Actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele has shared how she made her first N1 million in 1999 after landing the breakout role of Bisi in the popular TV series I Need to Know.
In a video posted on her Instagram page on Saturday, Akindele revealed that her career began in 1996 with minor “waka-pass” appearances and a series of audition rejections before she was finally cast for her breakout role.
The Nollywood star recounted how she struggled, almost lost the role, and how she spent the life-changing sum.
“I made that around 1999. I started my career from like 1996, playing waka pass roles, 1997 going for auditions, getting a lot of nos,” she recalled.
Persistence, she said, paid off when she finally got “one big yes,” which brought the life-changing pay cheque.
“Then I got one big yes with ‘I need to know’ and that is how I got my first N1 million,” she said.
She also described a tense moment during the pilot shoot when producers warned she was overacting and risked losing the part.
“I almost lost the role ‘Bisi’ in ‘I need to know’. I shot the pilot of I need to know first and I acted so well, and I was waiting for this callback. The callback didn’t come on time. I’m like, ah, okay.
“Then he just called me into the office. I’m like, okay, you’re a fantastic actress, you’re doing so well, but you’re overacting. They told me to go home and read my script, understand the character very well,” she said.
After being told to go and understand the character, Akindele said she practised at home with her younger sister, who helped her find a convincing teenage voice.
She added, “I was so worried. I said How am I going to do it now? Then I got home, and I was so moody, and my younger sister was like sister, what’s wrong?
“I said, ‘I need to know’. They said I’m not talking like a teenager.
“She said ah because I was not a teenager when I was filming ‘I need to know’. She said Ah, let me see the script and she held the script. She started reading.
“So I heard mama speak like a teenager, and immediately, you know, I took in the character and I started speaking like mama and that and that was how I got the role.
“So that was how I made my first one million naira. We were paid for an episode, but I will not tell you how much, but all together, ah, I was shocked. I was like me that always jump for bike”.
On spending the money, Akindele said she first showed the cash to her mother, who advised her to pay her tithe.
She then headed to Yaba market to overhaul a wardrobe she described as lacking shoes and decent clothes.
“What did I do with one million naira? First, I showed it to my mom. Of course, she knows about it, and then mommy advised and said I have to pay my tithe first,” she added.
“I paid my tithe, then I entered Yaba because I didn’t have shoes. I didn’t have maybe two or three I had there. I didn’t have good clothes.
“I changed my wardrobe, shoes, bags, everything. The girl that had no shoes yesterday has today.”
