Eria Obozuwa: Lala Akindoju is Coming Into Her Own

Since making her big-screen debut as Funmiwo in Tunde Kelani’s Dazzling Mirage, she has built a career playing overlooked women with nuance and grace. Over the past decade, she’s acted in over six dozen projects,which earned her several awards including the Africa Movie Academy Award for Most Promising Actor and Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards – Trailblazer (2016). 

It wasn’t always that way of course. As with anyone who starts out early, Lala was as unsure as any young actress at the start of her career, and only found her feet properly when she took control of her path. Lala’s career has been years in the making, from starting out on the stage to having a successful career as an actor, producer and casting director.  You may know the star for her memorable parts in films and TV shows like The Smart Money Woman, Òlòtūré and Lara and the Beat but her work spans far beyond this. 

“We’re in a remarkable time, especially for Nollywood. We have more resources and talent to create what we truly want to create, more knowledge, more access, and  I really love seeing how filmmakers use their platforms to say something,” Lala said. And she’s right. There has been a quantum leap in private sector investment in the arts particularly in music and film. The latter undoubtedly caused by the explosion of streaming services post-pandemic, with Netflix and Showmax doubling down on premium African content and newer entrants like Amazon Prime Video building Africa-specific teams and partnering with prolific content creators.

Anyone who has followed Lala throughout her career knows how much of a champion for up and coming talent she is. She has navigated the twists and turns of her career in film by being utterly and unapologetically herself, building platforms like Open Mic Theatre to spotlight new talent. She eventually parlayed this into casting professionally, and eventually led to high profile gigs like casting for Disney’s Iwaju and Rise, a film she also features in. 

Lala Akindoju understands that she is a testament to, and a function of the work of  those thespians and filmmakers who have gone before her; citing artists like Joke Silva and Akin Omotoso as instrumental not only to her career, but to the industry in general. “It can feel disheartening when we compare budgets for commissioned projects and licensing fees in less populous markets (but arguably more profitable), to Nollywood budgets, but I believe we should focus on how far we have come, continue to grow and celebrate those making strides on the continent both now and in our storied past,” she said. 

She is now at a point in her journey where her work is bigger than herself. “I’ve learned that my love for film goes beyond just my personal desire,” she said. This also helped her zero in on how she wants to work going forward.

“I’m getting to this stage in my career where I’m clear on who I am, what I’m capable of, and what is unacceptable to me,” says Lala, who appears in Akin Omotoso’s touching Disney+ sports epic based on the Antetokounmpo brothers, Rise, which is streaming now. Lala also produced and starred in the #ENDSars focused Everything Scatter –  the first full feature from her own production company, The Make It Happen Productions in collaboration with Greoh Studios.

“As I’ve grown and learned how impactful our work can be on society, how commentary and conversation on our art helps us connect, I think it is important to tell stories that feel true to us, whether that is on a huge scale or smaller, more intimate stories. Film and TV more than ever help us understand each other, and share our varying points of view with the world,” she explained,  “The next phase of my career is not just on screen, but also facilitating our stories and building teams behind the camera.”

Speaking on her experience on Akin Omotoso’s Rise, Lala said: “Being on set was a great way to change perspective, it really showed me where we could be in Nollywood in a few years and it was so exciting! I had several pinch me moments, it really brought home to me: “This is what you are meant to do.” Working with Akin Omotoso and Yetide Badaki (American Gods, This is Us) and Dayo Okeniyi (See,The Hunger Games)  was beyond incredible and I cannot wait to work with them again. 

Surely, Lala will still do her thing in front of the camera. “Film is my first love,” she laughs. This year alone, she is starring in or producing several major projects starting with being a supervising producer on a slate with frequent collaborator Jade Osiberu. In addition to producing the straight to Amazon revenge-thriller Gangs of Lagos and an as yet unnamed TV show helmed by MagicLine Productions, and starring as the co-lead on the second season of the chart topping The Smart Money Woman. Later this year, she’s also lending her voice to a major Disney animated title. 

Oddly enough, one of the things Akindoju struggles with is finding time to relax. “It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with everything going on, but I’m learning to  do things that are only for me, things that have nothing to do with my work – whether it’s playing with my son or catching up with friends and family,” She said, “All I can pray for is to keep growing and evolving.” she continues “If you peel back the layers – having a platform, being known, creating film – it’s all about helping people connect. When I’m doing that, that’s when I know I’m living my purpose and being my most authentic self.”