Most certainly not. Your favourite actress has a favourite actress. Her name is Sola Sobowale.
No matter the role she’s playing, she’s a bonafide scene stealer, a thorough thespian and quite frankly, the very best in her league.
In the history of modern Nigerian film, perhaps in the entire history of Nigerian theatre, there has never been any one who has so captured the hearts of a diverse audience as well has Sola Sobowale has.
Currently receiving rave reviews for her role in the recently released The Wedding Party, her ability to give convincing performances regardless of the movie genre, is unmatched.
One movie she’s Chief Mrs (insert Igbo name here) and the next she’s the Yoruba mother-in-law from Hades.
From her early works, it was obvious that she wasn’t going to be restricted by roles or audiences.
Shown the ropes by veteran actor, playwright, musician and academic, Tunji Oyelana (who was married to her elder sister Kikelomo), her foray started with television dramas such as Village Headmaster and Mirror In The Sun.
In the early ’90s she appeared in the infamous (for that era) Yoruba home video, Asewo To Re Mecca (The Prostitute That Went To Mecca).
But it wasn’t until several years later when she played Toyin Tomato in the Wale Adenuga series Super Story that her fame became known country wide and across ethnic lines.
She has since then acted in close to 200 movies, both in her native Yoruba language and in English.
Her trademark shriek and fiery demeanour has entertained audiences within the borders of Nigeria and beyond. Whenever you saw Sola Sobowale in a movie, you knew you were in for serious entertainment.
When she’s not shouting, she’s crying or playing a cantankerous yet urbane woman. She personifies the multiple variants of Nigerian women: equally resourceful, cunning and dramatic in copious measure.
A short hiatus which she says was to take time to properly mother her three children, made her unavailable for movie buffs. But her return in The Wedding Party was glorious – some people say her character saved the movie from being a pointless borefest.
That’s what Sola Sobowale does: embody the character so perfectly well that viewers instantaneously connect to her. She very well could be someone’s mum, aunt, friend or neighbour with a flair for the theatrical.
In her early 50s now, her kids are no longer kids; her son got married few years ago and her three daughters are done with university.
Hopefully that would mean that she would not need to take a break from her craft that millions of Nigerians look forward to every time her face appears on a poster.
Finally, here are six quick facts about the actress:
- Born Sola Olagookun 50 odd years ago, she’s from Ifon in Ondo State.
- She started studying Music at the University of Ibadan but soon switched to Theatre Arts where her brother-in-law was lecturing.
- She’s married to the former Executive Director of EKO Hospital, Dr. Dotun Sobowale.
- Her sister Kikelomo Oyelana owns the popular EMUKAY restaurant in London.
- Her breakout role was as Toyin Tomato in Super Story.
- Along with appearing in 200 movies, she has produced 50 by herself.
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