Rasaq Olasunkanmi Olayiwola is a well-known Yoruba actor, writer, producer, and director who is often called “Ojopagogo.” Let’s look into his full biography and net worth below.
Wikipedia Profile and Background
| Real Name: | Rasaq Olasunkanmi Olayiwola |
| Other Name: | Ojopagogo |
| Date of Birth: | September 30, 1964 |
| Age: | 58 years old @ 2022 |
| State of Origin: | Oyo State, Nigeria |
| Place of Birth: | Iseyin, Oyo State |
| Nationality: | Nigerian |
| Wife: | Moji Afolayan (M. 2003) |
| Occupation: | Movie Director |
| Net Worth: | Under Est. |
| Children: | 3 |
| Parents: | Unknown |
Ojopagogo Biography
His real name is Rasaq Olasunkanmi Olayiwola. The actor comes from Oyo State, Iseyin Local Government Area. He is known for directing the movies “Janmole” (2017) and “Ale Kan.” (2017).
In 2013, he had been on stage for 30 years at the age of 49, making him one of the oldest people in the business. The veteran plays music as well. In March 2015, he put out two songs: “Iseyin” and “Olaniyanu.”
Age and Date of Birth
The husband to Moji Afolayan, was born in 1964, his real day and month of birth is really sketchy, and we promise to update you guys whenever we have his full details.
Who Is Ojopagogo’s Wife?
Moji Afolayan is a Nigerian actress, filmmaker, producer, and director. He got married to her on 3rd December, 2003. Rasaq Olasunkanmi Olayiwola is happily to her with children.
Ojopagogo Net Worth
The actor is actually rich and living his life flamboyantly with his family. His net worth can be in estimate of $2 million to $5 million.
Ojopagogo Career
In Yoruba movies, he is very well-known for playing older people. In most of the movies he’s in, if not all of them, Ojopagogo usually plays an old man with grey hair.
He also has a strange way of shaking on his feet like an 80-year-old man. Rasaq Olasunkanmi Olayiwola is a young man in real life, but he started acting at a young age.
Interview With City People’s Publisher, Seye Kehinde
Many years ago, I started acting on stage in Iseyin, but I’m from Oyo town. I was born in Iseyin, though. I was raised there. I joined a group when I got to Ibadan.
I went to Ibadan with a group called Alao Sorunke. Then, I left Iseyin with a group called Ilumokin Theatre Group. Jelili Raji Aboderin was in charge. He is the Baale of Ibadan’s Larinka (Ifakeu). He is a member of the trado medical association’s board.
When I got to Ibadan, some people told me that a boy who used to act with Alao at Idikan had just moved there. That was Labake Theatre Group. I went with the group to act. They were about to go to Oyo to act for Alaafin at the time. I acted Eru Oba.
Someone started yelling “Omo Ojopasekere” while I was on stage, and he began to greet me. Someone else told him to be quiet. Shut up Ojo Pa Sekere Ko, Ojo Pa Gogo ni. He thought it was funny at the time.
He gave me money after that. People who traveled with us after that started calling me Ojopagogo. This happened in 1986. People used to call me by that name, but I didn’t use it for the first time on stage. Later, it started to be used on stage. I got the name from that.
I began acting at the Koranic School (Ile-Kewu). My brother owned the school. We lived in the same house where it was run. Malud Nabib was what we wanted to do next. Then, they said we should put on a play. We did.
Then, when I was in elementary school, I took part in fun and interesting activities. A lot of people came to see our school play about the Koran. Jelili Raji Aboderin of Ilumokin Theatre, the man I mentioned, is a friend of my brother, so he also came.
When we were done with the play, he called me and asked if I wanted to act with him. He also told me he was working on a play, that he needed a little boy like me to act in it. This happened in 1983. I did agree, i went to where it was, they tried me out, That’s where I began.
That’s how we practiced and went to all the schools in Iseyin to perform the showbiz play. That’s how I became well-known. People would call out to me, “Adekunle Omo Adeoye,” as I walked down the street.
Then, all of the producers and directors of art theater wanted me to act with them on stage. Now, things are getting better for me. Oga Alao lives in Ibadan.
