In the movie business, filmmakers tend to develop a familiar working circle. Actors they return to often enough that when a new project is announced, you can already make an educated guess about who might be involved. Sometimes this comes down to convenience or availability. Other times, it’s about working well together, trust, or simply knowing what works on set.
In Nollywood, certain directors repeatedly collaborate with the same actors across multiple projects, creating clear patterns of frequent collaboration within their filmographies. This list focuses on Nigerian actor and filmmaker partnerships that go beyond one or two movies. Each collaboration featured here includes a minimum of three feature films made together.
Here are ten such actor-filmmaker collaborations in Nollywood.
Niyi Akinmolayan and Uzor Arukwe
(The Man for the Job, The Set Up, Chief Daddy 2: Going for Broke, Prophetess)
Their collaboration began with The Set Up (2019), where Uzor Arukwe appeared briefly as Pastor Dimeji. Though a minor role, it marked the start of a recurring creative partnership. In the years that followed, Arukwe became a familiar presence in Akinmolayan’s commercial projects, returning in Chief Daddy 2: Going for Broke and stepping into more substantial, meatier roles in Prophetess and The Man for the Job.
Across these films, the progression is clear. Arukwe moves from background supporting player to a trusted actor handling narrative weight within Akinmolayan’s mainstream cinema.
- First collaboration: The Set Up (2019)
- Most recent collaboration: The Man for the Job (2022)
Jade Osiberu and Tobi Bakre
(Sugar Rush, Brotherhood, Gangs of Lagos)
Producer-screenwriter Jade Osiberu and actor Tobi Bakre first worked together on Sugar Rush, where Bakre played one of the film’s breakout characters, the charming but unreliable Andy. Their collaboration deepened with Brotherhood, which positioned him in a darker, more physically demanding role.
The most recent entry in their partnership is Gangs of Lagos, marking a steady evolution in tone and scale across their shared projects.
- First collaboration: Sugar Rush (2020)
- Most recent collaboration: Gangs of Lagos (2022)
Kemi Adetiba and Sola Sobowale
(The Wedding Party, King of Boys, King of Boys: The Return of the King)
This partnership between these two industry heavyweights began with The Wedding Party, where Sola Sobowale delivered one of the film’s most memorable comedic performances as Tinuade Coker, the mother of the bride. Coincidentally, the role marked her return to the big screen after a long absence and began her renaissance.
Adetiba returned to her in 2018, casting Sobowale in a radically different light as kingmaker Eniola Salami in King of Boys. Their collaboration continued with King of Boys: The Return of the King and is set to carry on in the third installment of the King of Boys franchise, subtitled The Beginning of the End.
- First collaboration: The Wedding Party (2016)
- Most recent collaboration: King of Boys: The Return of the King (2021)
Biodun Stephen and Timini Egbuson
(Reach, Breaded Life, Love is Yellow, Big Love, Introducing the Kujus, The Kujus Again)
Biodun Stephen and Timini Egbuson first collaborated on the 2020 romcom Reach, where Egbuson played Lex, a photographer and love interest of Bolaji Ogunmola’s character Tolu. This was followed by Love Is Yellow, in which he appeared as a down-on-his-luck tech bro.
Stephen and Egbuson have since worked together on a total of seven films, including Big Love, Introducing the Kujus, The Kujus Again, and Breaded Life. Across these projects, Egbuson has remained a recurring presence in Stephen’s emotionally driven stories.
- First collaboration: Reach (2020)
- Most recent collaboration: Big Love (2023)
Biodun Stephen and Bimbo Ademoye
(Looking for Baami, Love is Yellow, Introducing the Kujus, Breaded Life, Big Love)
Their collaboration began with Slay Queen, where Ademoye played Regal, an Instagram baddie with her sights set on a single father. From there, a prolific collaborative relationship followed. She next appeared as Osas in the twisty 2019 drama Truth.
