Nigerian-born actor Bayo Akinfemi has shared his remarkable story of perseverance and determination, which ultimately led him to achieve success in Hollywood

In an interview with Teju Babyface on YouTube, Akinfemi revealed the challenges he faced and the sacrifices he made to pursue his passion for acting.
Akinfemi’s journey began in 1998 when he relocated to Canada to enroll in film school. At the time, he was 29 years old and had to juggle multiple jobs, including driving a taxi and working in construction, to make ends meet. Despite the struggles, Akinfemi remained committed to his dream, even when faced with frustrating moments and self-doubt.
After completing film school, Akinfemi started working as a production assistant and eventually landed opportunities to work on movie sets with renowned actors like Jackie Chan and Denzel Washington. This exposure fueled his ambition to succeed in Hollywood.
Interestingly, Akinfemi initially wanted to pursue directing, but his agent encouraged him to explore acting, which ultimately led to his breakthrough. Akinfemi’s decision to return to school in his 40s, attending the University of Southern California (USC) alongside students the same age as his children, demonstrates his unwavering dedication to his craft.
Today, Akinfemi is a proud Hollywood actor, best known for his role as ‘Goodwin’ in the popular sitcom ‘Bob Hearts Abishola’. His inspiring story serves as a testament to the power of perseverance, hard work, and determination in achieving success, regardless of one’s background or circumstances.
Here’s what Bayo Akinfemi said in the interview:
“I went to Canada in 1998, my wife was there. We were classmates at the University of Ilorin and we had been dating since then.
“I joined her in Canada and the first thing I did was to go to film school. I had the opportunity to really pursue my dream.
“After film school, I started working as a production assistant.
“There was nothing I didn’t do while I was in film school while trying to survive. I drove a taxi at night and worked in construction.
“I go to school in the morning, drive taxi in the evening, on weekends to work in construction, work in painting— I did all of that.
“There were times when I wanted to go back home. There were frustrating moments where I asked myself if this was a mistake, moments of doubt and regret.
“I was also getting pressured back home because Nollywood was beginning to develop and a lot of my friends were doing well.
“I was getting calls to come back home but I said no I’m not coming back. I stayed because I began to feel closer to Hollywood and to see that my dream was actually achievable.
“After film school, I was working on movie sets with Jackie Chan, Johnny Q when Denzel shot it in Toronto. Just being exposed to all of that made me feel like I was getting closer to this Hollywood thing.
“Directing is what I wanted to really do, I didn’t want to be an actor anymore. I started making short films and working on all these movie sets.
“I eventually got an agent who tried to get me into acting and the acting thing just took off.
“When I got to Canada in 1998, I was 29 years old. When I went to film school, I was in school with 19-year-old kids while I was in my early thirties but that was in Toronto.
“When I moved to Los Angeles I went back to school at USC, I was in my 40s in school with kids the same age as my kids. At that point, there was no turning back.”
Follow Us on Facebook – @LadunLiadi; Instagram – @LadunLiadi; Twitter – @LadunLiadi; Youtube – @LadunLiadiTV for updates
Interesting
❤️❤️👏🏻