He used to travel all over Oke Ogun and the towns and villages nearby. On this, one cast member in one play in Iseyin let him down. That’s how they found me at school and asked me to come play that part.
So, I went to join them and saw that they were more professional than my main group. Also, they liked me better than the group I was with. That Oga started taking care of me now.
He eventually sat me down. He asked me what I wanted to do for a living when I get older. When he came back to put on a play for the second time, I was already in Form 5.
I was getting ready to take my WASC at the time. I told him I was considering going to law school. Now, he told me that it looked like I was good at acting and that I should stay with Theatre Line.
He said I had a talent for acting but that I should read my books and get an education instead. Okay, I said. Should I follow him after I get my high school diploma? He told him no. No. He told me I needed to read more. I said No problem.
But the man I worked with at Iseyin told me that he was going on tour and that we should go with him. He said that once we started putting on the play, we would leave Iseyin and go to Ibadan. In those days, mentioning Ibadan was like getting a ticket to London.
I ran after them and did what they did. I didn’t tell anybody. I didn’t pack everything; I just got in my car and drove to Ibadan. So, we started moving from town to town between Ibadan and Oyo, from village to village. He said he was going home after two weeks.
I told him I couldn’t go home again because of how I left. I said that I wouldn’t go back. Some young people, like me, came to Iseyin with the same Oga Alao, saying they were going to Ibadan. So, I went to Ibadan to find them.
I ended up at Labakes’ place in Idikan because of this. They have a group of their own, but it didn’t work. I wanted to know why. They said that since there was no poster, no one could sign up and no one could go to schools to sign up or see stage plays. For them, I made posters.
I liked making signs back then. I was interested in art. For them, I made posters. That’s why people know my name. Group members said that a young boy in Ibadan could make posters. People from other theaters who couldn’t afford printing press came to me.
For Olofa Ina, I did. So, that’s how the man found me. When Olofa Ina saw me for the first time, he hugged me. He told me that I should start coming to rehearsals and shows. From there, we went to perform for Alaafin, and that’s where the name “Ojopagogo” came from.
I work in traveling theater. That’s how I got better at my job. I got sick after working with my Oga for 4 to 5 years. Now they sent me home. I was at home for a long time. When I was feeling better, my parents sat me down and talked to me. We took care of you when you were sick. We didn’t see any of your ogas come with money to take care of you.
They said that if you left this town again and said you wanted to go see Oga Alao, you would find out what would happen. I felt sad. I thought about it again, and I thought, “Well, they said I shouldn’t go back to Oga Alao,” so I didn’t. No one told me I shouldn’t act again.
I didn’t set up my own group on purpose. At that time, all of my actor friends in Iseyin had started forming groups. While I was gone, they had won a lot of games. So, when they found out I was back, they started to use me again. I did their work for peanuts.
Now, one of my brothers called me and told me that I should put together my own group. So, that’s how I began. All of my younger sisters came together to help. Our house had drums, which I took. That’s where I started, and that’s how I got where I am now. That’s how I first went on a trip.
Now, when we went to a town, we would find ways to save money so we could pay for it. I came up with a story about moms who give their sons the problems of their wives. I started to think about how it would feel if a father gave his sons’ wives problems.
I wrote the story in this way. When we put it on, a lot of people came to see it. We did it the next day because many people wanted us to. On the second day, more people came. Some of the people who saw the play on stage told me I should make it into a movie.
When I decided to make a movie, I played the part of an old man. Alade Aromire liked it when he saw it. But he didn’t want me to put on the show because he didn’t think many people would come to see an old man shaking and trembling.
But I thought that if I could put on the play, it would lead to something real. Then, in 1995 and 1996, I tried to make the first movie, which came out in 1997. It was built around that plot.
Its name, Baba No Go Die, is what made it popular. That’s how I started acting like an old man. That’s how I got used to playing that part, and that’s how people started to call me. I don’t like being put into a single role.
I want to be able to play a lot of different parts. But that’s not how people found me. I am able to play so many different roles. I used to tell them that being an Arugbo wasn’t my main goal.
