By Ololade A Olatunji
Whether she is playing the role of an overbearing mother-in-law, a feisty mum or a hysterical & emotionally unbalanced wife, Sola Sobowale is highly addictive and will leave you euphoric. Only on very few productions has she played cool and calm. Her roles are always well suited to her range abilities and she showcases these without breaking a sweat.
Unarguably one of Nigeria’s most impressive actresses, Sola was born on 26th December 1965 in Ondo State, Nigeria, to the family of the late Mr and Mrs Joseph and Esther Olagookun, disciplinarians who were well-grounded in teaching. At that period, it was not unusual for parents to impose career choices on their wards. Sola’s were no different. While it would bring her father pure joy to follow her path and become an academic, her mother on the other hand wanted her to be a nurse, but none of these choices fascinated her. So, when the idea of venturing into the make-believe world seeped into their ears, they disapproved at the speed of light.
However, the overriding influence of her brother-in-law; multi-award-winning Nigerian musician, actor, Tunji Oyelana who corrected their erroneous impression about actors and showed readiness to guide her through her career path, changed their stance.
She made her foray into acting after she got admitted as a secretary in training at Sight and Sound in Ibadan after which she enrolled in the University of Ibadan’s Department of Music but later switched to Theatre Arts.
With over two decades in the thespian art, and appearances in over 200 movies, Sola started acting as a member of the Awada Kerikeri Group under the leadership of Adebayo Salami. From Sura The Tailor, the rested Village Headmaster, to Lola Fani Kayode’s Mirror In The Sun and a couple of stage productions including Femi Osofisan’s Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again, and it has been a steady rise for her.
Bursting onto the silver screen after engaging performances, she made her first film debut in 1992 in the film Asewo to re Mecca. Over the years, she has scripted, co-scripted, directed and produced several Nigerian films. Her scintillating screen presence and acting prowess soon made her one of the most sought-after artists in the Nigerian film industry. Although she scored credits in flicks like Diamond Ring, Dangerous Twins and Family On Fire, produced and directed by Tade Ogidan, Ohun Oko Somida, a 2010, playing Toyin Tomato in the Wale Adenuga 2001 Super Story series, Oh Father! Oh Daughter! shot her into superstardom and took her outside the shores of Nigeria.
But balancing career and family was quite herculean for her at some point, not willing to sacrifice one for the other, she took a 15-year break from acting to focus on her family. Even when she dropped out of the scene, her name never left the lips of her fans who deeply missed her presence in movies. She relocated to the United Kingdom to give the best of education to her five children. And once the boxes were ticked, she plotted a comeback to the big screen. She returned to spotlight in the grandest manner possible and none of her fans was prepared for the delight she brought with her.
Sola cemented her spot as the queen of the tube in the blockbuster 2016 movie, Wedding Party, produced by Mo’ Abudu and directed by Kemi Adetiba where she played the character of Tinuade Coker, an irrepressible mother of the bride, Adunni (Adesua Etomi), who stands up to the mother of the groom, the uptight snob Uju Onwuka (Iretiola Doyle). Beyond the flawless, superlative acting, it was a career-defining moment for the veteran thespian.
While we were still recovering from her sterling performance, the vivacious actress left us gasping for breath in Kemi Adetiba’s movie, ‘King of Boys’. She took up the role of Alhaja Eniola Salami, a businesswoman and philanthropist with a checkered past and a promising political future. Sola gave her all in that movie, keeping us to the edge of our seats with a delivery that was nothing short of phenomenal and deep.
Determined and always pushing the envelope, Sola Sobowale will continue raising and smashing the bar, even if it means overstepping crazy borders to fully prepare for that character. It is amazing how she keeps outdoing herself time and time again.
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