Award-winning actress, filmmaker and producer, Funke Akindele, has attributed her remarkable success in Nigeria’s film industry to years of hard work, discipline and personal sacrifice, revealing that she devoted herself almost entirely to her career at the expense of her personal life.
Speaking in a recent interview with BellaNaija, the record-breaking filmmaker said her unwavering commitment to filmmaking has been the foundation of her consistent box-office achievements, stressing that every milestone she has attained came through years of dedication and relentless effort.
Reflecting on her journey, Akindele disclosed that she spent years placing work ahead of everything else, often neglecting her own wellbeing while focusing on research, scriptwriting and film production.
According to her, she rarely made time for personal grooming, social gatherings or leisure activities, except when necessary for major public appearances.
“It is a lot of work. When I say a lot of work, I mean giving your all to it. I was looking back, and I was telling myself that, ‘People are saying you look beautiful. You’re loving yourself in the mirror. Why did it take you so long to care about yourself?’” she said.
The actress admitted that she abandoned self-care for years because of her demanding work schedule.
READ ALSO: NFC Applauds Funke Akindele As Behind The Scenes Crosses ₦2bn Box Office Record
“I abandoned myself for work. I don’t even make my hair, except when I am going on the red carpet for something very important. I don’t attend parties. I don’t visit people. I put everything into work. Research, writing, work.
“I am neck deep into work. I sacrificed my time. It is only now that I am relaxed, doing my skincare routine, looking beautiful, and smelling nice,” she added.
Akindele explained that the sacrifices were necessary to achieve the level of success she now enjoys, noting that excellence in filmmaking requires total commitment.
She pointed to the commercial success of her latest film, Behind The Scene, which she said grossed ₦2.7 billion, as evidence that consistent hard work eventually pays off.
According to her, each new project outperforms the previous one because she approaches every production with the same level of dedication and determination.
“It was a lot of sacrifices for me. So for me to get all these achievements, for my last movie Behind The Scene to gross ₦2.7 billion, it required many sacrifices,” she said.
Widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most successful filmmakers, Akindele has continued to dominate the country’s box office in recent years, with several of her productions setting new commercial records while reinforcing her position as one of Nollywood’s leading creative figures.