Son of veteran actor, Adebayo Salami, Femi Adebayo is a politician (former Special Adviser to the Former Governor Of Kwara State in South West Nigeria On Arts, Culture and Tourism), a movie producer, director, lawyer, an entrepreneur, and a Nollywood actor. He is particularly influential in the Yoruba sector of Nollywood. Popularly referred to as Jelili Oniso for his lead role in the Yoruba comedy movie Jelili, the award-winning actor is a fan favorite, and also possesses a versatile and relatable talent.
Profile Summary Of Femi Adebayo
- Full Name: Olufemi Lawal Adebayo Salami
- Date of birth: 51
- Place of birth: Lagos Nigeria
- State of Origin: Kwara State Nigeria
- Marital Status: Married
- Spouse: Omotayo Adebayo
- Religious Affiliation: Islam
- Occupation: Actor, Property Lawyer, Movie Producer and Director, Politician and Entrepreneur
- Awards: Best Yoruba actor of the Year – Best of Nollywood Awards (BON), 2012, Best Movie Producer of the Year (Yoruba) – City People Entertainment Awards, 2015, Best Yoruba actor of the Year – African Film Awards (Afro Hollywood Awards), 2016,Best Actor of the Year (Yoruba) – City People Movie Awards, 2017
- Nationality: Nigerian
- Ethnicity: Yoruba
Where Is Femi Adebayo From?
Femi Adebayo was born into the Yoruba family of Alhaji Adebayo Salami (father) and Alhaja Ejide Salami (mother) on the 31st of December 1972. The actor is a native of Kwara State of Nigeria where he currently holds a political position but was born in Ebutte-Meta in Lagos State, Nigeria.
For his primary education, Femi attended Jender Age Primary School and C&S Oke-Ode Grammar School for his secondary education in Ebutte Metta where he obtained his first school leaving certificate and also his West African Examination Council Senior School certificates respectively. He then proceeded to study law at the University of Ilorin Kwara State, bagging an LL.B ( Bachelor of Law) before proceeding to the University of Ibadan for his Master’s degree in Law. He was called go bar in the year 2003 and appointed as a Special Adviser in the year 2016, an office he kept until it was dissolved in 2018.
Currently, the award-winning actor is pursuing his doctorate degree in law at the University of Ilorin in Kwara state as he continues his acting career.
He Practiced Law For 2 Years Before Focusing On Acting
Before becoming a full-time actor, he practiced as a lawyer after his graduation from law school. For two years, Femi was in the legal profession but eventually succumbed to his passion and background influence in the entertainment industry. This move has seen him witness sporadic growth, bagging numerous awards and becoming an A-list actor.
Femi Adebayo’s childhood was characterized by Nollywood influence and his pioneer experience in the world of acting was shaped by his father; Adebayo Salami. Popularly known as Oga Bello, Femi’s father was part of a theater and acting group in the 1960s in Lagos. The actor grew up watching his father on television, accompanying him to movie locations and set rehearsals. By the age of 13, in 1985, Femi had his debut film role in his father’s first movie production; Ogun Ajaye.
Apart from being an A-list actor, a politician, an entrepreneur, and a lawyer, Femi Adebayo is also a father and a husband.
As an actor, he has bagged awards, featuring in several Nollywood movies. In 2018, Etiko Onigedu, a Yoruba movie he produced, won the Best Indigenous Movie Award at the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA). He also owns a school for actors, J-15 Media Network School of Performing Arts located in Ibadan, Nigeria, which he established in 2008.
His movie, Survival Of Jelili is available on Netflix.
Some Of The Movies He Has Featured In
- Apaadi (2009)
- Jelili (2011)
- Ayitale (2013)
- October 1 (2014)
- Shola Arikusa (2017)
- Heaven on My Mind (2018)
- Mokalik (2019)
A Look At The Large Family Femi Adebayo Grew Up In
Femi Adebayo comes from a large family, he is reported to have 17 siblings in total, His brothers are; Hammed Adebayo, Akeem Adebayo, Kunle Adebayo, Layiwola Adebayo, Ridwan Adebayo, Sadiq Adebayo, Tope Adebayo, and Wale Adebayo. He has nine sisters, namely; Tobi, Titi, Olushola Kikelomo, Omolara Agboola, Olamide Adebayo Amina, Bukola Suliat Ibrahim, Ifeoluwa Arike, Medinat Olajogun, and Olaide. Femi is the second son of his parents.
