Bolaji Ogunmola Addresses Attention Over Romantic Roles, Kissing Scenes

Nollywood actress Bolaji Ogunmola has addressed the attention surrounding her romantic roles and on-screen kissing scenes, urging audiences to distinguish between the characters she portrays and her life outside the screen.

Ogunmola, who has been at the centre of online conversations over her romantic scenes with fellow actor Daniel Etim-Effiong, maintained that such moments are part of her work as an actress and are performed professionally to serve the story being told.

The actress has previously faced reactions from social media users over intimate scenes with Etim-Effiong, with some viewers interpreting the chemistry between them as evidence of a relationship outside their professional work. Ogunmola has repeatedly dismissed such speculation, stressing that their interactions are strictly within the context of their roles.

According to the actress, actors are required to immerse themselves in the characters assigned to them, including romantic situations when they are necessary to the storyline.

She has also argued that audiences need to understand that what happens on screen is not necessarily a reflection of what exists between actors in real life.

“We only kiss in movies,” Ogunmola said while addressing speculation about her relationship with Etim-Effiong, adding that there was nothing between them outside their professional relationship.

The controversy surrounding the actress and her co-star has highlighted a recurring debate within Nollywood over romantic scenes, particularly when married actors are involved.

Ogunmola had earlier defended an intimate scene with Etim-Effiong, explaining that he was portraying a character and that promotional content was part of an actor’s contractual obligations. She argued that he was not appearing in the scene as a husband but as an actor playing a man deeply in love with his character’s partner.

The actress has also spoken more broadly about the place of intimate scenes in filmmaking, saying they can sometimes be necessary to communicate aspects of a character or move a story forward.

Beyond the conversation around romance on screen, Ogunmola has described her journey in Nollywood as one marked by persistence. She previously revealed that she was initially stereotyped because of her appearance and was at one point being pushed towards “side chick” roles before continuing to establish herself as an actress.

Her latest comments therefore reflect a broader appeal for audiences to appreciate acting as a profession and understand the distinction between fictional relationships created for the screen and the personal lives of the people portraying them.