Actor and singer Gabriel Afolayan has said the growing prominence of Yoruba films is the result of years of dedication by practitioners in the industry.
Speaking about the increasing visibility of Yoruba language productions, Gabriel dismissed suggestions that the trend was surprising, insisting that the success reflects the effort filmmakers and actors have invested over time.
“There is nothing strange about it because we have put in the work. If one works hard, one should get the dividends for it. If we are seeing the feedback, it’s worth it. So there is nothing strange about it because we have put in the work,” he said.
The actor also spoke about the meaning of his nickname, Gabbylucciii, describing it as a reflection of both his personality and aspirations.
“Lucci means leader, Luciano, boss…someone at the top. And Gabby is coined from my name, Gabriel,” he explained.
On the challenges of acting, Gabriel said he approaches every role as a learning experience, noting that each character requires a different mindset and level of preparation.
“All the roles stretch me. Maybe I don’t take things to heart too much. I see it for what it is and do it for what it should be. I am a student of the art and I am still learning as well, so for me everything is quite challenging. Different roles have different landscapes of approach. The thoughts, the mindset, the research; they are always on different levels. So you can’t really say this is above the other. I put myself through everything I have to go through to achieve every role,” he said.
Gabriel also advised actors and other creatives to focus on their craft rather than seeking validation.
“Just love what you do, you can’t be scheming. Understand what you are supposed to do and do it. Let the audience give you the feedback. Yours is to get into the character, give it what it needs and let the audience feed you back on that,” he added.
Born into the Afolayan entertainment family, Gabriel is the son of late filmmaker Adeyemi Afolayan, popularly known as Ade Love, and the younger brother of filmmaker Kunle Afolayan. A graduate of Theatre Arts from the University of Ibadan, he has built a successful career in both acting and music.
He is known for his roles in films such as Hoodrush, Aramotu, Coming from Insanity and Citation. Beyond acting, he has released several songs, including ‘Awelewa’ and ‘Kokoro Ife’, earning recognition for blending music and film throughout his career.
