Femi Adebayo
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| Native name | Template:Nobold |
| Born | 31 December 1976 (age 49) Ilorin, Kwara State |
| Citizenship | Nigeria |
| Alma mater | Template:Plainlist |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1985–present |
| Spouse(s) | Omotayo Adebayo |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | Tope Adebayo Sodiq Adebayo |
Femi Adebayo (born 31 December 1976) is a Nigerian actor, filmmaker, director, and lawyer. He is known for his work in Yoruba-language cinema and for directing commercially successful films such as King of Thieves (2022), Jagun Jagun (2023), and Seven Doors (2024).
In 2024, he won the Africa Movie Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Jagun Jagun, also won the Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards' Best Lead Actor for his performance in Seven Doors in 2025.
He has appeared in more than 500 films and has been active in the Nigerian film industry since the 1990s.
Early life and education
Femi Adebayo was born on 31 December 1976 in Ilorin, Kwara State to Adebayo Salami and Alhaja Risikat Ejide.[1][2] He attended C&S College before transferring to Oke Ode Grammar School, where he served as Head Boy and completed his secondary education in 1994.[2] He earned a Bachelor of Laws degree (LL.B) from the University of Ilorin in 2002 and attended the Nigerian Law School, where he was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2003. He later completed a Master of Laws (LL.M) degree at the University of Ibadan in 2008.[2]
Career
Adebayo made his acting debut in the Yoruba-language film Owo Blow in the 1990s, which brought him early recognition. He subsequently became a prominent figure in Yoruba cinema, appearing in over 500 films, including Ile Alayo, Jelili, and Survival of Jelili.[2]
Beyond acting, Adebayo expanded into film production and directing. In 2008, he founded J15 Media Network and the J15 School of Performing Arts, which has trained hundreds of aspiring actors and filmmakers for the Nigerian film industry.[3]
In 2021, he established Euphoria360 Media, a production company responsible for several large-scale Yoruba-language productions, including King of Thieves (Agesinkole), Jagun Jagun, and Seven Doors.[3]
King of Thieves (Agesinkole), released in 2022, was produced by Adebayo through Euphoria360 Media in collaboration with Anthill Studios. The film became one of the highest-grossing Yoruba-language films in Nigerian cinema history, earning over ₦320 million at the box office.[3]
In 2023, Adebayo produced the Netflix Original epic Jagun Jagun, directed by Tope Adebayo and Adebayo Tijani. The film ranked among Netflix’s top ten non-English films globally and received multiple nominations across major Nigerian award platforms, including the Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards, Africa Movie Academy Awards, and Best of Nollywood Awards.[3]
His 2024 Netflix mini-series Seven Doors debuted at number one on Netflix Nigeria and remained in that position for several weeks. Adebayo’s performance earned him the Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards for Best Lead Actor.[3][4]
Adebayo’s films are frequently noted for their emphasis on Yoruba culture, language, costume, and mythology, combining traditional themes with contemporary cinematic techniques.[3][2]
From 2016 to 2019, Adebayo served as Special Adviser on Arts, Culture, and Tourism to the Governor of Kwara State. In this role, he worked on initiatives aimed at strengthening cultural tourism and promoting the creative economy in the state.[2]
Adebayo has signed endorsement deals with several brands, including Samsung, Trophy, Trumpy, VG Pensions, Kpearl, and Modara. He has also participated in advertising campaigns for Coca-Cola and Peak, and previously served as a brand ambassador for StarTimes.[2][3]
Personal life
Adebayo married Omotayo Adebayo on 9 October 2016. Adebayo and his wife have one son. He also has three children from an earlier marriage.[5]
Awards and honours
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Africa Movie Academy Awards | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Apaadi | Nominated | |
| 2015 | City People Entertainment Awards | Best Movie Producer Of The Year (Yoruba) | Won | ||
| 2017 | Best Actor Of The Year (Yoruba) | Won | |||
| Best of Nollywood Awards | Best Actor in a Lead role –Yoruba | Afaila Ojo | Won | [6] | |
| 2018 | Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards | Best Indigenous Movie (Yoruba) | Etiko Onigedu | Won | [7] |
| Best of Nollywood Awards | Best Actor in a Lead role –Yoruba | Won | [8] | ||
