Veteran Nollywood actress Ayoka Ologede has reflected on the early struggles that shaped her acting career, revealing how a newspaper advertisement by the late theatre legend Hubert Ogunde changed the course of her life.
The 74-year-old actress shared her story during a recent episode of the Talk to B podcast.
Ologede recalled that she was living on Awolowo Road in Lagos and working for an Indian company after completing her education when she came across Ogunde’s advert seeking aspiring actors for his theatre troupe.
Determined to pursue her passion, she immediately reached out to the renowned dramatist.
Shs said: “I was living on Awolowo Road and went to Aunty Ayo Comprehensive. I was working with an Indian company then.
She continued: “I sponsored myself. After I graduated, I saw Ogunde’s advert in a newspaper. I saw it and went to him to say that I was interested in the profession.”
The actress said she later met Hubert Ogunde at Alagomeji, Yaba, where she was introduced to members of his theatre company.
She described the environment as highly disciplined, noting that men and women sat separately and were expected to maintain strict professional boundaries.
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She recalled: “It was like a Celestial Church. Men and women sat differently. You must not have any reason to speak to one another. You dare not cross your boundary. I learned so much from him. May God rest his soul.”
She also revealed that before joining Ogunde’s troupe in the 1970s, she had already made her screen debut as one of the extras in the 1977 film Bisi, Daughter of the River.
According to her, that role marked the beginning of a career that would eventually establish her as one of Nollywood’s respected veterans.
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