- He personified the thespian virtue
He was well on his way to priesthood but changed his mind. After making an unlikely switch to acting, he not only made a name for himself as an actor but remained relevant till his exit.
Dejumo Lewis, who died on December 23, aged 80, was a study in professional longevity. In 2022, after a 34-year break, he radiantly returned to the notable role that catapulted him to thespian glory about 55 years earlier.
Famous for his role as Kabiyesi, the traditional ruler of the community, in The Village Headmaster, Nigeria’s longest-running TV drama series shown on the national television network from 1968 to 1988, he was back in the spotlight playing the same role when the programme returned in April 2022. Lewis started as an actor in The Village Headmaster and became producer/director.
The Village Headmaster, created by Olusegun Olusola, now deceased, was a must-see television drama series across the country in its heyday. Set in a fictional Yoruba village called Oja, the show dealt with a variety of subjects, including social problems and the effect of government policies on the community. The cast reflected different ethnic groups in the country, and communicated in Nigerian Pidgin, Standard English and Yoruba language. It was a studio-based programme that promoted unity in diversity.
The revived and reinvented programme returned as a result of collaboration between the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Wale Adenuga Productions (WAP) and telecommunications service provider Globacom. It was taken out of the studio, and the outdoor setting gave it greater realism.
Lewis, who still attracted attention through his gripping performances as Kabiyesi after The Village Headmaster returned, said during the long break, people still called him Kabiyesi, and some even treated him like one. That showed his high-grade acting skill, and the power of attention-grabbing acting.
He said in a published interview: “I started as a freelance in The Village Headmaster cast… I did not get the role of Kabiyesi immediately…It was after six months of production of Village Headmaster that the role of King was created. It turned out that when it was created, I was invited to play the role.” He got the important role of Kabiyesi without formal acting training, which was a testimony to his acting talent.
Read Also: Village Headmaster’s Dejumo Lewis dies at 80
Born in Lagos, he attended the Holy Cross Primary School, Lagos. After his primary education, he wanted to be a priest. He spent six years at St. Theresa Catholic Minor Seminary in Ibadan, and four years at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Major Seminary, also in Ibadan, where he graduated in Philosophy.
After 10 years of seminary studies, he decided to, according to him, “end it all, leave the school and start living a normal life.” “The same year I left the seminary was the year production of The Village Headmaster drama began,” he recalled.
He later worked in the television industry as a programmer, and then, he said, “trained to become a producer/director, both here and abroad. I studied Celluloid.” He received a master’s degree in Communication Arts from the University of Ibadan.
At NTA, he moved from programme planning to production, and was trained in Holland, England and Germany. After the series was stopped, he did television movies, and was posted to NTA Ibadan as manager, programmes. He held the position for five years, and was posted back to Lagos, where, according to him, “I was forcibly retired in 1999.”
In retirement, he remained active, “writing books on culture and communication,” and participated in films about “four times in a year,” to show that “I am still interested in acting, which is like a hobby for me.” He performed in some acclaimed films, including A Place in the Stars (2014), Power of 1 (2018), and Crossroads (2020). He was a seasoned actor, who left a legacy of professionalism.
