It鈥檚 hard to stand out and steal scenes playing opposite actresses like Adesua Etomi-Wellington and Bisola Aiyeola, but that鈥檚 precisely what Bimbo Ademoye did as the third sugar sister in Kayode Kasum鈥檚 2019 comedic thriller, Sugar Rush.
Coming into 2020 as the film鈥檚 breakout star and the face of countless memes, Bimbo Ademoye has become an unstoppable force, transitioning from underrated YouTube and Iroko TV actress in films like, The Diary of a Crazy Nigerian Woman and One Long Day to a Netflix queen in Kunle Afolayan鈥檚 础苍铆办煤濒谩辫贸.
My introduction to Bimbo Ademoye came with 2017鈥檚 Back Up Wife with Seun Akindele. Her role reminded me of Funke Akindele鈥檚 star-making turn in the original Jenifa from 2008. While it was funny, I was also scared of these roles 鈥 the razz village girl who unintentionally makes herself the butt of every joke 鈥 as we鈥檇 seen it become a trope Funke Akindele still struggles to escape from years after Jenifa.
With new Nollywood constantly relying on comedic elements, whether they鈥檙e necessary or not, I鈥檓 not surprised Bimbo has successfully caught our attention. She was the funniest sister in Sugar Rush, the funny friend in Nneka the Pretty Serpent, and we can鈥檛 forget Ayinla from the legendary Tunde Kelani.
However, while other performers grasp onto these funny elements like their lives depend on it, Bimbo seamlessly skates through like it鈥檚 nothing. Her jokes are timely, and her presence is so consuming that, half of the time, I worry for her back because it can鈥檛 be easy carrying an entire production from start to finish.
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Comedy can often make characters one-dimensional, but Bimbo seems to have hacked the tropes she鈥檚 been given to present characters that feel real. Yes, her character is presented as a joke in films like Selina and Breaded Life. Still, instead of just laughing at them, you end up understanding their motivations and the fact that these could be real human beings, even though they鈥檙e exaggerated and fictional.
After making Citation 鈥 a film which failed to make the post sex for grades statement it was aiming for, and Swallow 鈥 popular only for it鈥檚 wigs, production design and Ijeoma Grace Agu鈥檚 revelatory performance, Kunle Afolayan finally redeemed himself in my eyes with his latest Netflix project, 础苍铆办煤濒谩辫贸.
The Yoruba epic was released in September 2022, and quickly became one of the most talked about Nollywood films of the year. 础苍铆办煤濒谩辫贸 also served as another reminder that men will disgrace you, even in the 1900s.
Stealing the show once again as the seductive turned vengeful, Arolake, Bimbo eats into her role with a certain level of depth and nuance that, in my opinion, the script didn鈥檛 really deserve. You want her in the beginning of the film, pity her by the second act, and by the time the credits roll, she makes you understand that it pays to be wicked, sometimes sha.
If there鈥檚 one thing 础苍铆办煤濒谩辫贸 showed, it鈥檚 Bimbo doesn鈥檛 have to be funny to keep you locked in by her performance. Another film that hinted at this side of her was Daniel Ademinokan鈥檚 2018 redemption drama, Gone. That was the first time I thought, 鈥淥mo, this babe is going to go all the way.鈥
It also doesn鈥檛 hurt that Bimbo actually has a personality off-screen. Her sense of humour and ability to turn what could鈥檝e been boring sponsored ads into hilarious original skits has made her a social media darling with over two million followers. If you haven鈥檛 already, you really need to get into her instagram character, .
With the and Amazon Prime鈥檚 Gangs of Lagos coming soon, it鈥檚 safe to say Bimbo has made that transition from underrated to Nollywood it-girl status. I know we love it when our faves are underrated, but the truth is, Bimbo has become everyone鈥檚 fave, and honestly, that鈥檚 fine. It means we had taste from the start.
As Nollywood continues to push itself with productions like Brotherhood and For Maria: Ebun Pataki, I鈥檓 super excited to see more of Bimbo Ademoye, and yes, as this said, we鈥檙e still rooting for a Bimbo and Uzor Arukwe romcom.
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