By Ayo Onikoyi

Popular Nollywood actress, Joke Lawal, known for her work in the Yoruba film sector, recently shared insights into her career decisions, addressing the challenges she’s faced in the industry and her reasons for stepping away from certain types of roles.

In a candid interview with Potpourri, Joke Lawal explained why she made the decision to stop accepting sensual or sexually suggestive roles, which she had become known for.

 “I’ll say yes to that, directors and producers kept offering me sexy roles to play… I already stopped accepting roles like that, due to some personal reasons,” she revealed.

Lawal clarified that while she wouldn’t call it stereotyping or typecasting, there was a growing perception of her as an actress suited primarily for roles that required her to showcase her body or figure.

 “I do play other roles, but people see me more in that sexy role. That’s one of the reasons I’ve stopped accepting jobs that require me to show my body or figure for now,” she explained.

Shifting her focus to broader issues within the industry, the actress opened up about the importance of financial status in Nollywood, particularly in the Yoruba sector. “Not having money is my biggest problem. When you have money, you command respect in this industry. Once you have money and a small car, you’re automatically big, and they’ll respect and associate with you. But if you don’t bring a car to the location, they’ll ask about your car before even asking how your journey was—and that really gets to me,” she said.

Despite the pressure to conform to certain industry expectations, Joke Lawal remains steadfast in staying true to herself. “Omo ase lo ma panic (I refuse to be pressured) because most of them live fake lives, which I don’t. I’m not pretending for anybody, and even though people see me as an ‘over-ja’ (down-to-earth) person, I like to keep my private life private. If you’re not close to me, you won’t even know who I’m dating. I only bring to the public what is meant to be public,” she added.