On and off the screen, Omowunmi Dada radiates a sweetness that charms anyone she meets. That charm is palpable as she graciously opens the door to her warmly lit and tastefully decorated hotel room to welcome her manager and me.
Dressed in a chic teal jacket over a white top and palazzo pants, her striking afro hairstyle frames her face perfectly, accentuated by the greenish frames of her oversized, blue-ray eye glasses.
“Hi, I’m Omowunmi Dada,” she confidently introduces herself.
While I’m well aware of her identity, a courtesy introduction is part of the charm.
She gestures to a pair of one-seater sofas by the window, and I choose the one on the right. Unhurried and composed, she settles into the left sofa, easily crossing her legs. On the small table between us lies a covered china dish next to “Sanya”, Oyin Olugbile’s award-winning debut novel.
Before I proceed with our conversation, it is worth recalling how far Omowunmi Dada has come. Trained as a theatre artist at the University of Lagos, she broke into Nollywood through stage and small-screen roles. But her performance in Ojuju (2014) and later King Invincible (2017) announced her as a face to watch. Since then, she has become one of Nollywood’s most versatile performers, frequently praised for her ability to embody warmth and menace in equal measure.
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After a brief conversation to test her mood, I realised Dada is calm yet playful. I sense that starting with a reflective question might draw out something beyond the usual actor’s chatter.
I turn forward to her and ask, “As we grow older, our bodies and memories weaken. If you had to choose one to preserve, would it be your body or your memory?”
“First, let me correct you, I don’t grow older. Every day I feel younger,” she replies with a laugh. Though her humour is light, she truly seems ageless.
She pauses for a moment, then responds earnestly, “Memory.” She sighs. Following that, she reflects deeply. “Memory is essential to our existence, even beyond life. That’s why I take photos to document every significant moment, ensuring I live on in the hearts and minds of my loved ones.”
Her response resonates profoundly. Memory, as many philosophers remind us, is fragile. It falters, distorts, omits. And when it slips, it distorts the essence of who we are. I pose the question with reverence to two actors: Nollywood legend Olu Jacobs, who is battling dementia with Lewy Body, and the retired Hollywood actor Bruce Willis, who is suffering from frontotemporal dementia. Both remind us that memory is an archive of existence, painful when distorted or eroded by illness or age.
This fragility of memory is at times the theme of Nollywood’s stories. In Kunle Afolayan’s period drama/thriller, October 1, Inspector Danladi’s haunting flashbacks after being attacked by Prince Aderopo, reveal how fractured memory can trap a person in an unending loop of trauma.
Niyi Akinmolayan‘s psychological thriller, House of Secrets, features a character struggling with memory issues. The protagonist, Sarah (played by Najite Dede), grapples with traumatic events that have impacted her memory, creating a “matrix” of suppressed recollections.
And recently, in Muyiwa Ademola’s Ori: Rebirth, a reboot of his 2004 classic, Omowunmi plays Olapeju, the wife of a man tormented by memory loss. I remind her of the role and she gently nods her head. “Memories are integral parts of our beings,” she says, suddenly professorial. “Without them, we are lost to ourselves and our sense of purpose.” Her words reflect themes that have quietly run through several Nollywood narratives over the years.
To shift the atmosphere, I lean in, meet her gaze, and affectionately call her Nollywood’s Sweetheart. This label has followed her from critics and fans who see her as a beloved figure. She laughs, tilts her head, and counters, “Not all the characters I’ve played are lovable. Some are downright vicious.”
It’s true. Besides films like Meeting Funmi’s Parents and Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, where her charm glows, Omowunmi Dada has often subtly embraced darker shades. Her filmography shows her resistance to being boxed in, choosing roles that span the lovable to the loathsome.
