Nollywood veteran, Jide Kosoko, has urged parents to recognize and nurture their children’s talents, emphasizing how societal attitudes toward creative careers have evolved.
Reflecting on his personal experience on the Honest Brunch podcast monitored by MyNewsGh, Kosoko highlighted the struggles he faced convincing his family to accept his love for acting and how the entertainment industry has gained greater respect over the years.
“In those days, parents only wanted their children to be doctors, lawyers, and engineers. Creativity was not something they encouraged,” he stated. “Unlike now, where even billionaires bring their children to be trained as actors.”
Kosoko, who has several children in the movie industry, insisted that he never forced any of them to follow in his footsteps. However, he admitted to persuading one of his daughters, Shola, to take up a role in his film.
“I saw a perfect role for her and played with her to act in the film. She enjoyed it. After that, I never called her again—she was the one who kept coming back,” he recalled.
Beyond his personal journey and his children’s careers, Kosoko also shared an emotional story of how acting unexpectedly reunited his divorced parents.
At the age of 18, shortly after finishing secondary school, he formed his own theater group. Determined to host a grand performance, he invited prominent figures, including the then Federal Commissioner for Works and Housing, Femi Okunnu, who generously supported him. However, Kosoko had another plan—he invited both his estranged parents to attend the event.
At the time, his parents were living on the same street but had been separated for years. His father resided at number 23, while his mother lived at number 44. Kosoko, who had mastered the art of navigating between both homes, took a bold step to bring them together.
On the night of the performance, his parents were seated side by side. As the play unfolded, they found themselves laughing and, eventually, interacting warmly.
“That night, I saw them touching each other while laughing. It was a moment I will never forget. Through my love for acting, I was able to bring my parents together again,” he said.
His decision to pursue acting full-time, however, was met with some skepticism. Okunnu, the commissioner who had supported his event, challenged him to further his education, warning him against the common stereotype that Lagos boys did not take academics seriously.
“Even if you want to do theater, you still need further education,” Okunnu advised him. Though Kosoko had no initial plans to continue schooling, he agreed on the spot—mostly because he feared Okunnu would take back his financial support.
Encouraged by this push, he later attended Yaba College of Technology. Despite facing challenges, he never abandoned his love for acting. His career took off, and he eventually formed his own theater company in 1972.
