Adeyemi Josiah Afolayan (1940–1996) was a Nigerian

actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

filmmaker Filmmaking or film production is the process by which a Film, motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, beginning with an initial story, idea, or commission. Production then continues through screen ...

, dramatist and producer.

Early life

Afolayan was born in 1940 in

Kwara state Kwara () is a state in Western Nigeria, bordered to the east by Kogi State, to the north by Niger State, and to the south by Ekiti, Osun, and Oyo states, while its western border makes up part of the international border with Benin. Its ca ...

Nigeria, he was a

film actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

, director and producer. He is the brother of actress Toyin Afolayan as well as father to film actors,

Kunle Afolayan Kunle Afolayan (born 30 September 1975) is a Nigerians, Nigerian actor, producer, and director. He is credited for elevating the quality of Nollywood movies through larger budgets, shooting on 35mm, releasing in Movie theater, cinemas, and impro ...

, Tayo Afolayan, Gabriel Afolayan, Moji Afolayan and Aremu Afolayan.

Career

In 1966, Afolayan joined Moses Olaiya's drama troupe. In 1971, he left to establish his own drama group which went on to stage comedic plays. In 1976, he appeared in

Ola Balogun Ola Balogun (born 1 August 1945) is a Nigerian filmmaker and scriptwriter. He also ventured into the Nigerian music industry in 2001. Balogun, who has been making films for more than three decades, is part of the first generation of Nigerian filmm ...

's ''Ajani Ogun'' and later produced and starred ''Ija Ominira'' (1979), also directed by Balogun. ''Kadara'', also called ''Destiny'' in English was the first movie he wrote, produced and also starred as the leading actor. The movie was shown at the ninth Tashkent film festival for African and Asian cinema. Afolayan went on to produce and star in other productions such as ''Ija Orogun'', ''Taxi Driver'' and ''Iya ni Wura''.

Selected filmography

*''Taxi Driver'' (1983) *''Ajani Ogun'' (1976) *''Kadara'' *Ija Ominira

References

Nigerian male film actors Yoruba male actors Male actors from Kwara State 1940 births 1996 deaths 20th-century Nigerian male actors Adeyami Male actors in Yoruba cinema Nigerian dramatists and playwrights Nigerian film producers {{Nigeria-film-bio-stub

Early life

Career

Selected filmography

See also

References