Popular filmmaker and actress Funke Akindele has opened up about why she withdrew from public life for several years to focus on her career.
The award-winning star, who is now 48, said the choice was a planned move to build her brand and create strong projects that would last.
She explained in an interview that during that period, she stayed mostly inside her home in Amen Estate and devoted her time to work.
Funke revealed that she spent three years working daily on projects such as the Jenifa brand, Industreet, Aiyetoro, My Siblings and I, and other productions.
She avoided holidays, parties, social gatherings and friendships, choosing instead to stay with her team and work nonstop.
She said the sacrifice helped her reach the level of success people now see, adding that she wanted to fully give herself to her craft without distractions.
The actress also shared that her effort was not limited to acting alone.
On film sets, she handled many tasks and made sure every part of production went well.
She often worked without glamour, focusing only on getting the job done before moving to promotion and public appearances.
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“When I say hard work, I mean locking myself away in Amen Estate for three years building the Jenifa brand, working on Industreet, Aiyetoro, My siblings and I, and other content,” she said.
“I deprived myself of vacations, parties, events, no friends, nothing, just me and my team, working tirelessly, creating and working hard to achieve the success many now see.”
“When I am on the set of my films, I am not a diva, I am everywhere and very hands-on, no wig, just on my rough corn rows, working hard and seeing that everything is in perfect order. I go through all that till work is done, and then we can now start preparing for marketing and all the glam and dancing,” she said.
Funke Akindele is popularly known for the Jenifa franchise and several record-breaking films that have helped shape modern Nollywood.
She was once married to music producer Abdulrasheed Bello, also known as JJC Skillz.
The former couple, who share twin sons, announced their separation in 2022.
