I couldn’t sleep the day I received N40m cheque – Toyin Abraham

Toyin Abraham said she started making money in entertainment about five years ago.

Nollywood actress Toyin Abraham may be a darling on the screen, entertaining movie lovers with method acting, but she has said for her, the drive has never been money

The actress, who was a guest on ‘Rubbin’ Minds’, a Channels TV programme hosted by Ebuke Obi-Ochendu, noted that she is easily one of the wealthiest actresses in Nigeria.

Responding to a question about females dominating the production side of filmmaking, the ‘Wives on Strike’ star said that she could only speak for herself.

The 40-year-old actress said, “I started making money in entertainment about five years ago when I started working with FilmOne. I remember when Mr Moses Babatope called me and said they’ve paid your money into your account.

“Bigsam (her manager) also called me, and I saw my account. That was the first time I saw over N40m. I’m not joking; I could not sleep. So I called my GodMother to say it’s like this Filmone, people will come and kill me and collect the money.”

According to ‘The Prophetess’ actress, she is driven more by the passion behind her art.

“I started making movies, not for money but for passion. I just kept pushing, and it was because of the passion I had for it because I loved it. There was no money, yes but money to eat still and do other things; we had that, but not this kind of heavy alert. I can confidently tell you that I’m one of the richest actresses. I’m not just a noisemaker,” she added.

Yoruba Movie Industry

Before joining mainstream Nollywood, Toyin, whose extensive movie career has seen her act in some of the most acclaimed Nollywood films, was featured in the Yoruba movie industry.

Even though she has moved on to a broader audience, Toyin, whose acting career started in 2003 after meeting Bukky Wright in Ibadan, said she hasn’t abandoned the Yoruba film industry.

“That’s like my source. That’s like my roots. That’s where I started. But the Yorubas would say, “when a child is grown to a certain level that they can be on their own, you have to let them go.” That’s how the Yoruba industry is.

“But what happened then wasn’t about money. Something happened with my ex. And you know, women, we are always very emotional. We want everybody to fight that particular person. But that was then because I was young. I just felt like everybody was against me,” the award-winning actress said.

Personal life

The Marketing graduate from Ibadan Polytechnic married her colleague, Adeniyi Johnson, in 2013 and parted ways with him in 2018. That same year, Adeniyi married fellow actress Oluwaseyi Edun in a quiet ceremony.

Toyin, who changed her name from Toyin Aimakhu to Toyin Abraham in 2016, equally moved on.

In July 2019, she wedded Kolawole Ajeyemi, an actor, and they welcomed their first child, a son, in August of the same year.

The Edo state-born actress said that, at that point, she just wanted to be on her own.

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“I felt my world was crumbling, and that was just it. Until I met Bigsam, and we started working together. I started getting roles.

“The first movie I did was with Omoni Oboli. So, People saw my acting. And from there, I kept going. And I did mine, and it came out well,” she said.

Moving on

The ‘Celebrity Marriage’ actress said it took a lot of work and prayers to move on from that part of her life.

“I just told myself, Toyin, you need to move on; this is not how it should happen. This is not the way God wants it. I’m not going to lie to you; my husband is the best thing that has ever happened to me,” she added.

The actress, who produced the film series, ‘Fate of Alakada’, further stated that she has learnt lessons learnt from her past relationships.

“Of course, I’m more mature. There are some things that I can’t do now. Then, I just wanted to get angry at every little thing. But now, I’m so mature. We have two kids. We have a boy and a girl,” the ‘Kasanova’ actress added.

Among the films she has starred in are ‘The Ghost and the Tout’, ‘Elevator Baby’, ‘Don’t Get Mad’, ‘Get Even’, ‘Bling Lagosians’, ‘Fate of Alakada’, ‘Dear Affy’, ‘King of Thieves’ and a host of others.