Actress and producer Oyindamola Sanni has spoken about her evolving career, her return to Kunle Afolayan’s Aníkúlápó: The Ghoul Awakens and her long term plans within Nigeria’s film industry.
Oyindamola, who continues to work across streaming platforms and digital media, said she remains active both as an actor and a producer. “I am an actor and a producer,” she said, noting that she recently worked on film projects for her YouTube channel as well as a Netflix production.
Reflecting on her return to Afolayan’s epic fantasy series, where she reprised her role as Olatorera, Oyindamola described the experience as fulfilling, particularly her time working alongside Sola Sobowale.
“I enjoyed a great experience and working relationship on Aníkúlápó Season Two. Working with Sola Sobowale, who played my mum, was very special. We catch up a lot and she is one of my mentors.”
She also described working with Afolayan as “great and awesome.”
Speaking about her character, the actress said Olatorera remains one of the emotional anchors of the story. “Olatorera is a lover girl and she never learns. No slacking and no dulling. I’m a lover girl in real life too; that’s me,” she said with a laugh.
One of the challenges she faced in the new season was speaking Portuguese, which required extra preparation. “When Uncle Kunle asked if I could speak Portuguese, I said no, though I could speak a bit of Spanish. I had to download an app and really put in the work to learn the language,” she quipped.
“I’m happy it came out well and fans loved it. I expect viewers to love the new season and see Olatorera as the lover girl who is also ambitious, just like her mum, Awarun.”
Looking ahead, Oyindamola said she hopes to play a role in Nollywood’s continued growth. “I see Nollywood becoming the largest film industry in the world. I see myself owning a film studio, becoming a household name, impacting lives through storytelling and creating opportunities for people.”
She added, “I am very particular about the stories I tell. They must be fascinating.”
Aníkúlápó: The Ghoul Awakens, directed by Kunle Afolayan, premiered on Netflix on January 30. The series continues the story that began with the 2022 film Aníkúlápó and expands its blend of Yoruba history, fantasy and mythology, with returning cast members including Sola Sobowale, Bimbo Ademoye, Aisha Lawal, Moji Afolayan, Eyiyemi Afolayan, Ronke Oshodi-Oke, Taiwo Hassan and Lateef Adedimeji.
