How my role in Blood Sisters mentally drained me- Deyemi Okanlawon

By Akinwande Soji-Ojo

Popular Nollywood actor, ‘Deyemi Okanlawon, has explained how his role in Nigeria’s Netflix original series, Blood Sisters, affected him mentally.

In the series, which was released last Thursday, Deyemi acted as Kola Ademola, an abusive partner who brutalised his victims as a pastime.

Speaking on the movie via his Twitter page on Sunday, the actor noted that perfecting his role in the movie was a mentally draining process.

“Kola Ademola definitely affected me more than I care to admit and it took months to get to a semblance of normalcy. Strangely while I still firmly believe aggression should be met with justice, I now empathise with people who carry such demons.

“As Deyemi Okanlawon I pray to continue to defend victims of discrimination and violence with my life.

“However, as an ACTOR, my craft dictates in order to give the best performance I cannot judge a character’s life/actions but must become the character.

“In order to embody a character, I have to temporarily suspend my personal beliefs to truly understand who they are and why they do what they do.

“This is a very mentally draining process and oftentimes after such experiences I would need help and time to rediscover my true North.

“Being raised from childhood not to ever hit a woman it was pure torture to now have to push past that to get to the point where the rage and emotions (which my scene partner also needed for her performance) were real yet have the willpower to ensure there was no physical contact.

“Having walked through such a depraved mind as Kola’s, I am now convinced that people who physically abuse others are mentally damaged and possessed by their personal demons likely born out of childhood trauma/poor parenting/societal or other factors,” he wrote.

Nollywood heavyweights such as Kate Henshaw, Ramsey Noah, Gabriel Afolayan, Nancy Isime, Kehinde Bankole, Uche Jumbo among others appeared in the suspenseful thriller.

Copyright PUNCH.