I’m Taking Each Day One Step at a Time

Mike Afolarin

As an actor, television presenter and movie producer, Mike Afolarin has won hearts, combining all roles together. He is creative, skillful and highly talented, known for his good interpretation of roles in movies, he can as well accept any character assigned him and he does this very well to the admiration of his numerous fans. Afolarin’s rise to fame and recognition in Nollywood follows roles in movies like ‘Ajuwayah 2017 and Kasala 2018. In this interview, Mike talks about his role as Ishaya in Netflix’s young adult Nollywood series “Far From Home” and what everyone should expect from his character…

How did you land the role Ishaya?

The audition was how I landed the role. Shout out to my friend and colleague, Kolade Shasi. I believe he mentioned my name in the casting room. Soon after, he reached out to me and asked for my headshot. Then, due process prevailed, and after several auditions (self-tapes and physical), God did it!

What was it like playing the lead? Walk us through your experience…

It was quite an amount of pressure, because firstly, to film this, I had to be far from home. It was generally a really busy time in my life. Despite the early call times and physically demanding scenes with multiple takes, I had a good time. I got to do what I love while working alongside some of my incredible friends and also the good people at Inkblot and, of course, Netflix, which made the journey a remarkable one. The entire cast and crew brought their A-game, and we had a wonderful time creating this masterpiece.

Tell us how Ishaya is similar to Mike without giving any spoilers. And would you trade lives with Ishaya, if given the choice?

Well, Ishaya saw plenty ‘shege’. He is very familiar with ‘sapa’, and thankfully Mike isn’t. It was a familiar experience for Mike a few years ago, but not anymore. I literally traded my life for Ishaya’s for a couple of months, and I totally had fun being him. As a matter of fact, I’m ready to do it again.

What was your favourite scene from “Far From Home” while playing Ishaya?

There are too many epic moments in ‘Far From Home.’ Some of the highlights of filming it were working with my friends, the coolest people in the industry—both on and off screen—and OGs (legends and icons) in the industry like Funke Akindele, Bimbo Akintola, and RMD, whom I had watched on the screen since I was a kid. Every scene shared with them is special to me. It felt like a full-circle moment for me and my career.

Are we going to love or hate Ishaya?

I think you will either hate or love him. It totally depends on the angle you’re watching from. I do love him wholeheartedly, though.

What do you hope audiences take away from Ishaya and Far From Home?

Hopefully, it isn’t the drugs… More seriously, I would say, ‘your dreams are valid.’ Regardless of what your reality is, don’t lose focus on your goals. I have seen this play out in my reality, not just in Ishaya’s world. Ishaya wants you to focus on the focus.

What is a typical day like in the life of Mike Afolarin?

My typical day consists of me at home learning, researching, and trying to get enough rest in preparation for when I have to return to set when I’m not on set filming or shooting drone shots.

What should we expect next from you?

Frankly, I’m taking each day one step at a time. I will definitely keep pushing myself to do my best on every project I get to be a part of and to continue to allow myself to be a vessel for each new character and story. I’m looking forward to producing a couple of stories as well, and I’m just honestly hoping that God’s grace completes my hard work.