Sophia Michaels
Barely two years after announcing her retirement, veteran Yoruba actress, Kudirat Odukanmi also known as Iyabo Oko has returned to the job.
News made the rounds in 2017 that the actress was flown to India for treatment after she was struck by stroke for almost two year. On getting better, she returned to Nigeria. Fast forward to 2018, the thespian moved to the UK and slowly fazed into oblivion.
While she was in India, journalist, Gbolahan Adetayo reported that the actress revealed that she will finally stop acting and she will strictly be a producer anytime she returns to Nigeria.
Then, Gbolahan asked: “In the industry, you are getting old now but I want to believe that this is not the right time for you to leave the industry just like that because you are in your prime time. Which work do you think you can do now apart from producing?
“My children are already planning another work for me to do. I was told not to be jumping around; they are planning to open a shop for me so that I can start selling provisions and also produce movies once in a while. That doesn’t mean that I will relegate myself from the industry totally, I will still be doing some jobs since I am fit again. I pray I don’t experience such again” She replied…
However, according to new reports by GistMania, the actress has fully returned to acting.
She was recently sighted at the location of his kid brother Saheed Fashola and the flick is titled ‘Abo’ meanibg protection. Since then, she has been busy jumping from one location to another.
Recently the actress opened up and revealed what she went through when she was sick
Veteran actress, Kudirat Eluyemi popularly known as Iyabo Oko used to be one of the vibrant actresses in the Yoruba movie industry until she seriously fell ill and took a break from the movie scene, owing to complications of Stroke.
During that period, she lost her voice, weight and everything. Initially, she was at the Military Hospital, Yaba and she eventually regained her voice, but when she returned home, she lost it again.
One of her children took her to the U.K for treatment, where he employed a therapist who helped her to get her voice back, she later travelled to India where she got further treatment. She spent 7 months in India to become perfectly fine. As a result of this ailment, Iyabo Oko spent 2 years away from the movie scene.
In this interview with City People’s Senior Showbiz Reporter, BIODUN ALAO, Iyabo Oko talked about how her sickness robbed her of everything. She ever worked for, in her 45 years journey in the movie industry.
Below are the excerpts.
Would you say acting has really paid off for you?
Hmm, I give Almighty, all the glory and adoration God has really been faithful. It was this acting that produced money that I used in sending my children to school. I have a child that has PhD, I have another one that has a Master’s degree, and I still have another one, who is still in the University, so what else, do I want to ask for. I was able to build a small house, I also bought two cars, but unfortunately, my sickness took away, most of these things, I acquired I sold my cars. Now, I don’t have any car, but I know God is faithful. I will still have cause to smile again and with this programme Foluke Daramola. Initiated, God will make another one for me.
Would you say, you have any regrets in your 45 years journey in the industry?
Like, I earlier said, God has really been faithful, but I had a particular experience that always saddens my heart each time I think about it. I shot my first movie in 1997 and thieves collected that movie from me That was in Ibadan. And till date, I didn’t get to hear
anything about the movie again. All my hard-earned money, sweat went down the drain. The master tape was snatched from me and that was it. And lots of colleagues heard about my ordeal back then. That seems to be the only regret I have in the industry, later on, God blessed me, and I was able to shot another movie. The one they stole was the first movie I
produced.
Why do you often take up abusive roles in movies, are you like that real life or it is just the scripts?
Honestly, I’m not like that for real, I discovered that producers love to cast me for roles where I will insult people or make mockery of someone, the truth of the matter is that once producers discover, that people or fans love a particular role you interpreted well in a movie, you will always come to their mind, once there’s any production and a similar role is available. So, I only played my role very well, and they started casting me for similar roles and with all these roles. I got stage names such as “Iyabo Oko” ‘Apoti Aje” Sisi Mama”.
How true is it, that your curry stature back then, earned you more roles?
Laughs! Noo, It is a plus that I’m blessed with a big backside before the sickness came, but at the same time, I would say, my being versatile and the way I interpreted movie roles, earned me more roles in the industry, the backside is just a plus.
What movie shot you to limelight?
It was when I played “Oko” by Oga Bello that I became popular. When I
left Lere Paimo, I also joined Oga Bello, Aluwe and Iya Awero in their group and they gave me that role to play in a movie entitled “Oko” and the movie shot me to the limelight.
What would you say are the difference between the movie industry when you joined 45 years ago and now?
Lots of changes and differences have taken place. First and foremost, then it strictly staged plays we were doing and no piracy. The issues of piracy have really spoilt lots of things for us, movie makers can hardly feed these days, it is just by the grace of God, we are surviving. Back then, we could just do one stage play in months, but these days, there are more jobs, we can shoot 5 movies in a few months, so there are better opportunities now. Another aspect in which the government could also help is to come to our rescue and fight piracy so that our lives will be better, and we will earn better money and live a better life. A lot of actors will be able to support themselves and have a stable means of livelihood.
How do you feel with this idea of honouring veterans in the industry by Foluke Daramola?
What can I say? It is God who gave her the wisdom and knowledge, for someone to come up with such a great idea, it is definitely God who bestowed such knowledge on her not man. I pray God will continue to bless everything that concerns her, I will only urge the government to please come to my rescue because she can’t do it alone and I pray God will also bless everything that concerns them.
