Well-known actor Lateef Adedimeji has established a reputation for being adaptable, moving fluidly between humorous characters, action-packed performances, and deeply emotional ones. But his ascent to fame was far from coincidental.
Being recognized for sobbing in movies was the actor’s first tactic, he said in an interview with Saturday Beats.
He said, “When I set out to carve a niche for myself, I started with crying—I would cry like an idiot. If I was asked to cry for one minute, I would go for two. So, I was intentional. At one point, when people couldn’t remember my name, they would refer to me as “the guy who cries in movies. When I realized that was becoming too overwhelming, I switched things up by introducing my Igbo Yoruba character. I was strategic at every stage.
“Then ‘Ayinla’ came, and people saw a musical side of me they hadn’t seen before. ‘Jagun Jagun’ followed, and they discovered my strength in action roles. At every turn, I made sure to reinvent myself strategically.”
When asked his thoughts on “Lisabi” being one of the films that dominated 2024 Google Search, he responded, “I am excited. The joy is that one does something, and a lot of people accept what one has done. There is nothing has joyful as that.”
Regarding the significance of filmmakers telling indigenous stories, he said, “If we can embrace the heroes of other countries, what happens to our own heroes? There are people that fought for our own liberation, so why can’t we tell their stories and appreciate them as well?”