Acting in Blood Sisters drained me mentally – Deyemi Okanlawon reveals

Nigerian actor, Deyemi Okanlawon, has narrated how his role in popular Nigeria’s Netflix original series, Blood Sisters, affected him mentally.

Taking to his Twitter page on Sunday, May 8, actor, Deyemi Okanlawon noted that perfecting his role as Kola Ademola in the movie was a mentally draining process.

In the series, Blood Sisters which was released on Thursday, May 5, Deyemi Okanlawon acted as Kola Ademola, an abusive partner who brutalized his victims as a pastime.

On his Twitter page, he wrote:

“Kola Ademola definitely affected me more than I care to admit and it took months to get to a semblance of normalcy. Strangely while I still firmly believe aggression should be met with justice, I now empathize with people who carry such demons.”

He added that to play the character, he had to temporarily put on hold, his personal beliefs.

“As Deyemi Okanlawon I pray to continue to defend victims of discrimination and violence with my life.

“However, as an ACTOR, my craft dictates in order to give the best performance I cannot judge a character’s life/actions but must become the character.

“In order to embody a character, I have to temporarily suspend my personal beliefs to truly understand who they are and why they do what they do.” He wrote.

This is a very mentally draining process and oftentimes after such experiences, I would need help and time to rediscover my true North.

Being raised from childhood not to ever hit a woman it was pure torture to now have to push past that to get to the point where the rage and emotions (which my scene partner also needed for her performance) were real yet have the willpower to ensure there was no physical contact.

“Having walked through such a depraved mind as Kola’s, I am now convinced that people who physically abuse others are mentally damaged and possessed by their personal demons likely born out of childhood trauma/poor parenting/societal or other factors.”

Behind the scenes revealed that the actor had to undergo therapy in the course of acting as Kola.

Nollywood heavyweights such as Kate Henshaw, Ramsey Noah, Gabriel Afolayan, Nancy Isime, and others appeared in the suspenseful thriller.