Veteran actor, Yemi Solade turned 60 a few\ndays ago. And City People spoke to him about his experience in the industry.\nSolade who does not take nonsense from anybody reveals why some of his fellow\nactors don\u2019t like him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How did you get used to the existing tradition in the Yoruba movie industry?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I have had to adjust a bit. I met a whole\nlot of traditional ways they do their thing when I joined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is this particular practice in the\nYoruba movie industry, it is called: I\ndo for you, you do for me. It works for some people but not for me because I\ndidn\u2019t run a clique. They will invite stars to location, and end up giving them\nmoney just for fuel, and end up running round society men and women for the\nbigger survival. So, I chose to remain the consummate actor that I am. To Just\nbe different, to do my craft and collect good fees and live a normal life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How were you able to break into the Yoruba movie industry considering the long list of stars there already? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes. The likes of Taiwo Hassan. He was the Denzel Washington of the industry. Let\u2019s give it to him. He\u2019s got everything. He is tall, handsome and all that, and you know that I am not tall, but I have a mouth. I saw what these guys were trying to do, coming from their own backgrounds. The Alarijo thing. Though, we experienced it in Wole Soyinka\u2019s theatre. Their Alarijo Theatre was from Ogunde Theatre, and that was what produced stars like Adebayo Salami, Jide Kosoko and others and they refer to them as \u201cOga Mi\u201d. But I won\u2019t use that term. If you ask me who trained me, I will just tell you, Wole Soyinka. He was a\u00a0 lecturer in the University of Ife, a Civil Servant that was paid. He did not employ or write any Jamb for me.\u00a0 He only\u00a0influenced my studying Theatre and becoming a drama student in his department. But in the Yoruba arm, you must have an Oga. They have master and apprenticeship scheme. Somebody must train you and you cannot erode that, it has come to stay. Here I was, coming from Wole Soyinka\u2019s line, where things like that were not applicable. I could give him all the respect that he taught me, but not to the extent of being subservient to him. That was the structure I met, and I was doing my thing differently and I had issues, because they saw me like someone that was arrogant and doing something they were not used to. They concluded I was just one guy that just came to have a feel of the industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I can remember when Mama Rainbow met me on\nthe set of \u201cOju Inu\u201d. She said \u201cDoctor, if I invite you will you work for me? I\nplayed the role of Medical Doctor in the movie back then and everything was\nwell structured. I began to point out certain things that I felt were missing\nsuch as calling someone Mrs. Tayo in a Corporate environment. Once you use the\nprefix, the surname has to follow. So they began to frown at my ideas, that\nBaba Ogunde already said it that some English people will come and hijack this\ntheatre work. But despite everything I was focused because I already made up my\nmind to come and make impact. And don\u2019t forget this is what I was trained to\ndo. It is my job. It\u2019s my life and I was not doing it for money. I was so\nexcited that the Marketers who saw the flicks were interested in my job. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00a0So I began to be their bride at that point. Many major roles were coming to me and I was enjoying myself. I had clashes with a few of them who were not ready to embrace my style and I was telling them I wasn’t shifting grounds. I had reasons to drop some bombshell in the media. Till tomorrow I will keep saying it that, lack of education, professional training, formal training is the problem of that sector, but I give it to them, they are a bunch of raw talents, that no one can take from them. If you see their crafts, you will fall in love with their skills, but the technical know-how and power of articulation we don\u2019t have. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, the fear of Voodoo but I didn\u2019t see all of that, I was cautioned to be extremely careful, but here I am today. I have contributed in my own little way and I’m still doing that now. And I think, we have more understanding now because those critics thought I was out to destroy the structure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But I was only trying to let them know that I was not coming from their background and orientations but we can marry the two together. I even told them to their faces that either they like it or not, we must marry the two together and what was coming out from this small body was beautiful to lots of people. I represented a class of actors in the industry and with that, we began to increase, I mean Actors who have gone to school, not necessarily studying Theatre Arts, but those who have degrees in different fields. They could express themselves before the press and everybody speaks English fluently I began to see them and started feeling at ease with myself. And I was like, this is what I really want to see. So\u00a0apart from exhibiting their skills, they can relate with people of other professions with confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Veteran actor, Yemi Solade turned 60 a few days ago. And City People spoke to him about his experience in the industry. Solade who does not take nonsense from anybody…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":132986,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[1129,13566],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/YEMI-SOLADEs-60th-Birthday-Interview-e1580737498295.jpg?fit=1226%2C1054&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":52011,"url":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/actors-who-drive-luxurious-cars-dont-make-the-money-from-acting-yemi-solade\/","url_meta":{"origin":133467,"position":0},"title":"Actors Who Drive Luxurious Cars Don\u2019t Make The Money From Acting \u2013 Yemi Solade","author":"Igbokwe John","date":"June 18, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Nollywood actor, Yemi Solade, is frustrated and may soon be forced to leave Nigeria in search of a better life. This is because his job as an actor does not pay well, contrary to how some of his colleagues portray it and this just makes things more difficult. \"I have\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Entertainment"","block_context":{"text":"Entertainment","link":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/entertainment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/yemi-solade.