With a career spanning thirty years, Bimbo Akintola has defined on-screen authenticity, bringing a rare depth and vulnerability to her roles. More than just a skilled actress, the 55-year-old is a storyteller who mines the depths of human emotion. In this interview with TheCable Lifestyle’s MUHIBAT SULAIMON, Akintola delves into her new film ‘Freedom Way’, her meticulous approach to character, and the personal grief that ultimately transformed her understanding of love and resilience.
TheCable Lifestyle: What made you accept the role of the principled police officer in ‘Freedom Way’?
Bimbo Akintola: I like the story. It’s a reflection of what is going on in our society, and I like the fact that they are showing an aspect of our society that we need to talk about and make an improvement on. I thought it was an important story to tell.
TheCable Lifestyle: How did you prepare for such a morally complex role? What challenges did you face? How were you able to shake it off as well?
Bimbo Akintola: For me, getting into the character is understanding the character and knowing who the character is, and everything I need to know is in the script. So once I learn who the character is, then I can become that character because it’s easier to be, and that is my process of getting into character. When you immerse yourself in a character, there is always that danger that you might be comfortable in that character. What I do is that once I get back home, I make sure that I get back to myself. I do simple things that work for me, doing things that I like, including reading before going to bed, no matter how late it is. I have a process for getting out of character, so it’s not that difficult, but I have issues when it’s an emotional scene and we stay too long in it, so I can become immersed in the character’s feelings, and it becomes difficult to shake the feelings sometimes. But along the way, I have learnt little things that can help me, like distracting myself on set. So once they say cut, I distract myself by playing. I’m that person who’s always joking and playing, so in between scenes, you find me playing.
The challenge I faced while getting into my character in Freedom Way is the same as when you are trying to get to be a different person than you are, especially if you don’t share the same principles. But luckily, my character in Freedom Way was similar to me. She is strong. I like the fact that she is very principled. She didn’t let anything get in the way of her job, not even love, so it wasn’t so difficult to become her, and I love a lot of things about her.
TheCable Lifestyle: What was your overall experience like on the set of ‘Freedom Way’?
Bimbo Akintola: I had great fun on the set. I met new people I had not worked with and people I had worked with. Like I said, I love Femi Jacobs. He is an amazing and giving actor, so every time I’m working with him, I’m excited. Mr Macaroni was also on set. There were so many people on the set. It’s been a little while, but it was a great experience. I tell people every time, you’re on a set, there is this camaraderie. You all bond as one for the number of days that you are on set together, and after that, you all go your separate ways, and then you do the bonding with the next set. So there’s always that camaraderie going on on the set. It was an amazing experience. Also, I haven’t worked with the director before. It was our first time, and I enjoyed every little bit of it.
TheCable Lifestyle: Did playing this role shift anything for you personally in how you view justice or the system in Nigeria?
Bimbo Akintola: I know that this might sound odd, but for me, I’ve always thought that our police force is amazing. I agree. I will be the first person to say it. We have those people who are on the streets that are doing negative things, but it’s not the whole of the police force that are doing negative things. There’s still the positive part of the police force. For example, every time they go outside Nigeria to do anything, they win. They are a true reflection of us. They do exceedingly well. They represent us to the fullest. Even amongst those on the streets, you’ll still find some who are so rational.
You have to understand that there’s like a huge divide in Nigeria in terms of the class system. There’s a class system, and if you’re below the class system, you are abrasive. Your educational level, interaction are different. The truth about it is that Nigerians are very aggressive. The way we talk to people, interact with others can be viewed as very aggressive. We are aggressive, loud, and that comes across in our police force as well.
I know we expect better from them, but did we teach them better? What is the process of picking the people who entered the force? There are so many things to look at, and the truth of the matter is that they still do their work. For instance, LASMA perform, no matter how bad. If there were no LASMA, the traffic on the streets of Lagos would be crazy. So I’ve always viewed our police forces as a necessity. The fact that they do their best. Of course, we have the bad bunch, but we also have the good bunch.
TheCable Lifestyle: You’ve played a wide range of characters. What do you usually look for in a script before saying yes?
Bimbo Akintola: What I look for in the script is pretty simple, which is the story that we’re telling. I tell people all the time that if we don’t tell our stories, other people will tell them for us. And I think it’s so important that we tell our story, so it’s from our perspective. And then, when people watch it, it’s the language at the time, as opposed to having people from other countries tell our stories. In 100 years, that’s what people will see, and that’s what they will think is a true reflection of us.
