One-time Big Brother Africa winner and actor, Tayo Faniran, tells KEHINDE AJOSE about his career and other issues
Last year, you featured in two major movies— ‘Gangs of Lagos’ and ‘Ada Omo Daddy’. Did you see yourself going this far as an actor?
Yes, I saw it coming. I am a goal getter. The difference between my return to Nigeria, and when I left for South Africa as a model was that I was already a star in Africa through Big Brother Africa. When I returned to Nigeria in 2019, I was ready to give it my all. I thought it would be easier, because I already had a name and a face that people knew and loved. I thought I would get back home, make calls to my connections, and they would just give me acting jobs. However, things did not go that way. Some people I reached out to avoided me. I thought that, perhaps, because they knew how strong my potentials were, they were afraid of helping me.
If a person treats me poorly (less); instead of letting it depress me, I would use it to make myself bigger.
When I returned to Nigeria, I had a lot to learn and work to do on myself. One of the first productions I featured in was Funke Akindele’s My Siblings and I. She (Akindele) was a major part of the reason I came back home. When I had an issue with the police in South Africa, she reached out to me and asked, ‘What are you doing in South Africa? Come back to Nigeria’.
The next person that God also touched his heart to give me a job was Mike Ezuruonye. I will always be grateful to him as well. He gave me a lead character in a Rok TV film. What I do not fail to acknowledge is that I have a very strong potential to become the greatest actor.
Would you say your physique has contributed to the kind of roles you get?
Let’s say my looks have contributed to the kind of roles I get. I am six feet four inches. I’m really tall and I have broad shoulders. I am dark-skinned as well. Those things, put together, already make me a super attractive personality for TV. If you see me on the screen, even without me talking, you would love to look at me. It’s important that we (actors) attract the viewers to what we are showcasing, whether it’s storytelling, reality, or whatever it is. However, that’s not all there is to it. There are good-looking people on TV who are not good actors. I want to be a proper and versatile actor that can deliver, whether as a mechanic, farmer, or headmaster.
How easy was it for you to transition from being a reality TV star into an actor?
It is a lot of work and a long journey. I am a very spiritual person, though not religious. I believe that all the steps I have taken and those I will take in the future have been orchestrated by God. There is nothing I have achieved or have become that I have not dreamt about before. Even before I became the good actor I am today, I have always bragged to people that I was a good actor. And, I kept on working towards it. Sometimes, I learnt some things just by thinking deeply about them. I learnt some things just by watching others do them. In a similar vein, I learnt some things by taking corrections from people that I know love me genuinely and want the best for me. One example of such individuals is my brother-in-law. He is one of my greatest influences and advisers. He is not an actor but he is intelligent. He knows something about everything. He loves me so much and has been a part of my journey. At a point in my career, he told me, ‘Tayo, you are a model; a poser (sic). If you are talking and saliva drops from your mouth, you want to wipe it. If you are standing and your shirt is not hanging properly, you want to fix it. You do the same when you are acting. That means you have not forgotten who you are. That is not acting. You need to let go of yourself. Don’t be a model when you are acting’.
I then learnt how to separate being a model from being an actor, who plays different roles.
What is your assessment of the growth of Nollywood, especially in recent times?
Nollywood is growing really fast. Directors, producers and actors are competing with one another positively. As an actor, one can be inspired by what one’s colleagues are doing. That will inspire one to do better.
It also applies to afrobeats. When Burna Boy releases a song and it is a hit, someone like Wizkid could be motivated by the success of that song to make his own better. That is what is going on in Nollywood at the moment.
International investors are coming into the industry, and actors are earning the type of money they never used to earn years back. We just pray it keeps going like that. I believe that we can actually get to a place where actors earn royalties on films forever.
I don’t think people have seen the best of Nollywood yet. We are just starting. I am grateful to God.
Do you make New Year resolutions?
I don’t think New Year Resolutions really work. One does not need a new year to change. If I want to stop eating eba, I don’t have to wait before I get into a new year to do that. My philosophy is to be a new person each day, and that is what I strive for. We thank God for the grace to celebrate another year. It is something I don’t take for granted.
The two things I appreciate most in life are life itself and good health. Every other thing will be okay if one has those two things.
How has fatherhood changed you?
Being a father is a responsibility. I became a father intentionally. I know what my father was to me, and I want to be that for my children, and even more. Fatherhood has taught me a lot. Now, I have people to consider even before myself. There are some things I would have to deprive myself of, because I have to take care of my responsibilities as a father to my children.
Also, if for example, I am acting a role that involves me holding cigarettes, I would tell my children that smoking is bad. I would let them know that I am just acting. Or, if they see me in a romantic scene with another woman, I would tell them that it is make-believe for my work.
How do you relax?
I have a beach house at Elegushi beach, Lagos, called Nsuku beach house. That is where I go to relax. I love water, and a peaceful natural environment. I also sell good food there. We have hosted prominent people there as well.
How do you love to dress?
I love to dress the way I feel. The way I dress is spiritual. I might wear an all-white outfit, because I might be feeling low in spirit and I just want to feel peaceful. The occasion I am attending also influences what I would wear.
However, I dress my own way. I don’t follow trends; rather, I set them.
