BY: Ayomide Arowobusoye
The Nigerian film industry, Nollywood as suffered another loss, as veteran actress, Foluke Aremu, professionally known as Orisabunmi, passed away today.
Reports of her death, confirmed by some of her fellow actors, made rounds on social media today.
Aremu has been well known since the 80s for her roles as a “Iya Orisa”, a priestess, in movies.
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Here are some of the things you didn’t know about the late actress.
- Orisabunmi was born on October 10, 1960, in Ilu Ola, Kwara state and died at the age of 60.
- She attended Ilu Ola Primary School and Secondary Commercial College but never went to the university.
- The beautiful and ageless actress was a teacher before her ex-husband, Chief Jimoh Aliu, better known as Aworo, discovered her in Ilorin in the 80s.
- Orisabunmi merely tried a role in a movie he was producing when he saw her talent and decided to officially add her to the play. He trained her and she began appearing in movies produced by Aworo.
- Aworo showed interest in her and they soon became a couple. The celebrities got married six years after she began her acting career.
- Orisabunmi’s death comes four months after that of her ex-husband.
- She and Baba Jimoh Aliu, however, had been separated for about 22 years. Speaking with the Sun in 2014, Aliu claimed she had eloped with another man.
- There were also rumours that she was dating King Sunny Ade, Legendary juju singer back in 2013.
- The talented actress had been a part of the industry for more than four decades years before retiring in 2013.
- The character, ‘Orisabunmi’ in “Arelu” that made her a household name in Nollywood in the 80s. Although, she first appeared in a stage play called ‘Ori Ma Binu’, her appearance in movies like “Agbaarin” and soap opera, “Yanponyanrin” further cemented her place as in the Yoruba film industry. She is most known for her roles as a priestess in movies. For instance, ‘Asabi’ in “Oluwerimagboojo”, a good witch in “Ayanmo Eda”, and ‘Eyegbemi’, in “Iya Alakara”. Some of the movies she produced are “Atupa Imole”, “Ase Ilu”, and “Tani O”.