“As an actor, I have never won any notable awards.” — Deyemi Okanlawon
Despite working in Nollywood for a long period, actor and filmmaker Deyemi Okanlawon claims that he has never received any significant recognition in the country at large.
Okanlawon stated that he stays motivated because he likes encouraging himself, even though the nation’s award organizers have not acknowledged him.
The seasoned actor stated he wouldn’t allow an award define who he is, even if he would accept one if it were to come his way in a recent interview with Hip TV.
The actor asserted that he would have been reflecting on himself and questioning why he hadn’t won anything significant yet if he were the type of guy who gets mocked by these types of things.
After all of his achievements, he said he could safely congratulate himself in the mirror. He also mentioned that he has learned to treasure compliments rather than dismiss them.
“I have never won any of the serious awards in Nigeria. I have been around [in the entertainment industry] for long enough that if I were the type of person to feel a certain way, I would have been like, ‘Why had I not been awarded this or that?’
The truth is, I can look into my mirror and congratulate myself. I have done this all my life. And if recognition or validation comes from somewhere else, I will take it graciously. In fact, I had to learn to take compliments instead of deflecting them. Validation shouldn’t define you. If anything, my presence should validate an award, not the other way round.”
