Nollywood actor Jide Awobona has appreciated his senior colleague, Funke Akindele, for the huge role she played in his career.
Ahead of the debut of Everybody Loves Jenifa in Cinemas this month, Funke hosted all the cast and crew to a dinner party. While at the dinner, Jide had given a heartfelt speech to Funke Akindele.
He noted how his appearance on her hit Television series, Jenifa Diaries, paved the way for his career. He revealed that when he traveled to South Africa, he was surprised that people knew him because of his role in Jenifa Diaries.
He noted how Funke didn’t need to bring back the cast of Jenifa Diaries for Everybody Loves Jenifa, but she did, and this has melted his heart. Gushing over Funke, Jide described her as a wonderful and phenomenal woman as he noted how God has blessed her and she has done a lot for people.
“I did Jenifa Diaries for 7 or 8 years. When I traveled to South Africa for the first time, I was shocked that people knew me. I thought I would be free to walk around, but they knew me from Jenifa Diaries, which was known all over the world. That did a lot to my career.
If she had shot Everybody Loves Jenifa without the crew of Jenifa Diaries, it would still sell, and she would still tell her story without us, but she still involved us. I want to say a big thank you to her for putting me on this project.
You are wonderful and phenomenal, and God has blessed you. You don’t need anybody to achieve anything at this point. You have done a lot for people and I am trying not to get emotional. Thank you so much ma”.
Funke Akindele, taking to his comment section, appreciated him for the speech. She wrote, “My darling”.
One Emeka Okoye wrote, “Well said bro. She is a phenomenal
One I Am Nnetalks wrote, “Thank you, Uncle Jide, for saying all these now. We get to know her even more. God bless y’all
One Debbie Alaks wrote, “Thank you for appreciating her
One Grateful1570 wrote, “This is a good speech. He said it all. She can decide to use other people but she chose this cast. It’s a privilege indeed. Cheers guys
One Ayosojumi Adeniyi wrote, “This is so emotional to watch”.
In June, Jide shared the inspiration behind his look for his movie Inspector Jero. Sharing a clip of his father, he noted how a Lion doesn’t give birth to a chicken. He revealed that his father was his inspiration and stated that despite his father’s age, he still looked cute. He praised his father for being one of his great fans and critics and expressed hope that he continues to make him proud.
Back in May, Jide had called out popular film director and screenwriter Abey Jomo over his epic transformation. He revealed that he was placed on a heavy, strict diet for his character and shared a screenshot of the strict rules he was given. Questioning what he had done to him, he lamented over the rules.
Months back, Awobona had expressed joy as he faced his fear. The movie star shared photos of him in a hospital bed as he expressed joy over overcoming his fears, though he admitted that it wasn’t easy.
In other news, Awobona had made a case for his colleague, Adanma Luke, who had been dragged over the death of Junior Pope and others. He noted how such an unfortunate incident could have befallen anybody. He stated that it is a norm in Nollywood, and when one refuses to do certain things, they are being tagged as difficult and called unprofessional.
