Meet Sanmi Oguntunde | Actor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sanmi Oguntunde and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sanmi, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I believe art is power. A power that changes people’s minds, perspectives and beliefs on given topics. I felt it was my destiny to become an artist because my dream is to fill the world with laughter. My reason for this is because I believe that laughter is the best medicine. A medicine that cures pain, grief, sorrow, doubt, anxiety, anger and builds confidence. There is a way I feel when I laugh and I want to share that feeling with as many people as possible. To remind people that they can laugh during times of hardship is a blessing. I want to relieve the world of these feelings and emotions that hold us back from reaching our true potential. Laughter brings people together from all types of different cultures around the world. Because of this I decided to become an actor to be a vessel of laughter. I portray my versatility as an actor before revealing my strength in comedy. For people to see themselves in me and relate is enough motivation for me to keep going.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As a British-Nigerian actor, I spent a lot of time training and honing my craft in acting schools. I believe that it’s one thing to want something, but to do whatever it takes to get it is completely different. I took the time out to train at top drama schools in the UK, as well as collecting my bachelors degree and masters degree, both in acting, which gave me the full depth of understanding needed to tackle the industry. Like most actors I audition and self tape like crazy, but it doesn’t just stop there for me. I wrote, produced and acted in my own short film called ‘Peace in Patience’ about police brutality’s effect on men’s mental health. It is currently doing a festival run and has accumulated a number of awards already. It hasn’t been easy, but I’ve kept going in order to make further steps towards my dream. In times of hardship, I look back retrospectively on what I have come through and achieved so far. It serves as a reminder that it gets better.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There are so many attractions LA has to offer, but I would say for me, Universal CityWalk has to be the first place to visit. They have restaurants, a cinema, tourist shops and a theme park next door. Personally I go there a lot and would recommend heading there to enjoy your visit. Burbank Town Center is another place I like to go from time to time, as they have restaurants and shops and a nice ambiance. They have an arcade and bowling alley called Round 1 which is also cool. The Americana in Glendale is nice too, they have a Cheesecake Factory there. Santa Monica beach is nice on a sunny day. LA has so many attractions it would be hard to do it all in one week, but I will say if you are a film fanatic, going on a Warner Bros Studio Tour will give you the satisfaction you’re looking for.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My faith in God has kept me strong through times of hardship so I will always shoutout Him and forever be grateful for everything I have achieved so far in my life. My family have been very supportive with their faith in me pursuing acting too. But to be specific, my mother has been my guardian angel. She always believed in me, especially when nobody else would. Her faith in me, my talent, my career, my work ethic has been unwavering. She would always think positively when it came to my career. We would go to auditions together and she would wait for me for hours. Sometimes I would think that she wants it for me more than me. I love her for that. So I would give her my shoutout.

Website: https://www.sanmioguntunde.co.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sanmioguntunde/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanmi-oguntunde-58a91422b/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SanmiOguntunde

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sanmi.oguntunde.77/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sanmioguntunde7091/featured