Nollywood actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele has opened up about her early career struggles, naming veteran actress Kate Henshaw as the person who helped her overcome fear on her first movie set. In an interview with Bella Naija, Akindele recounted her debut in front of a camera on the set of the movie Naked Wire, produced by Opa Williams.
How Kate Henshaw Calmed Funke Akindele's Nerves
According to Akindele, she was extremely nervous during her first scene, which involved telling Henshaw that actor Yibo Koko was in love with her. 'I was so jittery, I was scared. In the scene, Yibo Koko told me to tell Kate Henshaw he is in love with her and I was shaking and shaking,' Akindele said. 'Kate just called me and said, “What's your name?” And I said, “Funke ma.” And she said, “Calm down, you can do it.” And I did it. It was beautiful, and here I am today.'
This moment of encouragement from Henshaw left a lasting impact on Akindele, who now credits that simple act of kindness for helping her launch a successful career that has seen her become one of Nollywood's most bankable stars.
Funke Akindele Names Her Celebrity Crush
In the same interview, Akindele revealed her celebrity crush: American singer, songwriter, and record producer Robin Alan Thicke. She sweetly sang a line from his 2006 hit song 'Lost Without U' and described him as handsome, adding, 'He is old now.'
Clarifying the Billion-Naira Box Office Misconception
Akindele, who has achieved the unprecedented milestone of grossing over ₦1 billion at the box office with three consecutive hit movies—Behind the Scenes (₦2.41 billion), A Tribe Called Judah (₦1.41 billion), and Everybody Loves Jenifa (₦1.88 billion)—addressed a common misconception about her earnings. 'First time making 1 billion: That 1 billion is for the paper; they didn't give me the one billion because cinema took their own, everyone took their own, so I went home with some money,' she explained. 'But billion, it was fun, it was good. I was happy and I am so grateful to God.'
She also shared that her first meal of the day is electrolytes with water and jokingly mentioned her other professions aside from acting and filmmaking.
Public Reactions to Funke Akindele's Interview
Fans and colleagues reacted to the interview on social media. Ifeoma Sandra commented, 'Just one word can encourage someone. Let's be kind to one another. Don't look down on anybody. Don't talk down on anybody. Be kind with your words. I'm sure Kate didn't know what that word of encouragement meant to Funke at that point. If she had said one discouraging word to her back then, see wetin we for miss. I for not dey enjoy Jenifa diary wey dey give me joy now. God bless you Kate.'
Oma Jecinta said, 'Reasons why one of my things to do before I leave this earth is “meet Aunty Kate.”' Rani Diamond Augustine shared a personal story: 'I just remembered one of the lecturers supervising post ume back then, she came to where I was sitting and told me, fine girl you will pass and I made it.' Ibelema Jumbo added, 'That means I'd been mistaking you for the main actress in the teenage film, “I Need to Know.” I first saw the film on TV in the 1990s. Please, I'm interested in Kate's reply to Yibo's message. Very important.'
Funke Akindele Teases Vee Iye
In a separate incident, Legit.ng reported that Funke Akindele playfully berated BBNaija star Vee Iye over her dressing during a casual home visit on June 2, 2026. A viral video showed Akindele referring to the reality television star as a 'junior olosho' because of her revealing black spaghetti-strap top.
