Dakore Egbuson-Akande: At a Point, I Got Disillusioned with Movie Industry

Dakore Egbuson-Akande’s multifaceted career path has traversed music, modeling, dance, and her mainstay, acting, creating opportunities for her to project brands. A household name, Dakore’s craft is driven by sheer creative instinct, owing to her knack for the art since the early stage, and one she’s grateful for. The screen goddess speaks to Ferdinand Ekechukwu about her works, career, family, and more. Dakore specifically touched on some issues, putting them to rest. Excerpts…

What have you been up to lately?

I’ve been working on several projects actually. My most recent movie, “One Too Many,” made its debut in February on Netflix to critical acclaim then I went on to star in a movie titled, “Finding Me” directed by my sister Funke Akindele which hits the cinemas in September 2024.

I also starred in two series “School of Hearts” from Ogidi Studios alongside my brother Timini and a host of brilliant young new talents. The second series is ‘That Fateful Night,” co-starring Uche Jombo, Ini Edo and Carole King to mention a few. Alongside this, I run my natural beauty skincare line “DakoreBeauty” and shot two commercials for Amstel Malta for which I’ve been their brand ambassador for many years all while doing my utmost best to be a doting mom and devoted wife. It’s a lot to juggle but with God all things are possible.

You rested the brand DakoreBeauty at some point… How’s it going?

 DakoreBeauty is doing great; we’re still growing and getting people of all walks of life to appreciate their natural, God-given skin tone naturally. We are making inroads into the US market as we speak and the orders are coming in. We sell online and in select stores and ship worldwide.

You started off singing, and writing songs; you danced, and then at some point you modeled. You seem to have chosen to focus more on acting, why?

 From your question you can see there’s a common thread which is the creative arts. These are all ways of expression that come very naturally to me and it’s a gift from God and I’m blessed to have gravitated strongly towards acting as a career which God ordained.

How did acting come to you?

Acting came as a wonderful surprise to be very honest. In my youthful naiveté I was almost certain I would be a musician first then a journalist second, which was why I chose to study Mass Communication at University. But as the saying goes “man proposes but God disposes’. In hindsight it makes perfect sense because since childhood I had a knack for expression either through music or dance, school plays and public speaking. I’m grateful that I was a rebel enough to pursue this career at a time when it wasn’t fashionable or deemed worthy to where we are today and that’s because I followed the opportunities as they presented themselves as long as it aligned with my sense of self and belief in God.

Was there some sort of resistance to your choice to pursue career in entertainment?

Oh yes, there was a lot of resistance from some of my close family and acquaintances in general who felt entertainment was not a sustainable career path. In hindsight I understand why they felt that way but I felt very strongly that it was my path and I would follow it come what may. It’s incredibly vindicating now that I’ve become a household name but at the time it was heartbreaking. It’s been a joy to witness the transformation where entertainment is now a viable career option and I’m grateful to have been a part of changing that perception positively.

What childhood flair still evokes the best of memories in you?

My sheer fearlessness at birthday parties and various gatherings! I always won dance competitions, led the teenage choir at church, organised dance-offs with my friends, etc. I was incredibly outgoing and not shy at all as a child.

How would you describe your acting career with regards to your body of works?

I feel like I’m still finding that out in a way. At this point I’ve been in about 150 films not to mention series, stage plays as well but the common thread is the sassiness, resilience, vulnerability and immense strength of the characters I’ve been blessed to have portrayed. I’m extremely grateful to have embodied such diverse worlds.

Talking about characters you have portrayed in films, there’s this notion that Dakore is elitist in roles. How do you view the characters you take, play?

First of all, I don’t dictate the roles I play. Most producers/directors have an idea of who a character is and which actor can most bring the story to life. If you want a certain mean-ness for instance, they know who to call, if you want a certain look or quality it’s totally at their discretion. I accept all my roles based purely on creative instinct. If I feel drawn to a certain story/character and the production values and schedules align I’m good to go and if not that’s at my discretion as well.

Has there been a time you ever thought of quitting or was asked to quit acting due to your marital status?

