Eyiyemi Afolayan Aims to Surpass Father Kunle Afolayan’s Filmmaking Legacy
Eyiyemi Afolayan, daughter of renowned Nollywood filmmaker Kunle Afolayan, is poised to carve her own path in the Nigerian film industry, expressing confidence in surpassing her father’s illustrious career.
Despite being born into a family with a rich cinematic heritage, including her grandfather Adeyemi ‘Ade Love’ Afolayan, Eyiyemi remains undaunted by the legacy and is determined to establish herself as a leading filmmaker.
“I’ve seen my grandpa’s movies and I can see there’s definitely a development from the way my grandpa used to make his movies to how my dad makes his movies,” Eyiyemi asserted during an interview with Channels TV.
“In a few years’ time, I’m going to be a very big filmmaker myself and I’m going to do better by God’s grace,” she confidently added.
At just 18 years old, Eyiyemi made her film debut in her father’s Netflix original, “Aníkúlápó,” in 2022, portraying the character Omowunmi. She reprised her role in the sequel TV series, “Aníkúlápó: Rise of the Spectre,” which began streaming on March 1, 2024.
Reflecting on her experience working with her father, Eyiyemi described it as seamless and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to pursue her passion. Despite initial apprehension, she found herself embraced by the veteran cast and crew, who treated her as an equal.
“Everyone on set didn’t treat me like a kid. They came down to my level. I was able to warm up to them, and it didn’t seem like I was the youngest on set,” she remarked.
While Eyiyemi is eager to make her mark in Nollywood, she acknowledges the importance of education and is currently focused on completing her studies in mass communication. However, she remains committed to fully immersing herself in the industry once her academic pursuits are fulfilled.
“Education is my focus, but I’ll be done in two years; when I’m done, I’ll be in the industry fully,” she affirmed.
With her determination, talent, and family legacy, Eyiyemi Afolayan is poised to become a formidable force in the Nigerian film landscape, poised to surpass even her father’s esteemed career.
