck in England because she doesn't have papers, otherwise she can still act in Naija while she does her job in England.

No, she doesn't know what's best for her. At least she hasn't demonstrated that she does. I mean, c'mon, sweeping the streets of London is what's best for her? Trust me, if that's her conscious decision, given the amount of acting talent she has, she does not know what's best for her. She needs a close adviser/professional to help her figure out what's best for her. This aint it.

 

[oloje]

No, she doesn't know what's best for her. At least she hasn't demonstrated that she does. I mean, c'mon, sweeping the streets of London is what's best for her? Trust me, if that's her conscious decision, given the amount of acting talent she has, she does not know what's best for her. She needs a close adviser/professional to help her figure out what's best for her. This aint it.

co sign with you on this one. this woman wth all the talent she has is Gold in nollywood both EMG ans YMG, abeg she should not be doing this to her self, if she were at homw she would have grabbed some of these endorsements and even be producing her own big budget movies by now.

 

[ssergit]

This woman una dey praise so, I am seriously searching for that Madam Dearest sha.....

and I sure do hope that the children she made all these sacrifices for would appreciate it and make her proud! In as much as I believe kids need help, maybe its the loony part of me talking now, I really don't think anybody should pack up their career for their children! so, what happens when the kids get married and leave home? You sit back and start regretting your life? And wishing you coulda woulda shoulda? And it is worst sef when the kids turn out to be knuckle heads!
yes, it may have been tough back in Naija, but there are still other parents who are taking care of their kids in same Naija.....but I guess......we don't know the full story, there might be more to this than was written in the interview. Perhaps she ran with her children for their own safety? Life and death issue? i sure hope that is what would make a talented woman skip her calling.....

hopefully, she would return back to it again...... i wish her the best. She alone knows why she made her decisions, and there are somethings ONLY the person in a situation understands and knows, and really owes NO one any explanation to their reason for doing whatever they do. Simple.

 

[Dsampler]

...mai 2 cents be say......she needs to get her behind back to acting. That's what she does best, not street sweeping in a foreign land.