S01E06 Akin Omotoso
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Akin Omotoso is a triple threat of a storyteller. Born into a creative family, his love for stories inspired a professional acting career. Then, he stepped behind the camera to make his directorial debut with three short films and went on to write and produce his first feature film, God is African. What stands out about Akin is that whether as an actor, director or writer, his focus is to tell every story as authentically as he can.
Quote phrase “You might have a gift but you gotta hone the gift, and that’s where I‘ve always just focused on. I was not interested in being the one-hit wonder.” — Akin Omotoso
Akin and his family emigrated from Nigeria to South Africa in 1992 when his father, a writer and academic, accepted a professorship at the University of the Western Cape. Akin’s decision to study drama wasn’t strange: his mother was an architect and his sister was also a writer. After that first step into the world of storytelling, Akin became one of South African television’s most recognisable faces, featuring in beloved dramas like Generations and Isidingo. You might also remember him from Hollywood’s Blood Diamond and Queen of Katwe. Akin has broadened his storytelling craft as a director, bringing films such as Tell Me Sweet Something and Vaya — acquired and distributed by Ava DuVernay’s film collective, Array Releasing — to the big screen.
His passion for original, engaging stories is seen in the diversity of his projects, from the Colour of Wine, a documentary on four first-generation black South African winemakers to Rise, the 2022 Disney-produced film about Nigerian-Greek brothers and NBA players, Giannis, Thanasis and Kostas Antetokounmpo. As an African storyteller, Akin is committed to creating art that speaks for itself, boldly and unapologetically. Coming of age in South Africa’s entertainment industry and storytelling with intention and purpose are strong themes of Lee and Akin’s chat in this episode of The Africa Whisperer.
Quote phrase “You might have a gift but you gotta hone the gift, and that’s where I‘ve always just focused on. I was not interested in being the one-hit wonder.” — Akin Omotoso
Akin and his family emigrated from Nigeria to South Africa in 1992 when his father, a writer and academic, accepted a professorship at the University of the Western Cape. Akin’s decision to study drama wasn’t strange: his mother was an architect and his sister was also a writer. After that first step into the world of storytelling, Akin became one of South African television’s most recognisable faces, featuring in beloved dramas like Generations and Isidingo. You might also remember him from Hollywood’s Blood Diamond and Queen of Katwe. Akin has broadened his storytelling craft as a director, bringing films such as Tell Me Sweet Something and Vaya — acquired and distributed by Ava DuVernay’s film collective, Array Releasing — to the big screen.
His passion for original, engaging stories is seen in the diversity of his projects, from the Colour of Wine, a documentary on four first-generation black South African winemakers to Rise, the 2022 Disney-produced film about Nigerian-Greek brothers and NBA players, Giannis, Thanasis and Kostas Antetokounmpo. As an African storyteller, Akin is committed to creating art that speaks for itself, boldly and unapologetically. Coming of age in South Africa’s entertainment industry and storytelling with intention and purpose are strong themes of Lee and Akin’s chat in this episode of The Africa Whisperer.
