Funke Akindele Shares How She Rose from ‘Waka Pass’ Roles to Earning Her First N1 Million

Nollywood star and filmmaker, Funke Akindele, has opened up about her humble beginnings in the film industry and how perseverance turned her minor roles into major success.

In a video shared on her Instagram page on Saturday, Akindele recounted starting her acting career in 1996, taking on small “waka pass” roles and facing numerous rejections at auditions. Her big break came in 1999 when she was cast as Bisi in the television drama I Need to Know, which also earned her her first ₦1 million paycheck.

“I started acting in 1996, moving from one audition to another and hearing ‘no’ many times. My first big ‘yes’ came with I Need to Know. That was when I made my first one million naira,” she said.

She revealed that she almost lost the role after producers said she was overacting during the pilot shoot. “They called me later and said I was overacting. I had to go back to study the character again,” she recalled.

Akindele credited her younger sister for helping her perfect the teenage tone of the character. “My sister told me I didn’t sound like a teenager. She read the script, acted it out, and I learned from her. That’s how I truly became Bisi,” she said.

The role, she noted, brought her recognition and launched her steady rise in Nollywood.

Reflecting on how she spent her first ₦1 million, Akindele said she first showed it to her mother, who advised her to pay her tithe before buying new clothes and shoes at Yaba Market.

“I had nothing then no good clothes or shoes. I paid my tithe and went shopping. For the first time, I finally had something,” she said.