Victor Olaotan, the Nollywood thespian who played the enigmatic Fred Ade-Williams in the pioneering seasons of the longest-running TV drama series Tinsel died on Thursday, August 26. The actor who was involved in a ghastly accident while driving to a movie set around Apple Junction, in Festac in 2016 never regained himself. From being in a coma to transfer to a Turkish hospital where he received medical attention.
“He has tried. It is not easy to be trapped in your own body for five years. He can finally rest now,” his wife, Julia told Premium Times.
A thorough Lagos bred, Olaotan initially trained as a director but became an actor. He landed his first role in 1969 by featuring in a play by Laolu Ogunniyi titled ‘Candle in the Wind’ after going through some training in the theatre arts department of the University of Ibadan. In a 2013 interview with THISDAY, he disclosed that the play made him a kind of star in the western region as he played the lead role.
Sojourning in the United States for more than 20 years, Olaotan came back home in 2002 to continue his acting career when his mission to be in Hollywood was not successful.
Notwithstanding, the veteran actor enviably performed in Broadway shows in Lancaster and was among the crew of stage actors in the popular South African play, ‘Sizwe Banzi Is Dead’ which was produced by Jathol Fugard, Winston Ntshona, and John Kani in Canada.
Raised by a fashionista mother, he was also a model.
“My mum was a fashionista and she made sure her children looked good. Particularly me. My favourite wear was skinny jeans. This became an emblem for me that whenever I’m on stage, you would hear my friends hailing me ‘iji’,” he said in that interview.
While acting was his most renowned art, the late actor was also talented in singing. It was not uncommon to see him grabbing the mic and belting out popular folk songs in some classy bars in Lagos.
“I’m a Lagos boy and we have some kind of old songs we love to sing. There is this song that Lafiaji is the owner of the land. I love singing these songs when I’m at a bar or other functions.”
Femi Odugbemi, the founding producer of Tinsel who worked with the actor described him as a hugely talented thespian.
Efforts to get Olaotan back on his feet were met with one financial challenge or the other. In 2018, the actor openly sought financial aid from Nigerians.
Nigerian billionaire and philanthropist Femi Otedola who has always come to the rescue of ailing artists and entertainers took the financial responsibility. By 2020, members of the Tinsel cast like Linda Ejiofor-Sulaiman took to Instagram to beg Nigerians to save the life of the actor.
However, Olaotan was recently returned to Nigeria as a result of pecuniary challenges before his death. He was 69.