I almost did once. At a point, I grew disillusioned with the industry. It felt stagnant and I became restless because the work was not progressive (in my opinion). So, when I got married I decided to focus on nurturing my family which took me out of the spotlight for almost six years. When I’d had my children I started yearning to be back to my first love and so I slowly made my way back at God’s appointed time and it’s been awesome since then till now and beyond. I was never asked to quit due to marriage …that was society’s false expectation and I’m glad to say it failed woefully.

You hold this view that Nollywood does not need validation from Western countries but from “yourselves”. How so and what about Nollywood fascinates you at the moment?

To clarify, I truly believe that we didn’t need permission from the West to become the force that we have become now so why do we suddenly need their validation especially because we are not operating in the same system? Let’s compare apples to apples and leave all sentiments aside. We don’t have the same access in terms of resources, funding, co-production treaties, infrastructure etc., and yet we have been able to make a huge impact so I believe we should keep the focus on bettering our movies, and eventually at the right time the west will come to us. In the meantime, we can partner with them to find viable areas of collaboration via co-production treaties etc. and work with platforms that will level the playing field because there’s so much we can learn from each other. What continues to fascinate me about Nollywood is the fact that it employs so many talented, creative people – the conservative estimate is about 1.5 million thereby contributing greatly to our country’s GDP and employment figures.

What other career path would you have taken outside of entertainment?

I’d say Law, Psychology or Medicine.

Why Law, Psychology, or Medicine as an alternative career path you would have taken outside entertainment?

When I was younger I wanted to be a Doctor, precisely a pediatrician because I love children and hate to see them suffer. A psychologist, because I’m utterly fascinated with the way people think and how that influences their behavior. A lawyer, because I strive for justice, fairness and equity in everything I do.  So, I think I would have made a fine lawyer. Plus, I got to play a brilliant lawyer in Castle & Castle as Remi Castle (SAN). I thoroughly enjoyed playing her.

What would you say are your low and high moments in life?

Life itself is a series of highs and lows so I don’t have any outstanding ones I can think of, it’s a daily walk so I take each day as it comes with immense gratitude to God.

What lessons have marriage and motherhood taught you?

Marriage has taught me that patience is a virtue, to always lead with love and great communication goes a long way while motherhood has taught me pure, unconditional love. By the grace of God, we’ve been married for 14 years and together for 18 years with forever to go alongside our amazing daughters Zoia 13, and Zahra 10.

You seem to have remained consistent with your multiple brand ambassadorial deals, how has this worked out for you in this regard?

I’ve been very blessed and fortunate to work with various top brands throughout my career and I’m glad to say that every brand I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with has been consistent with my brand and values.

What would you attribute to as the might of your success?

The fear of God, my supportive family, the various producers and directors who believe in my talent, the brands that choose to align with me, and my super fans “The Dakorians” who support and validate my work.

 How much do you think you have had to work to earn respect, staying out of scandal and controversy?

I’m much honored to enjoy that respect. I worked very hard for it while respecting those who came before me such as Madam Taiwo Ajayi-Lycett, Aunty Joke Silva, The late great Onyeka Onwenu and so many other wonderful people. Personally, as a firstborn, my mom especially instilled in me the value of being a good example to my younger siblings while my Dad always reminded me of the family I come from and to never do anything that would tarnish the family’s name and reputation so with those values in place I made a conscious decision that I wanted to be a positive force and by the grace of God so it has been and will continue to be.

 The recent ‘side chick’ tag on you appeared to have ruffled you kind of that moment. Why did that happen?

 That issue has been thankfully put to rest so I’d rather not give it any more energy.

Can you share some thoughts on your style, and fashion as someone who is often in the spotlight?

I see fashion as yet another avenue for self-expression, identity, and how I view the world. My style is constantly evolving according to the occasion, my mood or the statement I want to make but whatever the outfit I always carry it with that touch of innate African elegance. I’ve always been partial to Nigerian and African designers in general and most times at great personal cost because I understand the impact of supporting our own on the one hand and the sheer ingenuity and creativity of us as a very style-conscious people on the other hand.