Actor Efa Iwara has revealed he was born with a stammer and shared how the condition nearly held him back from a career in entertainment.
Speaking in an interview with Chude Jideonwo on #WithChude, Efa said his speech impediment was so serious growing up that he had to be coached through basic conversations by his elder brother.
“I was born a stammerer,” he said.
“He’d tell me, ‘Take your time, breathe, think about what you want to say before you say it.’”
The actor, who played investigative journalist Dapo Banjo in King of Boys: The Return of the King, said the experience helped shape his path into music and eventually acting.
Efa also praised King of Boys director Kemi Adetiba for her creativity and resilience, especially during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when the Netflix limited series was filmed.
“Her energy, her drive, is enviable. And her creativity is out of this world,” he said.
“It was magical.”
The Ajoche actor also recalled an early moment in his music career when a performance was cut short by a faulty CD.
Despite the embarrassment, a brief word from music legend 2Baba lifted his spirits and gave him the push to keep going.
“It showed me a range of what I could do,” he said of his early acting days.
Efa Iwara, who began as a rapper in Ibadan before crossing into acting, has since featured in several hit series including The Men’s Club and Rumour Has It.
King of Boys: The Return of the King, directed by Kemi Adetiba, premiered on Netflix in 2021 as a follow-up to her 2018 box office hit.
The project starred Sola Sobowale, Illbliss, Reminisce and Toni Tones.
