Award-winning actor, Wale Ojo, celebrated his 60th birthday during the week, and in an interview with Saturday Beats, he shared the most significant lessons he had learnt at 60.
He said, “I think the greatest lesson is that love and creativity are what fuel life, and the passion for what one does. If you can wake up and not worry about how you’re going to spend the hours but instead wonder if you have enough hours to do what you need to do, it’s a wonderful thing. Whenever I move around, especially in Nigeria and other parts of the world, I always wonder how someone can just sit for a long time looking at the wall, maybe if the person is a security guard. I always wonder if I would be able to do that. It would drive me insane. Idleness is not something I believe in. I am very active.”
When asked about the defining moments of his life, he said, “The defining moment of my life would be when I made the decision to leave England to pursue my acting career in Nigeria. It was then I realised that there is no love like the love of your own people. I featured in ‘Meet The Adebanjos’ (a TV series) in London, and I didn’t even think it would be popular in Nigeria. When I landed in Nigeria and saw the love from people requesting to take photographs with me and asking for hugs, I was blown away. I had to ask myself if it was the same programme they were talking about. I never got that kind of love in England. I just realised it was a great decision to make that move here.”
On what he does to stay in good shape, Ojo said, “I think it is the right diet, exercise, the right amount of wine, and lots of loving.”
Reflecting on how he feels at 60, he said, “It feels great, almost like any other day. I am still doing what I was doing 30 years ago—perhaps even with more vigour. But these days, I find myself being impatient with people who are very slow. Maybe I’m just used to being fast.”