Over the years, Stephen and Ademoye have worked together a total of fourteen times. Some of their projects include Love Is Yellow, Breaded Life, Big Love, and Introducing the Kujus. It is clear they work well together, judging by the number of collaborations.
- First collaboration: Slay Queen (2019)
- Most recent collaboration: Big Love (2023)
Kayode Kasum and Uzor Arukwe
(Kambili: The Whole 30 Yards, Dwindle, A Thousand Ways to Break a Cheating Man, What About Us)
Their first collaboration was the drama series Unbroken, where Arukwe played one of several characters entangled in a complicated romance, opposite Ofure Jangfa (Najite Dede). Kasum later cast him in the hit comedy crime thriller Sugar Rush, where he appeared as the raspy-voiced villain.
In 2020, Arukwe starred in Kambili: The Whole 30 Yards, playing Kambili’s mother’s lover and prospective stepfather. Since 2019, his and Kasum’s collaborations have continued across multiple projects, most recently What About Us.
- First collaboration: Unbroken (2019)
- Most recent collaboration: What About Us (2024)
Niyi Akinmolayan and Dakore Egbuson-Akande
(Chief Daddy, The Set Up, Chief Daddy 2, Chief Daddy 2: Going for Broke, Castle and Castle)
Niyi Akinmolayan and Dakore Egbuson-Akande’s collaboration began with the legal drama series Castle and Castle, where Egbuson-Akande played one half of a married couple running a prestigious law firm. This was followed by the ensemble film Chief Daddy.
Akinmolayan cast her again in the crime thriller The Set Up, where she played a wealthy heiress targeted by a con. The pairing continued with Chief Daddy 2: Going for Broke, marking one of Akinmolayan’s most frequent actor collaborations.
- First collaboration: Castle and Castle (2018)
- Most recent collaboration: Chief Daddy 2: Going for Broke (2022)
Kayode Kasum and Bimbo Ademoye
(Sugar Rush, A Thousand Ways to Break a Cheating Man, Reel Love,Love is Yellow)
Kasum and Ademoye first worked together on Sugar Rush, where she appeared as of the three Sugar sisters, youngest and the loud, comic fake life Instagram influencer Bola. They reunited for A Thousand Ways to Break a Cheating Man, where she plays a young woman who takes drastic actions to curb her philandering boyfriend of his ways
Other collaborations between the two include Fate of Alakada, Love is Yellow, and most recently, Reel Love, alongside fellow Kayode Kasom favorite, Timini Egbuson.
- First collaboration: Sugar Rush (2019)
- Most recent collaboration: Reel Love (2025).
Biodun Stephen and Bisola Aiyeola
Biodun Stephen and Bisola Aiyeola first collaborated on Glimpse, where Aiyeola played Simi, one half of a devoutly Christian married couple tested by financial hardship. Three years later, they reunited for the family comedy Introducing the Kujus, in which she played Mausi Kuju, the family’s peacemaker.
They have since worked together on several other projects, including Breaded Life, A Simple Lie, The Kujus Again, and Sista.
- First collaboration: Glimpse (2017)
- Most recent collaboration: Muri & Ko (2024)
Kayode Kasum and Timini Egbuson
(Dwindle, Reel Love, Ajosepo, Something Like Gold)
Kayode Kasum and Timini Egbuson’s collaboration began in 2021 with Ponzi as Ikenna, one of several characters group planning a heist, marking the first of seven projects between the two. This was followed by comedic crime caper Dwindle in the same year. In 2023, with the release of Something Like Gold, Egbuson was established as a recurring presence in Kasum’s films.
Their working relationship has continued in subsequent years with titles such as Something Like Gold, Reel Love, and most recently Ajosepo.
- Most recent collaboration: Ajosepo (2024)
- First collaboration: Ponzi (2021)
The post 10 prolific actor-filmmaker collaborations in Nollywood appeared first on Nigerian Entertainment Today.
from Nigerian Entertainment Today https://ift.tt/Bk8X2Ux
via IFTTT
Post a Comment