Actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele has reflected on the turning point of her career, revealing how she earned her first N1 million in 1999 after playing the character Bisi in the popular TV series I Need to Know.
In a video posted on her Instagram page on Saturday, Akindele narrated her early struggles in the film industry, describing how she began with minor waka-pass appearances and endured several rejections at auditions before finally landing the role that changed her fortune.
“I made that around 1999. I started my career from like 1996, playing waka pass roles, 1997 going for auditions, getting a lot of nos,” she recalled.
Her persistence, she noted, eventually paid off when she secured her breakthrough. “Then I got one big yes with ‘I Need to Know’ and that is how I got my first N1 million,” she said.
Akindele went on to reveal that she nearly lost the role of Bisi during the pilot shoot after being criticised for overacting.
“I almost lost the role ‘Bisi’ in ‘I Need to Know’. I shot the pilot of I Need to Know first and I acted so well, and I was waiting for this callback. The callback didn’t come on time. I’m like, ah, okay.
“Then he just called me into the office. I’m like, okay, you’re a fantastic actress, you’re doing so well, but you’re overacting. They told me to go home and read my script, understand the character very well,” she said.
According to her, that feedback pushed her to practise more at home, with the help of her younger sister, who guided her on how to sound like a real teenager.
“I was so worried. I said how am I going to do it now? Then I got home, and I was so moody, and my younger sister was like sister, what’s wrong?
“I said, ‘I Need to Know’. They said I’m not talking like a teenager.
“She said ah because I was not a teenager when I was filming ‘I Need to Know’. She said ah, let me see the script and she held the script. She started reading.
“So I heard mama speak like a teenager, and immediately, you know, I took in the character and I started speaking like mama and that and that was how I got the role.
“So that was how I made my first one million naira. We were paid for an episode, but I will not tell you how much, but all together, ah, I was shocked. I was like me that always jump for bike.”
Speaking further, Akindele recalled how she spent her first earnings, saying she showed the money to her mother, who advised her to pay her tithe before spending the rest on personal needs.
“What did I do with one million naira? First, I showed it to my mom. Of course, she knows about it, and then mommy advised and said I have to pay my tithe first,” she said.
“I paid my tithe, then I entered Yaba because I didn’t have shoes. I didn’t have maybe two or three I had there. I didn’t have good clothes.
“I changed my wardrobe, shoes, bags, everything. The girl that had no shoes yesterday has today.”
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