Tope Adebayo, son of legendary Yoruba Nollywood actor Adebayo Salami, popularly known as Oga Bello, has opened up about a traumatic experience from the early days of his career. In an interview with Babaibe TV, Tope spoke candidly about the incident that deeply impacted him emotionally and fueled his determination to succeed in the film inSure! Here’s a polished rewrite of your paragraph:
Tope Adebayo, son of legendary Yoruba Nollywood actor Adebayo Salami, popularly known as Oga Bello, has opened up about a traumatic experience from the early days of his career. In an interview with Babaibe TV, Tope spoke candidly about the incident that deeply impacted him emotionally and fueled his determination to succeed in the film industry.
At the time, Tope was just starting to pursue his passion for movie directing. Eager to gain experience, he sought and received permission to join the crew on a movie set where his father was the producer. However, despite getting the director’s approval, Tope encountered an unexpected setback when a crew member, Segun Apata, refused to let him board the crew bus. Even though there were empty seats, he was ordered off the bus and left behind as it drove away without him.
The situation took an even more painful turn when Tope’s father, Adebayo Salami, arrived shortly after the incident. Hoping for some support, Tope approached his father’s car, expecting to be offered a ride. However, after briefly hearing his plight, his father drove off, leaving him behind once more. Tope described it as a heartbreaking moment that left him feeling insignificant and unwanted. The sting of rejection weighed heavily on him, as he realized he had been dismissed not only by the crew but also by his own father.
Despite the emotional blow, Tope refused to let the experience defeat him. Determined to reach the set, he found another way, hopping on a commercial motorcycle to continue his journey. Reflecting on the event, Tope revealed that the pain of that day became a powerful source of motivation. Rather than succumbing to bitterness or discouragement, he transformed his hurt into a drive for success through hard work and perseverance.
Today, Tope Adebayo is a celebrated figure in the Yoruba movie industry, his journey a testament to resilience and determination. He proudly notes that he has become an indispensable part of many productions, earning the respect and trust of those who once overlooked him.
His words: “I just wanted to start learning directing, so I spoke to the director and he agreed that I can follow them so that I can learn how the work is being done. So when they wanted to move, I asked the set man to allow me manage in the crew bus. There was an available seat in the bus, but Uncle Segun Apata asked me to get out of the bus. It was my father that was producing a movie at that location. So they closed the door and left. Then, I saw my dad’s car approaching from behind.”
I expected that my dad would take me along, but when his car approached me, he wound down the window and asked what I was doing. So I told him that the crew members bounced me and couldn’t take me along to the movie location. Then he said okay and zoomed off. What my father did to me that day pained me because he made me feel irrelevant and worthless. I was pained that day but later took a bike to the location. This was one of the things that gingered me and I thank God that today they can’t even do most of their work without looking for me or waiting until I come,” he added.
Watch interview below;