Actor Yemi Solade Speaks on Church Fallout, Nollywood History

September 18, 2025 OLAOLUWA AYOMIDE

Yemi Solade Opens Up on Fallout with Church, Nollywood’s True Origins

Veteran Nollywood actor Yemi Solade has shared details of a bitter fallout with his former church, revealing how an incident in 2013 pushed him away from regular worship.

Speaking on a recent episode of the Honest Bunch podcast, the 64-year-old actor recounted how a pastor once advised him to reject movie roles that clashed with Sunday services. According to him, church leaders insisted that his Sundays should be reserved solely for worship—an instruction he considered impractical for someone in the entertainment industry.

Solade recalled entering the church one Sunday with his wife when the issue reached its peak. “I’d been told to tell producers not to call me for work on Sundays. And I cursed the pastor,” he admitted, arguing that the directive was an attempt to interfere with his livelihood.

He maintained that there was nothing biblical about Sunday being reserved for worship, stressing that such demands could destroy careers. “It is from that thing you said I shouldn’t do on Sunday that I put money in my pocket and drop it here. So when will I have time to work? You want to ruin my career?” he asked.

Finding Peace Outside the Church

The actor explained that leaving the church brought him greater peace, contrary to the belief that skipping regular worship weakens spiritual wellbeing. “Rather, I have peace. I do well. Because every day of my life, when I was going to church, I got messages or disturbances,” he said.

He also criticised what he described as misplaced priorities among some worshippers. Sharing an example, Solade recounted how a technician once diverted money he had given him for repairs into church offerings. “That blessing is mine now. It’s my money you went to drop there. If the prayer there is efficacious, it will come to me,” he quipped.

Rethinking Nollywood’s Beginnings

Beyond religion, Solade addressed what he sees as misconceptions about Nollywood’s history. He challenged the popular belief that the industry began with the 1992 Igbo blockbuster Living in Bondage, noting that home video productions and TV dramas existed long before then.

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“The first movie you call home video was actually produced around 1988 by Ade Ajiboye, popularly called Big Abbas. It was titled Shosho Meji. Even before that, we had television dramas like Things Fall Apart in the mid-80s,” he explained.

The actor, who studied Theatre Arts at Obafemi Awolowo University, further argued that Eastern Nigeria did not initially embrace theatre studies as much as other regions. “When I was a student in Ife, we had something we called NUTAF, the Nigerian University Theatres Festival. Only six universities participated at the time, and none were from the East,” he claimed.

Outspoken and Unapologetic

Known for his bold and sometimes controversial opinions, Yemi Solade has featured in both Yoruba and English-language films for over four decades. For him, Nollywood’s foundation has often been oversimplified, with insufficient recognition given to other regions of the country.

Whether addressing religion, culture, or the entertainment industry, Solade continues to stand out as one of Nollywood’s most outspoken voices—never shying away from challenging norms or calling out what he perceives as hypocrisy.