Yoruba actress and skit maker Tosin Olaniyan has revealed that the perception that she is disrespectful and abusive has affected her personal life, saying many people mistake her comic characters for her real personality.
Olaniyan, while reacting to comments about her alleged disrespectful nature, explained that her portrayal of comic and sometimes unruly characters in movies and skits had led many people to form negative opinions about her.
According to the actress, she regularly received criticism on Facebook because of the comedy videos she uploaded, particularly those featuring veteran actors whom she addressed or related with as though they were her peers or younger people.
She explained that the interactions were purely part of acting and should not be interpreted as a reflection of her real-life character.
Olaniyan said she once decided to read the comments under one of her videos and was shocked by the level of abuse directed at her after viewers saw a skit she performed with veteran actor Jide Kosoko.
She said some commenters described her as stupid and lacking home training, apparently based on the way she behaved in the skit.
The actress said the comments became so hurtful that she stopped posting the skits for a period.
However, she said fans later began asking her to return to making the videos because they had missed her comic performances.
Olaniyan also suggested that her screen image may have affected her chances of getting married.
“Maybe I would have married by now if not that people think I am just like the character I act in movies,” she said, adding that people had “destroyed” her with their words.
She described her movie characters as a challenge because some viewers assume that the aggressive or abusive personality she portrays on screen is her real character.
The actress stressed that actors should not be judged solely by the roles they play.
“We are not the same character that we act in movies,” she said.
On marriage, Olaniyan said she believes she will eventually get married but explained that she has been cautious because, in her view, there are many men who may not make good partners.
She further argued that many women of her generation have become determined not to repeat what they consider the mistakes and hardships experienced by their mothers in marriage.
“If our parents want to be honest, 95 percent of them did not enjoy their marriage,” she said.
Olaniyan said this perception had influenced some women to insist on maintaining their careers and personal identities rather than sacrificing everything for marriage.
“I will not be like my mother, I will have a career,” she said.
The actress also criticised what she described as traditional expectations placed on women and men in Nigerian society.
According to her, female children are often raised with considerable attention to responsibility and good conduct, while some male children are not subjected to the same level of upbringing.
She questioned why girls should be carefully trained when, in her view, some men are allowed to grow up without being adequately prepared for responsible family life.
Olaniyan further criticised what she described as the persistence of traditional attitudes among some men, particularly in marriage, saying some men want the benefits of traditional gender roles while avoiding responsibilities when they become demanding.
She said women increasingly want happiness and fulfilment in marriage, while some men still expect relationships to operate according to traditional patterns.
Despite her experiences and reservations, Olaniyan maintained that she would eventually get married, stressing that her decision would not be based on pressure from society.
