“They beat me for real on set,” Opebe exposes Nollywood secrets (Video)

By Oluwayemi Oluwapelumi

Popular Yoruba comic actor Yomi King, widely known as Opebe, has opened up about his early struggles in the Nigerian movie industry.

He revealed that many of the beatings he endured on set were not part of the script but actual physical attacks.

Speaking during an interview on Behind The Fame Podcast on YouTube, Opebe disclosed that some of his on-set experiences went far beyond acting and became genuine physical encounters.

“Those sufferings were beyond acting; they were real beatings. That’s what they call acting — you have to do it well and real for people to know it truly happened. Baba Suwe doesn’t mind. Anyone that knows him well knows he will beat you directly; ask the director,” the actor said in Yoruba, translated to English.

Opebe narrated a particular incident involving veteran actors Baba Suwe and Yinka Quadri, recalling that what was meant to be a scripted fight in the Yoruba movie Eku Meji turned into a real confrontation.

“In that movie Eku Meji, I had a role with Yinka where he was supposed to beat me. But we had a misunderstanding before then, and when the scene started, he beat me seriously. I shouted ‘Cut! This isn’t a movie anymore!’ It wasn’t acting at all,” he said.

According to Opebe, the beating was personal and stemmed from his earlier decision to take sides in a dispute between the two actors.

“He laughed and said, ‘In your life, you won’t interfere in people’s fights again.’ The person I supported — Baba Suwe — was laughing at me. That day, I said to myself, ‘If people fight, it’s none of my business again.’ Since then, I know my boundaries.”

https://youtu.be/M8DBQDR0Ln0