Deyemi Okanlawon

Born in Lagos, Deyemi Okanlawon is the son of Adeyemi Okanlawon, an aircraft engineer, and Adeyinka Okanlawon, a baker and entrepreneur. He began his education at Taikenny Nursery and Primary School and later attended the International School, Lagos. He also obtained a degree in Chemical engineering from the University of Lagos. Additionally, he earned a Certificate in Acting for Film from the Delyork Creative Academy.{{cite news|url=http://pulse.ng/movies/deyemi-okanlawon-9-things-you-should-know-about-talented-actor-id4934890.html|title=9 things you should know about talented actor|last=Izuzu|first=Chidumga|date=19 March 2016|work=PulseNG|accessdate=24 October 2016|location=Lagos, Nigeria}}{{cite news|url=http://www.stylevitae.com/deyemi-okanlawons-five-things-this-week/|title=DEYEMI OKANLAWON'S FIVE THINGS THIS WEEK|last=Vitae|first=Style|date=19 February 2015|work=Style Vitae|accessdate=27 June 2016|location=Lagos, Nigeria}}

Okanlawon's journey into acting began at the tender age of five when he starred in a school play. By the age of nine, he had already appeared in a nationally syndicated television commercial alongside industry veterans Kunle Bamtefa and Sola Sobowale. While studying at the University of Lagos, he became an active participant in drama groups. After graduation, he worked as a sales and marketing executive in industries like FMCG.{{cite web|url=https://guardian.ng/life/deyemi-okanlawon-exploring-gold-mines-in-acting/|title=DEYEMI OKANLAWON - EXPLORING GOLD MINES IN ACTING|last=Adekanye|first=Modupe|date=18 April 2021|work=The Guardian Newspaper|accessdate=24 May 2022|location=Lagos, Nigeria}}{{cite web|url=https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/movies/deyemi-okanlawon-9-things-you-should-know-about-talented-actor/dzfpxyr|title=9 things you should know about talented actor|last=Izuzu|first=Chibumga|date=19 April 2016|work=PulseNG|accessdate=24 May 2022|location=Lagos, Nigeria}}

In 2011, he made his feature film debut in ZR-7: The Red House Seven and also starred in the short film A Grain of Wheat. His performances in short films and web series, such as Gidi Up,[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AiG-1GH9R8 Gidi cast on The Juice], Ndanitv, Retrieved 6 October 2016. Blink, and Knock Knock, gained recognition. By 2012, he had become a rising star in Nigeria.{{cite web|url=http://ebonylifetv.com/the-ebonylife-and-times-of-deyemi-okanlawon/|title=The EbonyLife and Times of Deyemi Okanlawon|last=|first=|date=26 May 2014|work=ebonylifetv.com|accessdate=24 May 2022|location=Lagos, Nigeria}}{{cite web|url=https://ibakatv.com/adeyemi-okanlawon|title=Adeyemi Okanlawon|last=Ibaka|first=TV|date=16 May 2016|work=IbakaTV.com|accessdate=27 June 2016|location=Lagos, Nigeria|archive-date=2 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170102213143/https://ibakatv.com/adeyemi-okanlawon|url-status=dead}}

In 2013, Deyemi made the bold decision to focus on acting full-time. Since then, he has appeared in over 50 films, TV series, theatre productions, music videos, and commercials. His work has earned him nominations and awards from such as the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF), Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA), Ghana Movie Awards (GMA), BON, In-Short, and City People awards.{{cite web|url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/05/amvca-2022-movies-actors-that-got-double-nominations/|title=AMVCA 2022- Movies, actors that got double nominations|last=Royal|first=David|date=9 May 2022|work=Vanguard Newspaper|accessdate=24 May 2022|location=Lagos, Nigeria}}{{Cite news |title=Beast Of No Nation wins big at Ghana Movie Awards 2015 |url=https://ebonylifetv.com/beast-of-no-nation-wins-big-at-ghana-movie-awards-2015/}}

In 2015, Okanlawon founded Covenant Entertainment Services, a full-service production advisory, marketing consulting, and talent management firm. The company later served as a consultant for Silverbird Film Distribution. In 2019, Deyemi took up the role of marketing manager at Silverbird and then the head of Nollywood and independent movie distribution. In 2020, during the pandemic, he briefly stepped in as acting CEO before returning to acting full-time in 2021.

