Renowned thespian, Wale Ojo has traversed quite a memorable career as an actor in the United Kingdom and Nigeria. Ojo started out acting on stage. But most of his works have taken major part on screen. Ojo recounts ten exciting moments of his life in this chat with Ferdinand Ekechukwu
1
. Sometime in 1978, I saw my beloved mother Princess Teresa Otieyeke Ojo on stage for the first time in a play titled “Wedlock of the Gods” written by her best friend, Zulu Sofola (first published female Nigerian playwright and dramatist). The play was staged at the University of Ibadan theatre and i was so taken in by the drama that when Mama was struck down by the witch lady in the play i ran onto the stage screaming “Mummy!”
2. In 1986 i became professional in the United Kingdom by performing in Shakespeare’s “Othello”. I played Othello dressed in military uniform as my female co-star who played Desdemona. Terrifying and wonderful at the same time.
3. Just before graduating from the University of Hull where i studied Drama as a degree i drove my new Toyota sports car onto the Gulbenkian stage and performed “Purple Rain” by Prince all dressed up like Prince for the annual drama festival. The audience loved it!
4. Sometime in the early eighties i played rugby for Mayfield College. I remember being handed the rugby ball and all I could hear was the feet of the overtly muscular opposition heading towards me. I took olff for dear life with the ball firmly held. Later a friend of mine remarked how he saw me racing down the rugby field like speedy gonzalez..a proud athletic moment for me I think.
5. Following on the athletics cue I became the high jump champion in my school when i broke the high jump record. I think I scaled 1.78m if I remember correctly. Another proud athletic moment.
6. This event happened in the early seventies when my mother won the egg and spoon race and beat all the other school mothers at the Bodija International School mother’s day race.
7. Again round about the late seventies my dad, mum, myself and my elder brother Niyi got into my dad’s new car a beautiful white Toyota Crown with number plate WAE 750L. Daddy drove all three of us down the lovely Agodi Gardens road in Ibadan testing the speed of the car. The familial joy and sense of bonding in the car that day was beautifully indescribable. Baba may as well have bought a space shuttle and we were flying off to the moon!
8. I was cast as Mr. Cokane in a play titled “ Widower’s Houses” by George Barnard Shaw by his great niece Fiona Shaw. This was brave casting for the year 1999 as the part being an aristocratic role would have been played by a white actor. However Fiona Shaw loved my audition and cast me. The play was performed at the Olivier stage at the National theatre of Great Britain. It was for me a career defining moment!
9. After completing the first ever Nigerian sitcom series to be aired on Netflix titled “ Meet the Adebanjos” I went to my beloved Peckham High Street to get my usual dose of Naija food. However, this time everyone on that street recognised me as a result of the series and all I could hear walking down Peckham high street was “ Mr. Adebanjo you must come to my shop o!” “We love you Mr. Adebanjo! ‘ ..”Where is your potato?”
10. In 2024 I picked up at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards the best actor award for the film “ Breath of Life”. I was accompanied to the stage to pick up the award with my good friend, Boma Akpore who was the first to congratulate me. Another exciting and career defining moment!