In Tunde Kelani’s Ayinla, she is Deborah, the woman whose choices trigger Omowura’s tragic end. In Biyi Bandele’s Elesin Ọba: The King’s Horseman, she plays the young bride whose allure distracts Elesin from his sacred duty. In Mercy Aigbe’s Ada Ọmọ Daddy, her character Pero drew heavy criticism from audiences. And in Kenneth Gyang’s Òlòtūré, she is Linda, a prostitute who lures her sister into sex work. Linda is a role she herself calls villainous, though many viewers considered Linda a hero because of her fate. But we would see her fully embrace the viciousness in Madam Koi-Koi and Somewhere In The Dark, showing that she could be as villainous as well as virtuous.
“Kemi Kaziru, you wicked woman!” she says laughing, recounting an encounter at a mall where a stranger yelled at her for her heinous performance in Walter Taylaur’s Married to the Game. “I hate Kemi Kaziru too,” she quietly admits with a smile. She admits that such a reaction from a fan affirms that she has done her job so convincingly that the line between actor and character is blurred.
“The farther a character is from my true personality, the better I am at bringing her to life,” she explains. “Omowunmi Dada is genuinely kind. I channel everything that is not me into my performances to fully embody the character.”
While many of her characters may have limited screen time, the choices they make still ripple throughout the story, creating narrative consequences long after their exit. A few examples are, Linda in Oloture, Bolu in Egun, the titular Madam Koi-Koi in Madam Koi-Koi and Venita in Red Circle. Dada emphasises that she carefully scrutinises her characters before taking on a role. “I always ask myself, ‘What happens to the story if my character is removed?’ If it still holds meaning without me, then it’s not for me. But if it loses its purpose, then it’s meant to be mine.”
To also achieve her character’s goal, she talks to the director to understand how the absence of her character will last longer, even when off-screen. This enables her to calibrate her performance, putting her body and soul into it to evoke a lingering feeling in the viewer’s memory. “When I know my character early, I put my soul into the moments I have. I want to leave an emotional residue, something that unsettles or inspires, in the audience long after I’m gone.”
Dada’s approach to character development has evolved over the years. When she first started, she was very technical, focusing on lines, blocking, and performance. But now, as she meticulously dissects her character’s inner worlds, she discovers that patience and vulnerability bring authenticity. “Now, I dig into the psychology and spirit of my characters to live like them,” Dada exemplifies. She also discovers that hard roles show that she is stronger and braver than she thought.
She recalls noticing this shift most strongly in Oloture. Initially, she approached Linda with technical precision, but her visits to real brothels, speaking to sex workers and observing their lives, broke her open emotionally. That process convinced her that character immersion, not just memorisation, creates a believable on-screen moment.
Citing Red Circle as another example, she explains that her character, Venita, a struggling singer trying to make ends meet for her family, is the soul of the movie. And she gives her best to her role, even when she leaves earlier than expected.
Though she sometimes wishes her characters could stay longer in some movies, she cares more about their purposes, what they stand for, and the lasting impressions they will have on the audience’s mind. “Having a clear goal and consistent human elements to the story are the major reasons I accept whatever character I play,” she emphasises, caressing the coiled gold-plated ring on her index finger.
She further explains that she spends a lot of time reading and analysing a screenplay before preparing herself physically and mentally for her role. And when preparing for a role, she explains that she consciously takes her time to shape those subtle imprinting moments rather than trusting the story’s momentum to amplify her impact. “A screenplay, no matter how well-written, is a mere conjecture about characters. I often abandon myself as Omowunmi Dada to become whatever characters I’m playing in order to achieve my aims of creating an exceptional and lasting impact on the audience’s minds.”
At times, she doesn’t make the decision alone. Listening to cast members or the directors is key, she says. “I communicate with my scene partners, discuss my ideas with the directors to make sure it aligns with their visions and the concept of the stories,” she elaborates.
She sometimes improvises to enrich her character. Deborah in Ayinla isn’t grand enough to her taste. She spoke with the director, Tunde Kelani, deliberating on how to bring the best out of her. Their discussion resulted in a better fleshed-out character, which elevates the film.
Besides her passion to fully understand her characters on screen, Dada stands out as one of the leading actors passionate about cultural preservation.
