Folake Olowofoyeku (born 26 October 1983)[1][2] is a Nigerian actress and musician.[3] She starred in the Chuck Lorre CBS sitcom[4] Bob Hearts Abishola.[2][5]
Folake Olowofoyeku | |
|---|---|
| Born | 26 October 1983 Nigeria |
| Other names | The Folake |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, musician |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Parents |
|
| Relatives | Toby Foyeh (brother) |
| Website | thefolake |
Early life, family and education
editOlowofoyeku was born in Nigeria to Nigerian politician Babatunji Olowofoyeku and Felicia Olowofoyeku. She is the youngest of 20 children.[1] One of her older brothers is the musician and guitarist Toby Foyeh. Olowofoyeku was named after the first female Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Folake Solanke.[6] Olowofoyeku has spoken about the importance of names in Yoruba culture. Her first name means to use non-monetary wealth to pamper, and her surname means a rich man uses a chieftaincy title to top off their wealth.[7]
She was raised on Victoria Island in Lagos, Nigeria,[6] and also spent time in London.
Olowofoyeku attended Igbinedion Education Centre, a Montessori boarding school in Benin City. She then transferred to Vivian Fowler Memorial College for Girls in Ikeja, Lagos and then attended Oxbridge Tutorial College.[8]
In 2001, at the age of 18, Olowofoyeku emigrated to the United States, where she came to live with her sister.[2]
Although initially studying economics in anticipation of becoming an attorney, Olowofoyeku received a B.A.[9] in theater from City College of New York.[10] While she was a student at City College, she played NCAA Division III college basketball for the CCNY Beavers.[1]
Career
editAfter graduating from college, Olowofoyeku got her start in off-Broadway theater in New York City.[11]
Olowofoyeku appeared in guest starring roles on television shows that include 30 Rock, How to Get Away with Murder, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Modern Family, Westworld, and White Collar.
Olowofoyeku starred in the 2017 film Death Race 2050 as Minerva Jefferson.[11] The film is a sequel to the 1975 cult film, Death Race 2000, and was shot in Lima, Peru.[3]
Also in 2017, Olowofoyeku appeared opposite Gaby Hoffmann in the last season of the TV series Transparent, as her love interest, Lyfe.[12]
Since September 2019, Olowofoyeku has played Abishola opposite American comedian Billy Gardell in the Chuck Lorre CBS sitcom, Bob Hearts Abishola. Lorre created the show with British-Nigerian comedian Gina Yashere, who writes for the show and plays Abishola's best friend, Kemi.[13] Bob Hearts Abishola premiered in 2019 and is the first American sitcom to feature a Nigerian family.[14][15] On January 25, 2023, the sitcom was renewed for a fifth and final season which began airing on February 12, 2024.
Music
editOlowofoyeku plays Afro-beat electronic music under the moniker The Folake. She plays guitar and piano. She has also worked as a sound engineer.[6] Olowofoyeku has a diploma in audio engineering from the Institute of Audio Research.
In 2013, Olowofoyeku appeared in two David Bowie videos as his bass guitar player: "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)" and "The Next Day".[7][16][17] Both videos were directed by Floria Sigismondi. Tilda Swinton portrays Bowie's wife in "The Stars", and "Next Day" features actors Gary Oldman and Marion Cotillard. Olowofoyeku said that director Sigismondi and Bowie worked with the band so they could learn their parts musically in rehearsal, as well as portray themselves in the videos.[7]
Personal life
editOlowofoyeku speaks fluent Yoruba and English.[2][14] She resides in Los Angeles. She is a big fan of science fiction and the work of Octavia Butler, and counts Butler's 1980 book, Wild Seed, as a favorite.[2] Her nephew Toluwalakin Olowofoyeku was one of the three on Kugali team that created a Nigerian animated mini-series Iwájú for Disney+, released in February 2024.