All his siblings are successful in their chosen fields.
Wale Adebayo
His older brother and the first son of the family owns a cleaning and landscaping company in Abuja after he relocated to Nigeria from the United States.
Sadiq Adebayo
Sadiq is his younger brother who is also in the entertainment industry. Although Sadiq appears on the screen from time to time, he is a full-time location manager with his own entertainment company in Lagos State.
Tope Adebayo
He is also Femi Adebayo’s younger brother and a movie director who is rising as an actor in Lagos State.
Ridwan Adebayo
He is a talented young video editor who is gaining recognition in the video editing segment of the entertainment industry.
Akeem Adebayo
Adebayo’s brother, Akeem is a successful fashion and cloth designer based in Illorin Kwara State.
Layiwola Adebayo
Owns a thriving boutique in Lagos State.
Hammed Adebayo
Works as a school coordinator at a private school in Ogun state.
Kunle Adebayo
The youngest of the sons is an undergraduate at the University of Ilorin.
Tobi Adebayo
Tobi is the first daughter of the family. She recently had a postgraduate convocation at a Uk University.
Not much is known about about the rest of his sisters; Titi Adebayo, Olushola Adebayo, Bukola Adebayo, Olamide Adebayo, Omolara Adebayo, Ifeaoluwa Adebayo, Medinat Adebayo and Olaide Adebayo. Olaide is the youngest and most of his sisters are married.
Femi is the most famous of all his siblings, however, Tope is also well known in the Yoruba Nollywood sector. His father, Adebayo Salami is also a heavyweight in the Yoruba Nollywood Industry.
Femi Adebayo’s Career Reportedly Cost Him His First Marriage
Femi Adebayo met Khadijat when she was an undergraduate student of Computer Science in 1998 and he was studying Law at the time. Six years later, in 2004, they got married and the union produced three kids together – Fadlulrahman Adebayo, Olaoutun Adebayo, and Firdaus Adebayo. However, the marriage didn’t last because four years along, in 2008, Adebayo and Khadijat parted ways. It is alleged that the couple got divorced because Khadijat could no longer handle his romantic roles in movies. They divorced on the grounds of “irreconcilable differences”.
It was also rumored that Femi had an affair with a colleague in the industry, Funke Akindele. However, Femi refuted the allegation, revealing that his marriage to Khadijat broke down because she didn’t want anything to do with his career and was not supportive.
Khadijat who is now Mrs Khadijat Balogun has since remarried.
He Re-married Eight Years After His First Marriage Collapsed
Although his official divorce from Khadijat was sealed at an Ilorin court in 2011, the duo was separated officially in 2008; and on the 9th of October 2016, Femi Adebayo re-married. He tied the knot with Omotayo Maimunat Sanusi who was reportedly based in the United States. Their wedding took place at a lavish but private ceremony in Lagos State. Before becoming Femi’s wife, Omotayo was an air hostess but she currently runs a restaurant and cafe shop ‘Iyan Aladuke’ in Yaba, Lagos state.
The couple is reportedly very happy and there is no trouble in paradise rumors coming from them. Omotayo who is very fashionable supports her husband in his career and there are lovely photos of the couple all over the internet.
A look at their Instagram accounts shows that they do complement each other and support their various careers. Femi publicizes his wife’s restaurant, and his wife shares details about his movies and tours on her own Instagram.
In one of Omotayo’s posts, she thanked him for being more than he promised to be, while on another post during their anniversary, Femi thanked her for choosing him and being with him.
Femi Adebayo Is Now A Father Of Four
21st December 2018, Femi Adebayo and his new wife Omotayo Sanusi welcomed a baby boy (Fadhil Aridunnu Olatunde Adebayo) in Houston, Texas and the naming ceremony took place in January 2019 in the same place. The couple share just one child between them for now; however the birth of Fadhil made Femi a father of four.
In addition to maintaining his new marriage and taking care of all his children, the award-winning actor has managed to seamlessly blend his career and family life to be more productive.