Yoruba actor and film producer, Shola Akintunde, popularly known as Lagata, has revealed how he developed a reputation for portraying criminals, thugs, and armed robbers in Nigerian films.
Akintunde made the revelation while speaking about his acting career and the roles that helped shape his identity in the industry.
According to the actor, his journey into crime-related roles began with his very first acting assignment, in which he was asked to play a criminal who beat a woman.
He said his performance impressed his boss, who subsequently introduced him to a veteran actor, popularly known as Radical, for further training and rehearsals.
Akintunde explained that Radical helped him learn how to convincingly portray criminal characters, adding that he later appeared in a film produced by Radical in which his gang robbed veteran actor Dele Odule and another actress.
After watching his performance, Odule reportedly encouraged him to focus more on crime-related roles because of his ability to portray such characters convincingly.
Akintunde recalled another memorable experience while filming a robbery scene on an expressway.
According to him, the scene appeared so realistic that drivers of Marco Polo buses reportedly became frightened and turned back, believing an actual robbery was taking place.
He also recounted a dangerous moment during the production of the film titled “Ole”, when he, Don, and Femi were involved in a robbery scene.
Akintunde said that as they prepared to leave the scene in the vehicle used for the robbery, the driver moved before he had properly entered the car, causing him to nearly fall.
He said veteran actor Antar Laniyan became frightened by the incident, while his shoulder helped him avoid falling completely.
Reflecting on his experience, Akintunde stressed that portraying criminals in films is not without risks.
“Acting in a crime movie is very dangerous,” he said.
