This week’s episode of #WithChude gave us a glimpse into the life of fashion consultant, actor and writer, Adenola Adepetun, popularly known as Denola Grey. In this exclusive interview with host and co-founder Joy, Inc. Chude Jideonwo, Denola discusses relocating to Nigeria, the switch from journalism to acting, and his journey to self-awareness and self-actualisation.
Fresh out of university and starting out as an IJGB in Lagos, Nigeria, with no other skills besides fashion and journalism, Denola Grey began navigating Nigeria’s entertainment landscape with no friends or financial support. Luckily for him, he earned a spot as a show host on EbonylifeTV. Soon enough, he was called by media mogul Mo Abudu to audition for the role of Ben Castle on Africa’s first legal series, Castle and Castle.
Flawlessly scaling through the audition and eventually taking up the role attracted immense backlash from the public as many believed the part was simply handed to him because of his personal relationship with Mo Abudu. Denola has not allowed this negative perception to stop him from working hard and nurturing his craft.
Speaking on the criticisms he received, Denola said, “It’s something I have always faced in this industry. When you present a certain way, all people see is, ‘this person just came back from America, this person is privileged’. They never see the amount of sacrifices that my parents had to go through to put me and my brothers through school. 23 and no financial support, I had to make it work in Lagos, Nigeria with no friends”.
Read more here or watch this interview at watch.withchude.com.