Deyemi's range as an actor was further demonstrated in 2017 with his performance in the romantic comedy-drama Scars, directed by Tope Alake, where he starred alongside Lilian Esoro and Chelsea Eze, marking his entry into the romantic comedy genre.

In 2020, he played a supporting role in Omo Ghetto: The Saga, which became Nigeria's top-grossing film, earning over ₦187 million, according to the Nigerian Box Office yearbook.{{Cite web |date=2024-07-06 |title=Meet the leading male faces of Nollywood - Daily Trust |url=https://dailytrust.com/meet-the-leading-male-faces-of-nollywood/ |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=Daily Trust |language=en-US}}

In 2022, Okanlawon appeared in Blood Sisters, Nigeria's first Netflix Original Series, which premiered on 5 May 2022.{{Cite web |last=Edeme |first=Victoria |date=2022-05-08 |title=Acting in Blood Sisters drained me mentally - Deyemi Okanlawon |url=https://punchng.com/acting-in-blood-sisters-drained-me-mentally-deyemi-okanlawon/ |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=Punch Newspapers |language=en-US}} He also starred in Elesin Oba: The King's Horseman, the first Yoruba-language film to be showcased at the Toronto International Film Festival. That same year, he received his first Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards (AMVCA) nomination for Best Actor in a comedy for his role in Omo Ghetto: The Saga, further solidifying his place in contemporary Nigerian cinema.{{Cite news |title=Blood Sisters: Deyemi Okanlawon, Gabriel Afolayan, Genevova Umeh speak on roles |url=https://thenationonlineng.net/blood-sisters-deyemi-okanlawon-gabriel-afolayan-genevova-umeh-speak-on-roles/}}

In 2024, after a decade in the industry, Deyemi leveraged his extensive sales and marketing expertise and his on-screen experience to produce his debut film, All’s Fair in Love. This romantic comedy, starring Timini Egbuson and Buhle Samuels, achieved tremendous commercial success, grossing over ₦130 million at the West African box office. The film was also licensed to Prime Video, where it became the second most-watched Nollywood title of 2024.

Deyemi's second film Three Working Days premiered in Nigerian cinemas on 18 October 2024. Directed by Ikechukwu Jerry Ossai and produced by Bleeding Art Production in collaboration with FilmOne Studios, the film is a heist thriller that follows a father's quest to secure a stable future for his family amid an economic crisis. The cast includes Nancy Isime, Femi Adebayo, Uzor Arukwe and Mike Ezuruonye.{{Cite web |last=ADEKUNLE |first=MUSA |date=2024-10-25 |title=5 films hitting the cinemas this weekend |url=https://guardian.ng/life/5-films-hitting-the-cinemas-this-weekend/ |access-date=2024-10-30 |website=The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Dan-Awoh |first=Deborah |date=2024-10-26 |title=Jerry Ossai's 3 working days grosses N14.8 million in opening week |url=https://nairametrics.com/2024/10/26/jerry-ossais-3-working-days-grosses-n14-8-million-in-opening-week/ |access-date=2024-10-30 |website=Nairametrics |language=en-US}}

Okanlawon got married in January 2013.{{cite news|url=http://pulse.ng/movies/pulse-exclusive-interview-my-wife-is-my-woman-crush-forever-deyemi-okanlawon-id3263934.html|title="My Wife is My Woman Crush Forever" - Deyemi Okanlawon|last=Izuzu|first=Chidumga|date=11 November 2014|work=PulseNG|accessdate=27 June 2016|location=Lagos, Nigeria}} On 10 July 2016, Okanlawon and his wife Damilola welcomed their first child.{{cite news|url=https://thenet.ng/nollywood-actor-deyemi-okanlawon-welcomes-first-child/|title=Nollywood actor, Deyemi Okanlawon welcomes first child|last=Showemimo|first=Adedayo|date=12 July 2016|work=TheNetNG|access-date=26 July 2016|location=Lagos, Nigeria}}

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Category:1979 births

Category:Living people

Category:Male actors from Lagos

Category:University of Lagos alumni

Category:Nigerian male stage actors

Category:Nigerian male film actors

Category:21st-century Nigerian male actors

Category:Yoruba male actors

Category:Nigerian male voice actors

Category:Nigerian male television actors

Category:New York Film Academy alumni

Category:Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards winners