Samuel Ajibola, popularly known as Spiff, has proven that to break into Nollywood, you have to come with your unique In this interview with Vanguard, Allure e explained how he came to his Spiff personality, and people relate to him since then…
So how fashionable is Samuel Ajibola?
Yes, I am. Everybody has their definition of fashion. For me fashion is me being comfortable in whatever I wear. Looking nice in a good outfit and feeling nice about it. That’s fashion for me.
So what’s that one fashion item you can’t do without?
I like shows; I like them. I like snickers, trainers, and some others I can’t think of right now that make me comfortable.
Who’s your favourite Nigerian designer?
That is going to be hard because they’re a lot of them; Ouch, The Okunoren Twins; I love their pieces, and Mai Atafo is amazing!
For someone that likes snickers and trainers a lot, your choice of favourite designer is really funny…
I do love suits funny enough, and I wear them a lot. I’ve been wearing a suit to the AMVCA for the past two to three years, so yes, I do like suits, and I also like my trainers (laughs).
Breaking into Nollywood, how did that happen?
I started acting since I was six but I left the industry afterwards to focus on school, where I studied political science
How come you didn’t pick a course around what you love?
Well, I already know how to act, I wanted something different. Although I have done several courses in my field,
What are your thoughts on Nollywood?
For now, I think Nollywood is doing pretty good. We can do better, but we’re doing okay for now. If you look into the industry, you’ll see how much we’ve been able to achieve, so while we are not doing bad, it could be better. We should have a better structure.
What came into your mind when you were told to act Spiff?
(Laughs) They didn’t tell me to act like Spiff. They didn’t. I brought the act to make Spiff act like that. It was a character I created because of my urge to stand out for whatever I do. I combine characters from things I have seen, people I’ve seen somewhere and just put it all together to create something, and people liked it and still like it.
What challenges do you face being Spiff?
Right now the major challenge I face is that people stare at me thinking I am always like Spiff not knowing that I am who I am and Spiff is just another character. Although I do like the fact that they like Spiff because I like making people happy considering how this country is, we all need comedy in our lives. But I would want them to associate with me outside as Samuel Ajibola rather than think I’m always like Spiff. So being stereotyped is certainly a major challenge. And also the attention I get from people can also be overwhelming sometimes. I usually just want to walk into somewhere and be quiet, but that doesn’t always seem possible with my kind of career.
So what are the challenges you’re faced with as an actor?
Well, there isn’t any. I’m setting a path for myself where I won’t get to have much or any challenges. I’ve started my comedy series, Dele Issues. It’s on YouTube, and it’s amazing. Recently I featured our former president, Olusegun Obasanjo and I’ve been working a lot to get great things like that on board for my show.
What advice do you have for Nigerian youths?
I know Nigerians are hard working and I know we are gifted. I know we have a lot of potentials, but the major challenge is that a lot of youth are not empowered. But I believe setting yourself to get something is the goal; you can always do what you want to do if you set your mind to it and invest a lot of time trying to make it work.
What has worked for you so far?
I’ve always been humble, and I don’t allow anything I have achieved get into my head to distract me from the goal of entertaining people. As I said, I am hardworking and putting a lot of time to things in want to do certainly helped me.
Where is your ideal relaxation spot?
I would go anywhere I’ll like to unwind. Maybe South Africa, because I like the place, but I am open minded to relax anywhere I find myself.
What is that one thing you can’t be caught doing?
I can’t be caught waking up late at night for midnight snacks. I’m very disciplined with my diet.
What’s your eating habit like?
I try to eat healthily and now entertain eating at odd hours.
What’s your daily routine like?
I wake up, pray, take my bath, sometimes I jog if I have the time, sometimes I don’t because some days can e tiring. So I go to work, I eat, try to finish up on work, relax if possible, I watch TV, and I sleep.
What’s that one thing you won’t do in the name of fashion?
I won’t go our shirtless, and you can never catch me without underwear in the name of fashion (laugh)
Who’s your favourite cast in the Johnson?
That’s difficult to say because they’re so many great actors on set that are doing great.
What should we expect from Samuel Ajibola?
Well I have started Dele Issues, and I am trying to take it all step by step, so in time, the things I am doing will unveil themselves.
NB: This interview was first published by Vanguard Allure
Credit: Afoma Aligbe
