Deyemi Okanlawon
Deyemi Okanlawon is a Nigerian actor. He was the highest-grossing Nollywood actor of 2020 and 2021, according to the Film One Box Office report. Okanlawon is best known for his roles in Netflix Originals, including King of Boys: The Return of the King, Blood Sisters, Elesin Oba: The King's Horseman, and Lisabi: The Uprising, as well as commercially successful films like Omo Ghetto: The Saga, Prophetess, and All's Fair in Love.
Early life
Born in Lagos, 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.Career
Okanlawon began acting at the age of five in a school play. By the age of nine, he appeared in a nationally aired television commercial alongside 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.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. He featured in short films and web series, such as Gidi Up, Blink, and Knock Knock. By 2012, he had gained recognition as an actor in Nigeria.
In 2013, Okanlawon made the 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 the Africa International Film Festival, Africa Movie Academy Awards, Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards, Ghana Movie Awards, BON, In-Short, and City People awards.
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, Okanlawon 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.
In 2017, Okanlawon starred in the romantic comedy-drama Scars, directed by Tope Alake, 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.
In 2022, Okanlawon appeared in Blood Sisters, Nigeria's first Netflix Original Series, which premiered on 5 May 2022. He also starred in Elesin Oba: The King's Horseman, the first Yoruba-language film to be screened at the Toronto International Film Festival. That same year, he received his first Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards nomination for Best Actor in a comedy for his role in Omo Ghetto: The Saga.
In 2024, after a decade in the industry, Okanlawon applied his sales and marketing expertise and his on-screen experience to produce his debut film, All’s Fair in Love. The romantic comedy, starring Timini Egbuson and Buhle Samuels, was commercially successful, 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.
Okanlawon'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.