Nollywood actor Lanre Adediwura has opened up about his experience on the popular MultiChoice television series Wura, revealing that the project left him financially strained despite the visibility it brought to his career.
Speaking during an interview on TVC Entertainment, the actor explained why he declined an offer to return to the series, stating that the production did not benefit him financially and also prevented him from taking other acting opportunities.
According to Adediwura, he spent more money than he earned while working on the show and struggled financially for months after leaving the production.
“I came out of ‘Wura’, and I was spending more than I made. I came out poorer. For six months after ‘Wura’, I could have practically gone to a neighbour for Garri. It was YouTube that got me the stability,” he said.
The actor admitted that while the role gave him visibility and public recognition, some of the promises allegedly made during negotiations were not fulfilled.
“The role gave me everything I wanted, yes, maybe the production itself did not give me what I wanted because everything promised was not fulfilled. This is the first time anyone has heard this from me,” he added.
Adediwura also revealed that contractual restrictions tied to the project stopped him from accepting other film roles during the 11 months of filming. According to him, he was assured during negotiations that he would not need to worry about taking on other productions while working on the series.
“The role deprived me of other things I could have done. When I was negotiating, they told me I should not worry about going to other productions. Throughout the 11 months of shooting, I could not go out for any production,” he explained.
The actor cited House of Gaa as one of the opportunities he missed because of the restrictions. He disclosed that he worked on the Yoruba translation for the project but was unable to take up the role of Aláàfin Abiodun.
“The worst of them is ‘House of Gaa’. BAP reached out and I did the translation for House of Gaa from English to Yorùbá. I was supposed to play Aláàfin Abiodun,” he said.
Despite his frustrations, Adediwura noted that his comments would not lead to any legal dispute, adding that he contributed original ideas and elements to the show that are still being used.
The actor also credited YouTube productions for helping him recover financially after his time on Wura, stating that the platform eventually gave him the stability he lacked after leaving the series.