Bryan Okoye, the multilingual Nollywood actor who plays Osaze in Bimbo Ademoye’s My 30th Wedding, has found himself at the center of social media conversations about the film.
Reflecting on the role, Okoye said the character gave him an opportunity to explore a different side of his acting range.
My 30th Wedding marks his third collaboration with Ademoye through her Bimbo Ademoye TV platform, following Where Love Lies and Sibe, in which he played villains.
When Ademoye approached him about the new film, Okoye said she wanted him to play a different kind of character even before the script was ready. The prospect excited him because it offered audiences who knew his previous work through the channel an opportunity to see him in a new light.
“I’ve always been very intentional about versatility as an actor. I don’t want to become so associated with a particular kind of character that people begin to assume that’s all I can portray. So, the opportunity to step away from the darker, more antagonistic characters I’d previously played for her and explore someone like Osaze was something I genuinely looked forward to,” he told The Nollywood Reporter.
Finding Osaze’s Charm
Okoye describes Osaze as a sweet, gentle, and charming man who knows what he wants.
“And what he wants is Elamosi.”
He particularly enjoyed the character’s ability to charm Elamosi without appearing to try too hard.
“He has a natural sense of humor, and there’s something rather endearing about the way he expresses himself and interacts with her.”
During character development, Okoye was careful not to approach Osaze as a comic character. Instead, he wanted to portray a real person with genuine feelings, clear intentions, and a naturally humorous disposition.
For the actor, there is a distinction between someone deliberately trying to be funny and someone whose personality, sincerity, and reactions naturally create humorous moments. He wanted Osaze’s humor to emerge from the character rather than from an obvious attempt to entertain the audience.
“That required a certain understanding of timing, restraint, and emotional truth. Sometimes, the humor is in a pause, an innocent reaction, a particular expression, or the complete seriousness with which he says something the audience finds hilarious.”
Okoye also enjoyed the way Osaze moves between standard English and Nigerian Pidgin, a linguistic flexibility he believes adds another dimension to the character.
Beyond the performance itself, the actor said the audience response has been particularly rewarding.
“The quotes, memes, conversations, AI weddings, and viral moments have been quite incredible to witness. And I’m particularly happy that audiences have embraced this softer, more romantic side of my versatility, especially after seeing me portray characters they absolutely loved to hate.”
He credited Ademoye for recognizing his range and giving him the opportunity to explore Osaze, adding that he values working with a filmmaker who looks beyond an actor’s previous roles to consider what else they can do.
Balancing Humor and Sincerity
For Okoye, the biggest challenge was finding the right balance between sincerity and humor without reducing Osaze to a source of entertainment.
He wanted audiences to believe that Osaze was a man genuinely interested in a woman, with the humor emerging naturally from his personality.
The role required softness, warmth, and vulnerability without compromising the character’s confidence.
Okoye said acting’s most demanding performances are not always the loudest or most emotionally explosive. Sometimes, the greatest challenge lies in subtlety, where small expressions, pauses, and restrained reactions must communicate what a character feels.
The Roles He Still Wants to Play
“There are quite a number of roles I’d still love to explore,” Okoye said.
His curiosity about human behavior continues to fuel his passion for acting. He is drawn to people’s complexities, contradictions and the circumstances that shape who they become.
One role he hopes to take on is that of a legendary figure whose life and legacy have left a lasting mark on society. He is particularly interested in the responsibility involved in portraying someone who existed, especially a person whose memory remains cherished by millions.
Such a performance, he explained, requires more than interpreting a character written for the screen. It involves portraying someone audiences may already know and feel deeply connected to.
“And as an actor who enjoys transformation, the prospect of studying someone’s mannerisms, speech patterns, physicality, psychology, and worldview and bringing all of that together into a believable portrayal is incredibly exciting to me,” he said.
Beyond biographical roles, Okoye hopes to take on a physically demanding action role that would require intensive training, combat choreography, and a different level of physical transformation.
Ultimately, he said, he wants to keep challenging himself and exploring characters that push him beyond familiar territory.