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Protesters | Felice Falafafull | Video |
| 2006 | When They Could Fly | Bella | Short |
| 2008 | 10,000 A.D.: The Legend of a Black Pearl | Plaebian 3 | Video |
| Staged Archive | Judge | Short | |
| In Search of Myster Ey | Waitress | Satire / Comedy / Biography / Mystery / Thriller / Drama | |
| 2009 | The Child Within | Omo | Drama |
| 2011 | The Beaver | Nurse | Drama |
| 2012 | Hellbenders | Serena Venter | |
| 2014 | Gideon's Cross | Mona Madugu (Nigerian Boss) | Voice, short |
| Kepler X-47 | Alien Sentinel | Short | |
| 2016 | Female Fight Squad | Winter | |
| 2017 | Death Race 2050 | Minerva Jefferson | Video |
| 2018 | Central & Broadway | Leon | Short |
| The Bride | - | Short | |
| Armed | Frida | ||
| 2024 | Mufasa: The Lion King | Amara | Voices |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Amina Asante | Episode: "Night" |
| 2010 | 30 Rock | Jamaican Nurse #2 | Episode: "Anna Howard Shaw Day" |
| Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Princess Timiro | Episode: "Loyalty: Part 1 & 2" | |
| White Collar | Teller | Episode: "By the Book" & "Unfinished Business" | |
| 2011 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Adisa | Episode: "Scorched Earth" |
| 2014 | Modern Family | Ayoola | Episode: "Marco Polo" |
| 2016 | How to Get Away with Murder | Desk Nurse | Episode: "There's My Baby" |
| Westworld | Surveillance Tech | Episode: "Dissonance Theory" | |
| 2017 | Colony | Redhat | Episode: "Panopticon" |
| The Gifted | Scar | Episode: "rX" | |
| Transparent | Lyfe | Recurring cast: season 4 | |
| 2019 | The Filth | Charlotte | Episode: "Filthy Bro Day" |
| 2019-2024 | Bob Hearts Abishola | Abishola Wheeler | Main cast |
Video games
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth | ||
| 2019 | Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series - Episodes I, II, and III | Priestess |
Music videos
edit| Year | Title | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | The Stars (Are Out Tonight) | David Bowie | Bassist |
| The Next Day |
Theater
editDiscography
edit- 2012: The.Folake! (self-released)[20]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Bob Hearts Abishola Cast: Folake Olowofoyeku". Bob Hearts Abishola. CBS. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
- ^ a b c d e Bentley, Jean (23 September 2019). "Meet 'Bob Hearts Abishola' Star Folake Olowofoyeku". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ a b "Folake Olowofoyeku". Naluda. 23 January 2017. Archived from the original on 25 September 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley; Fienberg, Daniel; Lorre, Chuck (20 September 2019). "'TV's Top 5': NBC Streaming Plans Revealed; Plus Chuck Lorre on His Comedy Empire" (Audio interview, starts at 30:52). The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 25 September 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
- ^ Earl Nurse. "How the Nigerian star of 'Bob Hearts Abishola' is changing the rules of American network television". CNN. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
- ^ a b c Italie, Leanne (21 September 2019). "Folake Olowofoyeku hearts life in the television comedy lane". Chicago Tribune. Associated Press.
- ^ a b c Hewitt, Zoey; Olowofoyeku, Folake (7 December 2016). "Folake Olowofoyeku Interview" (Video interview). AfterBuzz TV. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2019 – via YouTube.
- ^ Saduwa, Patience (19 December 2016). "'I was excited on my first day on set'". The Nation. Nigeria. Archived from the original on 25 September 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
- ^ Folake Olowofoyeku - Bob Hearts Abishola Cast Member, archived from the original on 9 October 2023, retrieved 24 July 2020
- ^ Barron, Rob (February 2017). "From Campus Stages to the 'Big Time'". ccnyalumni.org. City College of New York Alumni. Archived from the original on 25 September 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
- ^ a b Frieman, Richie (6 January 2017). "Folake Olowofoyeku". PensEyeViewNew.com. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ DiLoreto, Michaela R. (7 October 2017). "Crossing Boundaries, Tackling Borders, and Challenging the Past: Season Four of 'Transparent' Does It All". The Harvard Crimson.
- ^ Framke, Caroline (23 September 2019). "TV Review: 'Bob Hearts Abishola' From Chuck Lorre". Variety. Archived from the original on 26 September 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
- ^ a b Udodiong, Inemesit (17 May 2019). "Folake Olowofoyeku: Nigerian actress plays lead role in new CBS show - here's why this is such a big deal". Pulse Nigeria. Archived from the original on 25 September 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
- ^ Dowling, Amber (7 June 2019). "From economics student to actor, Folake Olowofoyeku may be this season's break-out star" (Includes video interview). The Loop. Archived from the original on 25 September 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
- ^ Bowie, David (26 February 2013). "David Bowie - The Stars (Are Out Tonight) (Official Video)". YouTube.
- ^ Bowie, David (8 May 2013). "David Bowie - The Next Day (Explicit)". Retrieved 25 September 2019 – via YouTube.
- ^ Willis, John A.; Hodges, Ben, eds. (2006). Theatre World. Vol. 60, 2003-2014. New York: Applause. p. 179. ISBN 978-1-557-83651-9. OCLC 657148290.
- ^ Hodges, Ben; Denny, Scott, eds. (2010). Theatre World. Vol. 66, 2009-2010. Montclair, NJ: Applause Theatre & Cinema Books. p. 289. ISBN 978-1-423-49271-9. OCLC 609541647.
- ^ Olowofoyeku, Folake (2012). "♫ The.Folake! - The.Folake!". CD Baby. Archived from the original on 25 September 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
