Actor Lateef Adedimeji has revealed that he deliberately built his early acting career around being known as the actor who cries in movies.
The 41-year-old, renowned for his versatility across emotional, comedic, and action roles, shared this in an interview with Punch Saturday Beats.
According to him, his initial strategy was to stand out by excelling in emotional scenes.
“When I set out to carve a niche for myself, I started with crying—I would cry like an idiot. If I was asked to cry for one minute, I would go for two.
“I was intentional about it. At one point, when people couldn’t remember my name, they would call me ‘the guy who cries in movies,’” he said.
Realising he needed to evolve, Lateef introduced a comedic Igbo-Yoruba character to broaden his appeal.
His ability to reinvent himself became more evident with films like Ayinla, where he showcased his musical talent and Jagun Jagun, which highlighted his strength in action roles.
Speaking on Lisabi being one of the most searched movies on Google in 2024, he expressed his excitement.
“The joy is in creating something that people accept. There’s nothing more fulfilling than that,” he said.
On the importance of telling indigenous stories, he questioned why African heroes are often overlooked.
“If we can embrace the heroes of other countries, what happens to our own? There are people who fought for our liberation, so why can’t we tell their stories and appreciate them?” he asked.
The actor has also taken to Instagram on Saturday to share new photos of himself as he celebrated his birthday.
