From Date Gone Bad to Ordinary People: Adunni Ade on How Far She’s Come | BN Meet The Star

When Adunni Ade’s character walked into the restaurant in a fitted green gown, flawless makeup and a crisp American accent, her blind date (played by Joseph Jaiyeoba) clearly thought he had hit the jackpot. What followed in her iconic 2014 viral skit, Date Gone Bad, was a masterclass in letting a man impress himself: her date putting on airs of corporate grandeur, complete with fake phone calls from a supposedly frantic “personal assistant”, while she played along with soft-spoken, foreign-accented charm.

Little did he know that beneath the refined persona sat a full-fledged Yoruba woman ready to channel pure, no-nonsense Isale Eko spirit. As he bragged on the phone in Yoruba about his plans to take complete advantage of her, assuming the “American girl on a vacation in Lagos” couldn’t understand a syllable, Adunni calmly let him dig his own grave. Then, without missing a beat, she delivered a scorching reality check that left him utterly unravelled.

Adunni Ade reflects on effortlessly bridging the gap between mainstream English blockbusters and Yoruba cinema without losing her identity. Photo Credit: Adunni Ade/Instagram

It was a skit that would introduce her to Nollywood, where audiences would be introduced to many different layers embedded in the actress who has proved that she is here and she is to stay. Over a decade later, Adunni has evolved from that viral breakout moment into one of the most versatile figures in African cinema. From executive producing box-office hits like Soólè to commanding roles in Ijogbon, Tòkunbò, and…