Take your mind back to the days of the television series called Doctor’s Quarters on Mnet. The name, “Tunbosun Aiyedehin” should be familiar now. Her name and face are relatively contrasting features that make her brand unique as a thespian, in that you could easily recall her face on screen but same may not be said of her name, and the much it evokes on her identity. As one of the most sought after persons in the industry, Aiyedehin has won hearts gratifying viewers at home with her craft that not a few will readily admit to watching her star in movies, TV series, shorts, documentaries and TV commercials. Interestingly chatty and friendly, Aiyedehin talks about her life as an actress and passion for the profession in this chat with Ferdinand Ekechukwu
Who is Tunbosun Aiyedehin?
I’m your family woman. I’m that basic family woman. I do what I’m supposed to do as a feminine gender. But on the side occasionally, I do business. I have been doing business that’s buying and selling. I remember starting concretely in 1990 before I delved into acting. I went as far as even having a mini shop. ‘Mumsy’ had a boutique. So, it was something all of us just basically did leisurely. But it was fun. So I kind of learnt some little business tricks from her. I think she also found that I was very good with figures so she allowed me to always do the basic accounting you know. Money she delivered I do the counting, I take down the amount. But I will do that in her presence. I maybe like 8 to 10 years old at that time. So I grew up with that. And of course, going to her shop everyday And we would always go in there on a daily basis to; well it wasn’t daily for me because she was very strict about me going to school and all of that, so my older ones, yes. But then maybe a Friday and Saturday, yes. We could come in after school for me. So all of that is something I grew up with. And I basically just continued doing that. So now when I’m in the mood, I say when I’m in the mood because work has really taken over now. Then I also teach on the side. I teach Speech Dynamics. It’s something I take very seriously once I have a student. So somewhere along the line that could also take over if I have some students who need my attention.
So you never set out to be in entertainment? Tell us a bit of your journey into acting?
Funny enough, I did, but you look at it. . . As a child, it was nothing for me. For some reason, my mum would always say ‘you are very empathic.’ She and my dad went as far as getting my own first aid kits at home because I love to always look out for people who had little issues here and there. So, I had my own first aid kits. As I grow older, I started hearing ‘no you can’t do nursing o it’s a job for prostitute.’ What? Where is that coming from? That completely blew me away. Gradually, that started fading away. Later, for some reasons, I started considering Theatre Arts. Why? I had started reading scripts for my immediate older sister. She was already in LASU and she had started doing work in Badagry. I didn’t have the opportunity to go to Badagry to see anything but then I like what I was doing for her. It went on to destiny. I was in my final year (studying Business Administration) somewhere along the line I met up with Uncle Olu Jacobs in Lagos and we had a chat and he said ‘oh I will call you to the National Theatre you never mind. And that was it…
It appears you don’t really care how much of your brand is out there as an actor?
Erm my brand could be out there but I’m really not an out there person. It’s in this era that this acting career has become such a big issue. I started out because it was what I had a passion for. I mean I remember my very first job yeah my producer said ‘oh you are part of the house so what I’m I paying you for?’ I worked for four weeks. I was handling both welfare and then I had a character that was also playing in that stage play it was titled ‘Shylock: His True Story’. It kind of got to me but then I switched off. So, that brand being out there yeah…let people talk about me and do their interviews, do the researches they can do whatever. But I don’t want to be there in anybody’s face. So that’s it really.
Between stage and screen acting, which one came first?
Which was it now? I have to look at my resume because I was… I can’t remember. I do stage and I do screen. Stage is to help rebuild my entire person; screen is to come back from stage to carry on. So I try stage every year which I haven’t been able to do in the past three years really because workload has just been crazy. I think the Shylock was my first which was the stage. Then I went on to Doctor’s Quarters (TV series), my first screen on Mnet.
It appears you are one of the most sought after actors. Maybe not but how many movies do you get to act in a year on the average?
It may not be that many. I may have had to turn down a few.
Why would you turn down a script?
There’s a movie on TV right now. When the production manager called me, he said ‘I’m sending you a script aunty. Please read because I wasn’t able to put you in the previous one.’ Thank God she didn’t put me in the previous one because that one took a month and a half. And I wouldn’t have been able to stay away that long because I was just coming out from another one that had taken me away for 34 days. I don’t think it’s fair to just leave the home front for so long. I turned down the one she brought after that because it will have me play Hajia all through. I didn’t want to be enmeshed in that character. So I turned it down. That’s one of the reasons I turned that down. I didn’t like that character on religious basis. Others are something financial they are offering you. I mean some people just think you are there for a 2 kobo thing. They are ready to pay you 10,000 to please come put your face in their script. I’m not in for all that. I stopped doing pro bono some 5 to 6 years ago. If you can’t afford me, don’t bother.
You mentioned not going far from the home front for so long like having a script that requires you 34 days away. To some extent, you have successfully kept distinct your status to the point that some doubt if you are even married as you said also. How have you been able to manage that as regards – home and work?
For me, the most important thing is what the head of the family thinks about it. And he’s given me his full support as far back as 10-12 years ago and he’s ever so supportive. And I’m ever so grateful for that.
Being in the entertainment can affect one’s lifestyle. To what extent has it affected yours?
Oh well affected my lifestyle? Oh, men, it can be crazy. You just have to know how to balance it. For me like, first of all, I think my friends who understand a bit of what I do had come to the conclusions that they just have to let me be. And fortunately or unfortunately, I don’t have too many friends. I kind of like my kind of clandestine, if I may use it that word, lifestyle. And I am somebody who grew up to kind of like being on her own. I’m too much in my own world. So it’s even saner for me first of all with respect to work. So, occasionally, I try to make sure I show up at one function or the other because I don’t want a situation where I’m totally cutoff. Do you know as I’m talking to you now I’m looking at four scripts in front of me? And I’m looking at my calendar?!
What are the things you treasure most in life?
What would I say? Friendship, family there are some friends I have who stay closer than even siblings you know. I cherish them. I have alumni that I said to you earlier on; we are called the 90’s babes. That is one alumni that I am just crazy about because the way God has so helped us to stick to each other; we are like lechers! Very positive ones if you know what I mean. We feed off each other so beautifully you know we are there for each other. I don’t have too many friends. We have been together over 30 years so you can imagine what I’m talking about. As a whole, I value friendship; I treasure what we have to offer each other.
Would you say you have found fulfillment acting?
At this point I think I’m still within a 25-50% fulfillment range. There are certain things I still have in mind that I would love to do with certain persons in the industry which I haven’t yet been able to achieve workwise.
What excites you most as an actress and what inspires you?
What excites me? Funny enough these are things I haven’t thought about . . . what excites me… what excites me… I don’t know! Nothing really I don’t know about that really. You know why? I think I’m very cautious of my health right now so I try not to be unnecessarily excited I’m almost 50. But you know how we are as individuals; we all have one thing or the other that maybe underlining and you know it. So you try to guard against something that should not let something happen. So those are things I try to be very mindful of. So I try to stay as calm as possible. Inspiration basically each day comes with its own inspiration. But I think work now is my major inspiration. I love the fact that I always get to work now.
What do you keep up with when you are not on set?
I love watching TV; that’s basically what I do. And that’s the only way I get to calm myself down. I love comedy. So I love to just watch; I like to rest a lot when I’m not on set because when I get to work, there are days I find myself working for some three weeks non-stop. And if I’m not careful, I will breakdown. I love to listen to music; I’m an R&B person I love gospel music.