As a child, Dada joined an Igbo cultural troupe in primary school, driven by her love for dance despite not understanding the songs. In secondary school, she performed the traditional ‘bata’ dance as the first junior student in a Yoruba cultural troupe, highlighting her early engagement with varied Nigerian traditions.
In 2023, Dada was the Global Artist in Residence at the University of Michigan’s African Studies Centre. During her residency, she created materials for teaching African languages, presented on Nollywood and African filmmaking, engaged with local youth for empowerment, and screened her film Ayinla, the semi-biopic on the Nigerian Apala musician. And recently, her passion for the Yoruba language and culture led her to appear on the Yoruba language cultural programme Masọyinbo, where she tests and deepens her understanding of the language and culture.
As a cultural enthusiast, she doesn’t just strive to preserve her Yoruba culture, but also African culture. That’s why she decides to play diverse roles that uplift Yoruba, Nigerian, and African culture into the audience’s consciousness. “I get really excited when portraying our culture and our tradition to the world to let them see the beauty of our stories, heritage, and history,” she explains.
She believes that historical movies are essential for cultural preservation and education. Telling stories like Ayinla, Elesin Oba, and Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti is a memory that reminds us of where we’re coming from and why it matters. “I’m passionate about those projects because they give us roots, even as we reach for global relevance,” she says.
She further explains that roles in cultural and historical movies are responsible for protecting, celebrating, and interpreting who we are as Africans. When she says yes to a script, she asks: Does it honour her culture, or add something meaningful to it? For her, preservation isn’t about staying in the past, it’s about carrying the past into the future with pride. She reflects on Elesin Oba in particular. “Wearing the regalia, speaking Yoruba in its poetic form, embodying rituals. It reminds me that I come from something ancient and profound.”
Her passion has not gone unnoticed. She has received nominations, including Best Supporting Actress (Yoruba) at the Best of Nollywood Awards for Somewhere in the Dark, a thriller about hidden truths; Best Actress in a Lead Role (English) at the Africa Movie Academy Awards for Oga Bolaji, a story of personal redemption; and Best Actress in a Lead Role (Yoruba) at the Best of Nollywood Awards for Majele, a film about cultural and family conflicts. She has also won the Best of Nollywood Awards for Best Actress in a Leading Role (English) for The Sessions and Best Supporting Actress (Yoruba) for Ayinla. These awards, nominations, and wins reveal her reputation as both a critics’ darling and an audience favourite.
Her present momentum shows no sign of slowing. In 2024 and 2025, she has starred in films like Suspicion, Meeting Funmi’s Parents, L.I.F.E. Red Circle, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Asiri Ade, Ori: Rebirth, Finding Me, Raji and The Beast, Almost Perfect, Unclaimed, Cursed Bonds, but they aren’t physically and mentally challenging as her role in Abánisẹ̀tẹ̀: The Ancestor.
Directed by Tope Adebayo, Adebayo Tijani and Ibrahim Yekini, the movie is a mythological epic drama that explores themes of legacy, community, and the critical dangers of cultural treasures falling prey to foreign greed. Dada plays Ibiwunmi, a mystically gifted Osun devotee who, alongside other influential figures in her community, champions the preservation of their culture. She reveals that her role in the movie challenged her due to its epic nature, involving location shoots, fierce action sequences, and stunts that pushed her limits in several ways. “Beyond its physicality, the movie also broadened my understanding of activism and the power of female courage,“ she explains.
Looking ahead, she dreams of exploring African mythology and action thrillers on a global stage. “Imagine an epic about Yoruba deities or forgotten African queens. Or an action film where I fully display my physical and mental abilities,” she says, her eyes lighting up. “That’s on my bucket list.”
So, is Omowunmi Dada Nollywood’s Sweetheart? Perhaps. But she is also its provocateur, philosopher, and quiet disruptor, an actress whose filmography has defied every neat label. And if memory is indeed the archive of existence, Omowunmi Dada is actively etching herself into Nollywood’s collective memory, not just as its sweetheart, but as its restless spirit, striving to defy boundaries.
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