Why I get scared whenever Funke Akindele calls me for a job — Jide Kosoko

Veteran Nollywood actor Jide Kosoko has revealed that he gets scared whenever filmmaker Funke Akindele calls him for a role because of her demanding approach to filmmaking and attention to detail.

The 72-year-old actor disclosed this during an interview on the African A-List podcast, where he praised Akindele’s work ethic and described her as exceptionally hardworking and energetic.

“Funke is very hardworking; even if you are a man, you can’t match her energy. Whenever Funke calls me for a job, I am always scared. You can shoot a scene 15 times,” Kosoko said.

He explained that the filmmaker’s insistence on getting every detail right sometimes requires actors to reshoot scenes they have already completed.

According to him, Akindele could arrive on set the following day, intending to film a different scene, but decide to revisit an earlier one because of a detail she considered unsuitable.

“She may come the following day thinking of shooting another scene, but then she will say, ‘We have to shoot those scenes again because of the plates they brought’,” he recounted.

Kosoko’s remarks highlight the demands of working with Funke, who has achieved record-breaking success as an actress, director and producer.

Dance strategy

Kosoko also weighed in on the actress’ strategy to push her productions.

Funke’s dance-driven promotional strategy has become a major feature of her film marketing, with the actress and her cast creating choreographed social media videos to generate publicity for cinema releases. The filmmaker reportedly developed the approach after running out of money for traditional marketing following the production of Battle on Buka Street, turning a low-budget idea into a recognisable promotional formula.

However, the strategy sparked debate within Nollywood, with some filmmakers questioning whether dancing and creating social media skits should become an expectation for promoting films. Filmmaker Kunle Afolayan described the demands as “draining” and “unsustainable” at the Lagos Business of Film summit, later clarifying that he was expressing personal reservations about the approach rather than attacking Akindele. Veteran actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has also criticised the expectation that actors must dance on social media to promote films.

But Kosoko, who has featured in Funke’s Jenifa productions, said her approach to promoting her films, particularly her frequent use of dance videos to generate publicity, works for her.

He said other filmmakers have followed Funke’s promotion strategy.

The award-winning actress reacted to the interview clip on X, sharing it with laughing and face-covering emojis.

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Funke’s box-office success

The 49-year-old is one of Nollywood’s most commercially successful filmmakers, with several productions hitting major box-office milestones.

Her films include Omo Ghetto: The Saga (2020), Battle on Buka Street (2022), A Tribe Called Judah (2023) and Everybody Loves Jenifa (2024).

Her productions have drawn large cinema audiences, while her energetic promotional campaigns have become a recognisable part of her filmmaking brand despite criticisms.

Kosoko’s account offers a glimpse into the production process behind her films, where repeated takes and close attention to seemingly minor details form part of her pursuit of the desired result.

The veteran actor, who has worked across Yoruba- and English-language productions for decades, remains an established figure in Nollywood, with a career spanning acting, directing, and producing.