Nollywood comic actor Yomi King, popularly known as Opebe, has opened up about one of the most painful lessons of his acting career and how a real beating from veteran actor Yinka Quadri on a movie set taught him to mind his business for life.
In a candid interview on the Behind The Fame Podcast, Opebe revealed that some of the physical beatings he received in his early days as an actor were not part of any script; they were real.
“Those sufferings were beyond acting; they were real beatings,” Opebe said in Yoruba, later translated into English. “That’s what they call acting, you have to do it well and real for people to believe it truly happened. Baba Suwe doesn’t mind. Anyone that knows him knows he will beat you directly. Ask the director.”
Recalling one particular experience that still sticks with him, Opebe shared how an on-set fight scene with Yinka Quadri turned unexpectedly brutal during the shooting of the Yoruba movie Eku Meji.
He explained that before the film, there had been a real-life disagreement between Baba Suwe and Yinka Quadri, and he had chosen to side with Baba Suwe, a decision that would soon come back to haunt him.
“They had a misunderstanding. I thought, if I don’t support Baba Suwe, who would I support? Is it a stranger? I supported Baba Suwe in fighting Yinka Quadri”, he said.
When shooting began at Meiran in Lagos, Opebe’s role required Yinka Quadri to beat him in a scene. But what was meant to be a performance quickly turned real.
“When it was time for that scene, Yinka slapped and beat me seriously. I began to shout, ‘Cut! This isn’t a movie anymore!’ I was angry”, Opebe recalled.
According to him, Yinka Quadri laughed afterward and told him the beating was a lesson:
“He said, ‘In your life, you won’t interfere in people’s fights again.’ And the person I supported, Baba Suwe, was laughing at me”, Opebe said with a chuckle.
That day, he said, changed his perspective on loyalty and involvement in other people’s issues.
“I told myself, if you abuse each other, it’s none of my business. Since that day, I know my boundaries.”
Opebe’s story offers a rare glimpse into the harsh realities behind the laughter in Nollywood’s comic productions, where professionalism, rivalry, and personal emotions sometimes blur on set.
Yet, it also reflects the humility and growth that come from tough experiences; a lesson that still resonates with him years later.
