Folake Olowofoyeku [Interview]

We have a great one for you all today folks! It is always a pleasure to showcase a strong female actress, writer, musician, etc. who I may start unaware of at first, but eventually become all in and become a huge fan. And this is without a doubt the case when it comes to today’s interviewee Folake Olowofoyeku.

Folake was introduced to me through my obsession with the now cult classic Corman film, Death Race 2000. I knew the film was having an honest to hell reboot/sequel entitled Death Race 2050 that would NOT involve Jason Statham and held more true to the original genius of the first film. And I had mixed emotions. Not quite on the hateful and ridiculous level of these on line Ghostbusters trolls, but just a bit of hesitation. So, when I was given the shot to talk to an actual star from the film, I had to jump on it. That is where Folake came in.

And as it usually happens, I became more in love with the work of the person beyond the initial reason for wanting to speak to them. Olowofoyeku happens to be an amazing actress who has over a dozen film credits to her name, and has appeared on every damn TV show you love, from 30 Rock to Westworld, from How To Get Away with Murder to Modern Family. She is around, and she is wonderful. She is also a very gifted musician better known as The.Folake, that you absolutely must check out.

So, beyond getting to chat up a bit about the upcoming Death Race film, we got to steal a few words from a lovely and talented actress that we hope you all know and love. Because she deserves it, and you fine readers deserve nothing but the best. So please enjoy some great words with the wonderful Folake Olowofoyeku!

I understand you come from a rather large family, with an abundance of siblings. So, did you get into acting to sort of stand out from the crowd a bit? Or has it been a passion for as long as you can remember?

From as early as I can remember I wanted to be a performer. It was never an act of rebellion; it felt divine actually.

My dream then was to be a musician, however, my parents were specifically against that. So, in an act of desperation, I planned to blind-side them by becoming an actor and then segueing back into music. Once I made the commitment to acting, I focused whole heartedly on studying the craft and building a career.

So, as a huge fan of the original Roger Corman classic Death Race 2000, I absolutely NEED to know that Death Race 2050 is going to be amazing. Please sell it to me! Could you please tell us why fans of the original film are going to love the film as much as we want to?

If you are a fan of the original then you’ll love this remake; it stays true to that style. I believe this version is really being made for you guys: the true fans of the original. You guys will be the ones to really get it. It’s a lunatic of a movie — graphic and extremely inappropriate, the good stuff!

And what will your role be in Death Race 2050? What did you enjoy about shooting this film?

I play Minerva Jefferson. She’s a bad-ass, larger than life, rock-star diva with strong opinions and a bold, sexy style. In this post-apocalyptic world of ‘Death Race 2050’, she is the person you dread to go against and exactly the person you want on your side. She’s been able to survive so far by being militant while having sex appeal, by being street-wise while also being her version of an activist.

I thoroughly enjoyed filming in Lima, Peru. The tirelessness of the crew, the producer and our director was contagious and inspiring. There’s tons of blood, sweat and love poured into the making of this film.

One more Death Race question: Did you have to undergo any sort of training for this role? Like, learning how to drive like a psychopath or something like that?

I didn’t have to undergo any training, but for research I watched tons of celebrity tantrum footage. A lot!

I am also hearing great things about your upcoming project If. Can you tell us a bit about this project and your role?

I play an African barber in this film. It’s a sort of cameo role that provides comic relief from an avant-garde-African’s perspective.

Can you tell us a bit about your work as The.Folake? What made you want to dive into the music world from acting, or have you always been passionate and activate with both?

Growing up, my art of choice was music. Having very little support in that department I got into acting, as mentioned before. Music now is my perpetual passion project. It’s a creative outlet outside of acting, where I have more control of my creativity. I use music as an outlet to express my thoughts, to comment on the world and social issues and have fun.

So what does the future hold for you? Any new tracks coming soon, or any other roles you’d like to promote here?

Female Fight Club is currently being released in some territories.

I’m also working on a video game; I’ll be voicing one of the lead characters, and I’m very excited about the process and excited to share it with the world.

Also, my newly launched a production company, Fo Foyeh Films, recently released the first season of a comedic series called Inappropriate Sh!t. It’s available to watch online now: http://www.folake.info/productioncompany

Also, as a multifaceted individual, as an actress and musician, have you ever thought about getting behind the camera to do some directing? If so, what kind of stuff would you like to create?

Yes, I actually studied directing at the New York Film Academy. I’m taking on projects under the Fo Foyeh Films umbrella.

What was the last thing that made you smile?

Watching videos of cats. Ha!