Fans of the Starz comedy Run The World know Tosin Morohunfola as Ola, a Nigerian-American physician who is engaged to the character Whitney played by Amber Stevens West.
Morohunfola said Ola will be picking up the pieces of his fiancé’s betrayal, which ultimately ended their engagement during the last season of Run The World. Morohunfola also admitted Ola isn’t too different from himself as he shares the character’s Nigerian-American heritage.
“I kind of embrace where I already am, and then it’s the question of let me just add on this one layer, this one important layer of being ready to start a family and then having that possibility ripped away from them,” Morohunfola said about tapping into Ola’s character.
“And the truth of it is a lot of that is just kind of imagining how I would react if I was in that circumstance. Like what that heartbreak looks like. We’ve all experienced heartbreak in one version or another and we’ve all felt a little bit of betrayal too. So I just tap into those feelings of what that was like and then I can recreate it,” he added.
There has been sort of a cultural explosion with Nigerian heritage being highlighted in Hollywood. Actors with Nigerian heritage such as John Boyega, David Oyelewo, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Gbenga Akinnagbe have been getting prominent roles in mainstream films and television shows. Stories about the Nigerian family dynamic are being told like in the Prime Video series Riches. Even Nigerian music has been gaining global popularity more than in the past.
In pointing out how much Nigerian-American values and experiences differ from and connect with the Black-American experience as a whole, Tosin stated, “There’s a lot of things that are unique to having a traditional Nigerian family, and the ways that we view culture and what’s important, family and how vital family and faith is and how that perspective and experience aligns with the Black American experience but also some of it is heightened and different,” Morohunfola said.
“I feel like we’re seeing a side of the Nigerian-American experience that we haven’t had a chance to have showcased front and center like this before,” he added about what getting to play a Nigerian character helps bring to the table.
Tosin’s beginnings as an actor started in church. He shared that as a child he acted in church musicals. ”I’m very fortunate to have parents who are very traditional Nigerians and they initially were definitely hoping that me and my brothers would all be like doctors and lawyers. But even while they encouraged that, they were always supportive of my acting. I was never guilted out of pursuing theater or making that my career so I’m grateful for that,” Tosin shared.
Aside from Run The World, Tosin has starred in Love Is_, The Chi, Chicago MD, and a number of other film and television projects some of which have been independently produced. One such indie project that Tosin has worked on is the feature film that he produced called The Pulpit.
The film explores the potential consequences of Christian nationalism and the efforts that can be taken to make religious practice more loving and welcoming and less prejudicial.
“I started making my own short film, as a way to kind of tell my story and express my perspective and views on the world, and that is honestly some of the most fulfilling stuff I do. When you’re collaborating with people from your community, and I mean, my community, both the Nigerian community and the Midwestern Kansas community, you get to tell stories that are really personal and really important, and they make you a better artist. They really clarify your point of view and point of view is everything, especially if you’re the director, you have to have a point of view on the story you’re telling. But even as an actor, it only heightens my ability to tell what matters and I owe that to the independent film,” Morohunfola said.
“I think the independent film market, right now, is a little bit harder than ever to finance because fewer movies go from unknown to super successful because the market is so saturated. So you really have to have an original idea and you really have to have people who believe in the idea and believe in you as the storyteller, regardless of whether or not they make millions and millions of dollars. Financing is probably the hardest obstacle, but the beauty of The Pulpit is we really do feel like we’ve built a coalition. There are more and more people who are jumping on board who are passionate about this topic and want to address violence, gun violence that has been entering churches, and why that is happening. What kinds of churches have done that and why our sanctuary spaces aren’t as safe as they used to be? And how we can be better from both inside and outside of these institutions in how we help and [serve] each other,” Morohunfola said about getting his indie project The Pulpit produced and the challenges that come with it.
While The Pulpit is a serious dramatic work, Morohunfola shared that he wants to produce a comedy centered on the Nigerian diaspora.
Make sure to watch Tosin in the upcoming season of Run The World streaming on Starz.
Photo Credit: Beast Williams