| 2019 | Best Kiss in a Movie | Diamond in the Sky | Nominated | [9] | |
| Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Yoruba) | The Return of Kesari | Nominated | |||
| 2020 | Lucifer | Won | [10] | ||
| 2022 | Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards | Best Actor in A Comedy | Progressive Tailors Club | Nominated | [11] |
| 2023 | Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards | Best Actor In A Drama, Movie Or TV Series | King of Thieves | Nominated | [12][13] |
| Best Overall Movie | Nominated | ||||
| Africa International Film Festival | Globe Award Honoree | Jagun Jagun | Won | ||
| 2024 | 2024 Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards | Best Indigenous Language Movie- West Africa | Jagun Jagun | Won | |
| Africa Movie Academy Awards | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Won | |||
| Abuja International Film Festival | Outstanding Male Actor | Won | |||
| 2025 | Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards | Best Lead Actor | Seven Doors | Won | [14] |
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Labake Olododo | |
| 2024 | Lisabi: The Uprising | Olu Olodan |
| Seven Doors | king Adedunjoye | |
| Beast of Two Worlds | Ade Apa Igala | |
| Queen Lateefah | ||
| Lakatabu | Muyiwa | |
| Crossroads | Egunkemi | |
| House of Ga'a | Olukuoye | |
| 2023 | Ijogbon | Head of Amoteku |
| Mikolo | Babablu | |
| Jagun Jagun | Ogundiji | |
| World Famous | Pastor | |
| Diety | Komokomo | |
| 2022 | Maleeka | Kunle |
| King of Thieves | Adeshikoye/Adeoye | |
| 2021 | cordelia | Rasaki |
| Ile Alayo | ||
| Ete | Deji | |
| Love Castle | Chief Balogun | |
| Progressive Tailors Club | Agbabiaka | |
| The Cokers | Doctor | |
| Charge and Bail | Whole Adetutu | |
| Charlie Charlie | ||
| 2020 | The Miracle Centre | |
| Special Jollof | ||
| Unroyal | Royal Suitor | |
| Mama Drama | Dotun | |
| 2019 | Jumbled | Yinka |
| Survival of Jelili | Jelili | |
| Diamonds in the Sky | Kayode | |
| Mokalik | Mr. Ogidan | |
| 2018 | The Island | kola |
| The Ghost and the Tout | Dayo | |
| Heaven on My Mind | Soji | |
| 2017 | Sola Arikusa | |
| 2014 | October 1 | Banji |
| 2013 | Ayitale | Aderopo |
| 2011 | Jelili | Jelili |
| 2009 | Apaadi | |
| 1996 | Owo Blow | Wole Owolabi |
References
- ↑ Fasan, YewandeFemi Adebayo celebrates mother's birthday with heartfelt tribute. The Nation. 13 January 2025. Retrieved 13 December 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedOlaope - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Femi Adebayo is reinventing Nollywood one epic at a time. The Guardian. Retrieved 12 December 2025
- ↑ Ogunseyin, OluyemiSeven Doors wins big at 2025 AMVCA, secures three major awards. The Guardian. 10 May 2025. Retrieved 12 December 2025
- ↑ Actor and wife are not separated according to this video. 4 November 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2022
- ↑ BON Awards 2017: Kannywood's Ali Nuhu receives Special Recognition Award. Daily Trust. 23 November 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2021
- ↑ AMVCA 2018: Full list of winners. The Punch. 2 September 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2021
- ↑ Augoye, JayneBON Awards 2018: Tope Oshin, Tana Adelana win big. Premium Times. 10 December 2018. Retrieved 9 October 2021
- ↑ Bada, GbengaBON Awards 2019: 'Gold Statue', Gabriel Afolayan win big at 11th edition. Pulse Nigeria. 15 December 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2021
- ↑ Augoye, JayneBON Awards: Laura Fidel, Kunle Remi win Best Kiss (Full List of Winners). Premium Times. 7 December 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2021
- ↑ 2022 Africa Magic Awards Nominees don land- See who dey list. Retrieved 26 March 2022
- ↑ Full List: Here are all our AMVCA 9 Nominees. AMVCA - Full List: Here are all our AMVCA 9 Nominees. Retrieved 2023-04-23[dead link]
- ↑ Peaceman, PandoraAMCVA 2023: Femi Adebayo Bags 8 Nominations On 'King Of Thieves'. New Telegraph. 2023-04-17. Retrieved 2023-06-05
- ↑ Oyediran, TosinFULL LIST: Femi Adebayo's Seven Doors scores big at #AMVCA11, wins best lead actor, actress. The Punch. 11 May 2025. Retrieved 2 June 2025
- Pages with reference errors
- 1978 births
- Living people
- Yoruba male actors
- Nigerian male film actors
- Male actors from Lagos
- Male actors in Yoruba cinema
- University of Ilorin alumni
- 20th-century Nigerian male actors
- 21st-century Nigerian male actors
- University of Ibadan alumni
- Nigerian film directors
- Actors from Kwara State
- Nigerian film producers
- Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards winners