So I think it’s most important that we tell our story. So when I find any story that’s talking about anything to do with us, I’m always excited about it. Also, if it’s important, like the subject matter in ‘Freedom Way’– the way the police force deals with people and our relationship with others.
In school, we were told that we’re educating people, giving out information, and also entertaining. So it’s not just about entertainment. It’s about making sure that while entertaining people, you’re giving out information. We are a mirror of society. So we reflect back all the negativities that we see in society, so we can all come together as one to correct them.
So those things are the things that, you know, when I read a script, and it’s telling something about us, something in society that needs to be corrected. And of course, the girl child. I’m very passionate about women and the girl child.
TheCable Lifestyle: Is there a current Nollywood trend that worries or concerns you?
Bimbo Akintola: No, no trend worries me. It’s a Nigerian, worldwide trend that worries me. It’s the fact that our social media has now become a space for toxicity. A lot of toxicity in our social media, a lot of negativity, it’s unbelievable. The sort of things that people come out and say, all in the name of social media, I think it has to change. Something needs to be done about it because the sort of things that people say are things you would never say to another human. I don’t know what happened to your home training, the way people were brought up, the way we were brought up. You dare not say certain things to people. But with social media, there’s nothing that’s above saying. There’s nothing they won’t talk about. As much as I enjoy the fact that social media gives us a lot of freedom, I’m also very worried about the fact that people are in so many ways abusing that freedom, and it’s become a toxic space for a lot of actors.
TheCable Lifestyle: Last year, you revealed that the person you intended to marry passed away. How has that loss influenced your outlook on love and marriage? Do you still see yourself open to getting married someday?
Bimbo Akintola: We lose people every day, and that always has an effect on us. It always leaves a space that can never be filled. I lost my grandmother as well. That’s basically never been healed. I’ve lost a lot of people in my life, and I think as you get older, you realise that you’re getting to that point where you will also go sooner or later.
It has, however, influenced my outlook on love only in a way because I understand how it’s so easy to lose someone. They’re there today and gone tomorrow. So I think for me, it’s made me love those I love more and hold them tighter because I do understand that someday everybody around me will depart.
I have no idea about being married someday. I don’t believe in marriage for the sake of marriage, or I would have done it way before now. I believe in finding that person who’s your person. So if I ever find another person that’s my person, yes, I will.
TheCable Lifestyle: We’ve seen a major rise in YouTube films in recent years. What are your honest thoughts on this shift, and how do you think it’s shaping or affecting the Nigerian film industry?
Bimbo Akintola: YouTube has been there for a long time. What you’ve seen now is a trend. Nigerians, we follow the trend. If there’s a trend, we follow it. If one person is successful doing one thing, everybody rushes there. That’s the way we are.
When cinema came, we abandoned every other thing because YouTube has always been there. We abandoned every other thing for the cinema. Then Netflix came. We abandoned even the cinema for Netflix. We abandoned everything for Netflix. Now that Netflix is out, so to speak, we have remembered every other thing that’s there. We’ve gone back to the cinema. We’re back on YouTube.
I think YouTube is a great space for Nigerians. I think it gives you that power when you’re also, as an actor or producer, in charge of your own destiny, and you’re not reliant on anybody else. So you have more power, more control over the things that you show, when and how you show them. So I think YouTube is a great space for Nigerians.
TheCable Lifestyle: When you’re not working, how do you like to unwind and spend your free time?
Bimbo Akintola: I’m really boring. I like to gather with my family. I like family gatherings, like having house parties with my family. And I mean just my family — my mum, my siblings, their children — all of us in one house with our wives, and that for me is perfection.
So that’s one of the things I love doing. Everyone is going to be around. We pick a house, whoever’s house, and we all just carry luggage and go there. I love to cook and read. I read a lot. I’m constantly reading, so that’s how I unwind.
I used to write poetry, but I stopped in recent times. I don’t know why, but I’m looking for that spark again. Maybe I need a muse. So those are the things I like to do to unwind. And I like staying by myself. I like my own company. I like time to reflect, look at the things I’ve done, to see look at things about me could change or stay the way they are. I do a little check and balance.
TheCable Lifestyle: Are there any new projects or roles you’re currently working on that we should be looking forward to?
Bimbo Akintola: I recently got back from Ibadan. I was on the set of Dear Ajayi, and I’m excited about that. I think it’s going to be amazing, but it’s not coming to cinemas soon. It’s going the festival route first. It will go through different festivals and then finally make it to the cinema. But I think it is something to look forward to. I like the feel of it, the story we told. There are so many things about the story that I loved. I have several projects that I’m excited about.
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