“I started off thinking I’d be an intellectual property lawyer,” Zainab Balogun says. “I never planned this.”
Nearing almost two decades into a career that began almost by accident, Zainab Balogun has become one of the most enduring presences in Nollywood. Her roles, sharp, vulnerable, and emotionally resonant, often mirror moments in her personal life.
In this conversation with Nollywire, she retraces her journey through five career-defining moments and the seasons they marked.
Before her breakout in ‘The Wedding Party’, Balogun was in Calabar, working with EbonyLife TV as a presenter and producer. “We had zero experience,” she says of her early days developing The Spot alongside Lamide [Akintobi] and Ebuka [Obi-Uchendu]. “But we had a mood board, a vision—and no idea what it would become.”
The pressure was intense. They were the first faces of a new station. “We didn’t know what it was going to look like,” she says, “and we were taking a huge risk.” Years later, she still receives messages from fans who grew up with the show.
The Wedding Party (2016)
After moving back to Lagos, Balogun was invited to audition for ‘The Wedding Party’. She originally read for the bride—which was eventually played by Adesua Etomi-Wellington—but was asked to try something else. “Someone, I think it was Kemi [Adetiba] or Mo [Abudu], asked me to read for the wedding planner.”
That last-minute switch gave Nollywood one of its most memorable supporting characters: Wonu. “It just fit,” she says. “When I look back at it, that role was so defining. Wonu will never be forgotten.”
In a previous conversation, Zainab listed the role among her most essential—and for good reason. It was the first time many saw what she could do with a well-written part and a sharp presence.
God Calling (2018)
If ‘The Wedding Party’ brought visibility, ‘God Calling’ brought introspection. “That project caught me at a time when spiritually I was in a bit of a funk,” she says. “I wasn’t sure I wanted to do it, especially because it was faith-based.”
During her second audition, she found herself overwhelmed. “I was crying in the scene—but then I didn’t stop. I was still kneeling on the floor when I heard the director say, ‘Just give her a minute.’”
The same thing happened again during filming. “Every time I went home, my security guard must have thought something serious was going on at work because I always came back with mascara running.”
She didn’t expect the film to have the kind of impact it did. “People messaged me saying, ‘I’d lost my faith, and this reconnected me.’ That was the reward.”
On the Edge (2024)
By the time she shot ‘On the Edge’, Balogun was in the middle of treatment for endometriosis, a private battle she kept quiet while working. “I was extremely fatigued, losing my hair, reacting to medication,” she says. “But I had to show up.”
She credits the support of her director and producer for helping her push through. “That project taught me that I have an immense amount of strength,” she says. “And whenever I need to dig deep, I can.”
In 2023, she opened up about her diagnosis and became one of the few Nollywood actors to speak publicly about endometriosis. “I wanted other women to feel seen,” she said at the time. “To be encouraged to go and seek answers.”
Beads (2024)
‘Beads’ arrived at a crossroads. After more than 12 years in Nollywood, Zainab found herself asking, “What’s next?”
“As a creative—and an overachiever—you’re always thinking about the next challenge,” she says. “Do I stay here, or do I expand? Do I take the risk?”
She took the leap.
Though she doesn’t name the exact projects or countries, Zainab confirms she began dividing her time to pursue new terrain—while still nurturing the industry that shaped her. “I want to take what we’ve built and put it on the world stage. And I’m grateful that people still remember my name and still say, ‘Let’s give Zainab a call.’”
In an earlier conversation on her fearless goals, she made it clear: her ambition isn’t to leave Nollywood behind but to carry it with her wherever she goes.
Zainab Balogun, On Her Own Terms
From Calabar sets and late-night auditions to faith crises and health battles, Zainab Balogun has walked through fire and come out luminous. Her filmography isn’t just a list of roles—it’s a map of how far she’s come.
“I didn’t plan to be an actor,” she says again, softly. “But I kept saying yes. And each time, something extraordinary happened.”
