Tears Of Success: Lateef Adedimeji Reveals How Crying Launched His Nollywood Career

In an interview with Punch, Adedimeji disclosed that he intentionally built his early career around emotional roles, earning a reputation as “the guy who cries in movies.” He explained that this was a deliberate move to stand out, often going beyond expectations during emotional scenes.

“When I set out to create a niche for myself, I started with crying—I would cry intensely. If I was asked to cry for one minute, I’d push it to two. It was intentional. At some point, when people couldn’t recall my name, they’d just call me ‘the guy who cries in movies.’ But when it started to feel overwhelming, I reinvented myself by introducing my Igbo-Yoruba character. I’ve been strategic at every stage,” he said.

Adedimeji highlighted how pivotal roles in Ayinla and Jagun Jagun showcased different facets of his talent. “Ayinla revealed a musical side of me people hadn’t seen before. Then Jagun Jagun came, and they discovered my strength in action roles. I’ve always made sure to reinvent myself with purpose,” he added.

Reacting to Lisabi being one of the top movies on Google Search in 2024, he expressed his excitement: “It’s fulfilling to see something you’ve worked on being widely accepted. There’s no greater joy than that.”

On the importance of telling indigenous stories, Adedimeji emphasized, “If we celebrate the heroes of other countries, why not honor our own? There are people who fought for our liberation, and their stories deserve to be told and appreciated.”