9jaNollywoodstars

Toyin Adegbola requires no introduction amongst the Yoruba home video audience.In fact,her involvement in interpreting reel roles predates the advent of home video, she started acting when stage plays and celluloid films were the vogue.Today,she ranks as one of the actresses that enjoy the most patronage in the Yoruba movie circuit.She is one of the very few actresses that command the type of popularity she commands amongst the multitude of movie enthusiasts across the South western states in Nigeria especially in the ancient city of Ibadan,Oyo State.She is popularly known as Toyin Asewo to re mecca,to which she says a derogatory title such as Asewo needs not bother her since she does not practice prostitution."If they address me as Ajoke Asewo To Re Mecca,that is somewhat better than to be called Toyin Asewo.She doesn't really fancy it, but I have learnt to take it as one of the hazards of my job. And really like it but the role in that film launched me into stardom.A recipient of the prestigious Afro-Hollywood Award as far back as 1998.

She may not have studied dramatic arts within the four walls of a university but not many trained practitioners would beat her to the art and in aptly depicting movie roles.Aside being a rounded actress,she is a songster and dances like a professional.She traces these pluses to the trainings she received when she started out in optical theatre.She is a strong woman having become a widow many years back, she has single-handedly had to fend for her three children who are all resident in England."When I lost my husband, I was so sad;I don't think I can ever forget that day," she declared."It was like the world had come to an end because it is like a taboo in Yoruba land for a young lady to lose her husband.Each time I remember those moments,I feel terribly bad.Though it has not been easy coping for her as a widow. She says it is not an easy task raising a family all alone and playing the role of a father and mother to her children.Besides,no matter how virtuous a woman is,the moment she loses her husband,people would insinuate all sorts.However,she consoles herself with the products of the marriage and the fact that God had been very faithful which is why she is reluctant to re-marry even though she is never in want of suitors.

Born in Offa,Kwara State,she is a younger sister to the fiery politician,Ebenezer Babatope;Toyin believes that acting must have been the calling destined for her because she started showing traces of an actress since her childhood days.She was fond of telling people she would act their mother or sister and sometimes,she would act their father or brother as per her fancy.She did not start living her dreams until later in life when she started working with the television service of Oyo State as a producer of a children's programme.A certain Mukaila Paddy noticed the innate acting talents in her and talked her into it.Even at that,the fact that she was a civil servant at the time posed a hurdle.The same man advised her to write a letter to her boss asking for permission to act, she did and the permission was given.Unknown to the same man,she had,as teenager taken part in the Oyo State Festival of Arts and Culture in 1976.The moment she got started,there was no stopping her. While on the location of the first production Ejongboro,another producer sighted her and enlisted her for another job, Kanakana.

She says "Time will tell if I will re-marry.I have grown-up kids and whatever I do, I have to take them into consideration.Again,I don't want to intrude into any marriage because it is clear I can't marry a bachelor even if I decide to re-marry,".She is currently involved in a controversy surrounding her supposedly lover.