Briefly introduce yourself.

My name is Adewale Alebiosu, though everyone usually calls me “Awo Lojo.” I am a native of Abeokuta in Ogun State. I attended N.U.D. Primary School in Owode Egba, Abeokuta. I then went to Owode Grammar School. From there, I proceeded to Kebbi State Polytechnic.

How did you get into acting?

After I gained admission and completed my first year, a new head of the institution came in and embarked on a credentials verification exercise for all students. Along the line, it turned out that many of us who gained admission at the same time had used results that were considered invalid, and we were expelled. That was when I went into acting and theatre arts. That is how my journey began.

So why did you choose acting?

When I was in primary school, I used to take part in acting and stage plays. I also participated in cultural dances. From there, they selected those of us they believed had talent for drama. The drama instructor then was Mr Oyekunle.

As time went on, there was someone I admired greatly, Fatai Adetayo (Lalude). I used to watch him and think to myself, “If only I could perform the way this man does in movies, I would be so happy.”

I didn’t know how to reach him, but someone in my neighbourhood told me about a theatre group that was accepting new members through an application process. It was run by Taiwo Balogun, popularly known as Baba Bogan. I joined him and trained under him for about five years.

After my training, I realised I wanted to specialise in chanting incantations (pofo) and playing the role of a herbalist (Babalawo). That was when I joined Odua Lalude, the elder brother of Fatai Adetayo, at Iwaya in Lagos.

I stayed with him and began learning the craft. They taught me how to chant incantations and invoke the spirits of the elders (Ayajo). At first, they told me I would learn gradually. By God’s grace, I understood everything they taught me, and eventually, I also began chanting incantations and playing those roles. That is how I became an actor.

Tell us about your first acting role and movie?

The very first film I featured in made me very happy, and I said to myself, “Finally, I too have played a role in a movie.”

We shot the production at NTA Channel 12 in Abeokuta. The title of the production was Eku Ida. The producer was Alassari. I was cast as a maidservant who went to the palace to win the king’s affection. I didn’t have any spoken lines; I simply had to charm the king.

Still, I was excited that a camera was pointed at me and that people back home would see me on television. I was truly happy just to be part of the production.

Which movie brought you to the limelight?

I have featured in many movies, but the one that truly brought me into the spotlight was Monday Omo Adugbo, produced by Odunlade Adekola.

After the movie was released, people started recognising me everywhere, saying, “Oh, look, it’s Alabi Oshushun! We saw him in Odunlade’s movie.”

People loved the role he gave me. That was when calls started coming in from everywhere. Whenever producers needed someone to play a herbalist or native doctor, they would say, “Let’s get Alabi Oshushun.”

It felt like a joke at first, but that was how God chose to elevate my career. God truly used Monday Omo Adugbo and my opportunity to work with Odunlade Adekola as the breakthrough that brought me fame.

What challenges did you face on your way to stardom?

Honestly, I’ve faced so many challenges that I can’t even count them all, but I’ll share one of them.

About a year ago, I went to a town called Gbenoje to work on a movie with Abija titled The Return of Abija. While we were working on the project, a friend and I were sitting outside an apartment one afternoon drinking garri. An elderly woman was sitting opposite us.

Suddenly, another woman came carrying her baby. She was talking on the phone, so she placed the baby on the ground in front of the house and walked away to continue her conversation.

The elderly woman looked at the situation and said, “This child shouldn’t be neglected like this. How can she just leave a child in front of us and walk away?”

She stood up, walked over, placed her hand on the child’s head, and returned to her seat. As she sat down, our eyes met briefly.

Immediately, fear gripped me. I whispered to my friend, “Did you see what that old woman just did to the baby?”

My friend replied, “Well, the child’s mother is the one who carelessly left the baby there while making a phone call.”

I couldn’t bring myself to finish my garri. I stood up and walked away. I kept wondering whether I should call the baby’s mother and tell her what had happened. In the end, I kept quiet because I didn’t want anyone asking me who sent me.

But when night fell, everything changed.

I suddenly began seeing strange old women lining up and walking into the room where I was sleeping. Each time I saw them, I gathered handfuls of sand from the floor and threw it at them, and they scattered.

By the following morning, my neck had swollen badly, and I completely lost my voice. People had to start taking me around in search of help.

Eventually, thank God, the spiritual battle was won, and the affliction was broken.

There are so many stories I could tell, so many different experiences. But I am grateful to God that He never abandoned me. I never joke with my prayers or my faith in God.

There are countless hardships I’ve been through that I haven’t even mentioned, like the time I was vomiting and coughing up blood while we were shooting Aje Ku Oro. I can’t even count how many problems I’ve faced. But I thank God that I am alive, healthy and completely well today.

So how did you get through all those challenges?

When God finally makes a way for me and I become famous, the difference will be that the whole world will know me. They’ll say, “Ah, among the actors, there is one man they call Alebi Osu.” There won’t be any city I visit where I won’t meet my fans and well-wishers saying, “Ah, Alebi Osu!”

Even those who aren’t in this country, people from abroad, will look for my number just to greet me and tell me that if they don’t see me in a movie, they won’t watch it; they won’t do this or that.

That is the difference that will come to my life when I become a star and a household name. Everyone will know me, to the extent that if I go somewhere and want to get something, even if it’s difficult for others to get through, the moment they see me, they’ll say, “Ah, don’t you know this man? That’s our actor, the one who performs so well!” Everyone will instantly recognise me and say, “Ah, Alebi Osu!” They will identify me and take care of my needs first. The people around won’t even be upset; they’ll just say, “Attend to him, attend to him. He is our entertainer. Attend to him!”

How will you rate yourself among other people in the industry?

To be honest, there are still a lot of things I don’t have, even after becoming a star. It’s true that God has given me a name and made me famous all over, to the point where I’m recognised wherever I go. But there are still basic things I lack. I don’t own a car yet. I still get around on foot or take commercial motorcycles (okada), and I still use public buses to travel. I also don’t own my own house yet. Ever since I became a star, I haven’t been able to afford one. To be fair, I am currently building a house, but it’s still under construction. It needs to be completed and the interior finished before I can move in, but it’s not finished yet. So, for now, I don’t have a car or a house of my own; I am still renting the place where I live.

Even when it comes to my peers and colleagues, many of them have travelled to London, Canada, America and other parts of the world. I haven’t had the opportunity to travel out of the country at all since I started this career. But when it comes to fame, whenever they mention prominent people in the theatre industry, especially among those who play the roles of herbalists (Babalawo), my name is always among the first mentioned. And for that, I am truly grateful to God.

Where do you want to be seen in the next five years?

Five years from now, I would love to be someone who travels abroad regularly and who has achieved a lot. I want to have my own equipment and cameras so that I won’t have to rent them anymore. It shouldn’t be that whenever I want to shoot a movie, I’ll start worrying about who will provide the equipment. I want to have my own tools ready to produce my own films. So, that is my dream for where I want to be in the next five years.

What project are you currently working on?

I have a project, but lack of funds has been holding me back from starting. I haven’t found anyone to fund it yet. The upcoming project is titled The Driver (Awako). A lot of people also know me as a writer; I write stories, and I also direct.

What is your advice to upcoming actors?

They should have endurance; they must possess what we call ifarada (endurance). They should also remain loyal to those who are ahead of them in the industry. Furthermore, they must ensure they don’t neglect or abandon the place of prayer. If they also want to get to the top and become stars, they must ensure that, at all times, they do not joke with prayer.