Nollywood actor and filmmaker Ibrahim Chatta has opened up about his life and how he began his career journey.
In an interview with BBC Yoruba, Ibrahim revealed that he abandoned his secondary school education because of his passion for acting. As a youngster, he often skipped classes to join his colleagues for acting gigs in theatres.
Interestingly, Ibrahim noted that despite his low level of education, he is self-taught in English Language having learned the language by reading books and even newspaper wraps as a child. He also pursued adult education courses related to acting.
He said
“I started acting very early in my life. I knew I was going to go into acting as a kid. Acting took a lot from me. It did not allow me to go to school.
”My parents would think I was in school those days but I would have followed my colleagues for what we call travel theatre. It has now transitioned into filmmaking. That was how some of our bosses started their acting career from the stage into cinema movies.
“Although, I am doing some courses in adult education that are related to acting, I did not finish my secondary school education. The English language is like every other language. It can be taught and can be heard. The English language I speak is self-taught and I love reading so much. When I was little and I bought puff-puff, I used to read the paper wrap. I read about the English Language from the books.”
Ibrahim began his acting career in 1985 and became famous for his role in the movie ‘Aiyekooto’ (2012). He has also appeared in notable films include ‘Atini O’go’ (2006), ‘Mafi Wonmi’ (2008) ‘Olo’ (2008) ‘Mafi Sere’ (2009), ‘Orere Laye’ (2009) and ‘Ebere Adigun’ (2010), House of Ga’a (2024) among others.
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