-picture.jpg?fit=600%2C551&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/yemi-solade.-picture.jpg?fit=600%2C551&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/yemi-solade.-picture.jpg?fit=600%2C551&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":50974,"url":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/i-look-good-because-i-stay-indoors-nollywood-actor-yemi-solade\/","url_meta":{"origin":133467,"position":1},"title":"\u201cI Look Good Because I Stay Indoors\u201d \u2013 Nollywood Actor Yemi Solade","author":"Igbokwe John","date":"June 1, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Popular actor, Yemi Solade, is one of the few actors who look younger than their age. In a chat with GoldmyneTV, the handsome man said apart from inheriting his physique from his parents, staying indoors had helped him to stay healthy. Above 50-year-old,\u00a0he explained: \u201cI inherited my looks, but I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Entertainment"","block_context":{"text":"Entertainment","link":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/entertainment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/yemi-solade.-picture.jpg?fit=600%2C551&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/yemi-solade.-picture.jpg?fit=600%2C551&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/yemi-solade.-picture.jpg?fit=600%2C551&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":187750,"url":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/revealed-10-super-actors-currently-making-waves\/","url_meta":{"origin":133467,"position":2},"title":"Revealed! 10 Super Actors Currently Making Waves","author":"Sunday Adigun","date":"September 13, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"How They Took Yoruba Movie Industry To The Next Level It is a known fact that the Yoruba movie industry and the efforts of some of the great Yoruba actors\/Filmmakers has put the Nigeria Entertainment industry on the spotlight all over the world, with its rich cultural storytelling and compelling\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Revealed-10-Super-Actors-Currently-Making-Waves-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C490&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Revealed-10-Super-Actors-Currently-Making-Waves-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C490&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Revealed-10-Super-Actors-Currently-Making-Waves-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C490&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Revealed-10-Super-Actors-Currently-Making-Waves-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C490&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Revealed-10-Super-Actors-Currently-Making-Waves-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C490&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":137273,"url":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/how-i-toasted-married-my-wife-hannah-marsh-super-actor-yemi-solade\/","url_meta":{"origin":133467,"position":3},"title":"How I Toasted & Married My Wife, HANNAH MARSH \u2013 Super Actor, YEMI SOLADE","author":"City People","date":"April 7, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Some people believe that artistes (actor\/actresses) don\u2019t make a good and lasting couple. That, however, is not the experience of a star dramatist, Yemi Solade. He found a good wife, a half-caste, who has brought an unexpected life-long value that outlines a changed, redefined existence with a new breadth of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Yemi Solade","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Yemi-Solade.jpg?fit=593%2C570&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Yemi-Solade.jpg?fit=593%2C570&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Yemi-Solade.jpg?fit=593%2C570&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":188234,"url":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/how-i-have-been-acting-for-the-past-46-yrs\/","url_meta":{"origin":133467,"position":4},"title":"How I Have Been Acting For The Past 46 Yrs","author":"Jamiu Abubakar","date":"September 27, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Veteran Actor, YEMI SOLADE Yemi Solade is a veteran Nollywood actor whose name needs little or no introduction. He is a top movie star who has been around for 46 years and still counting, gracing the movie screen. He has evolved through the thick and thin of the industry. He\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/How-I-Have-Been-Acting-For-The-Past-46-Yrs-3.jpg?fit=816%2C1061&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/How-I-Have-Been-Acting-For-The-Past-46-Yrs-3.jpg?fit=816%2C1061&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/How-I-Have-Been-Acting-For-The-Past-46-Yrs-3.jpg?fit=816%2C1061&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/How-I-Have-Been-Acting-For-The-Past-46-Yrs-3.jpg?fit=816%2C1061&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":115683,"url":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/another-big-yoruba-actor-member-of-tampan-battles-stroke\/","url_meta":{"origin":133467,"position":5},"title":"Another Big Yoruba Actor, Member of TAMPAN Battles Stroke","author":"Reporter","date":"April 1, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"These are not good times in the Yoruba movie industry, particularly with the Veterans, barely weeks after it was reported that Yoruba actor, Alabi Yellow, is currently battling with a partial stroke, a fresh information has it that another strong member of Theater And Motion Pictures Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN),\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/yrb1.jpg?fit=540%2C540&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/yrb1.jpg?fit=540%2C540&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/yrb1.jpg?fit=540%2C540&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133467"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=133467"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133467\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":133477,"href":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133467\/revisions\/133477"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/132986"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=133467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=133467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=133467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}READ ALSO: THE MANY THINGS LIFE HAS TAUGHT ME @ 80 \u2013 OTUNBA ADELEKE ADESINA, PIONEER PRESIDENT UP ASSO<\/a><\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"