The Story⚡
The actor who once left a hit series poorer than he entered it is about to appear on cinema screens for the first time.
Tell Me More
Lanre Adediwura has never been in a hurry to announce himself. Since his acting debut in 2018 he has moved steadily through Yoruba cinema, television and theatre, collecting the kind of roles that reward patience more than noise. By 2022 the industry had taken notice. At the Best of Nollywood Awards that year he earned three nominations for work in God of Thunder and Kingie, and walked away with Revelation of the Year (Male). Those who had followed his earlier performances were unsurprised.
Then came Wura. Cast as Olumide “Cobra” Kuti in Showmax’s first Nigerian original series, Adediwura spent three seasons inside a morally complicated character set against the gold mines of Osun State. The role placed him in front of a wider audience than he had known before. Visibility, however, did not automatically translate into security. In a 2026 interview he spoke with unusual frankness about the personal cost of that eleven-month commitment. He left the production spending more than he had earned, and for half a year afterwards he found himself in a position where even basic meals required ingenuity. YouTube, he said, eventually restored a measure of stability. The admission was rare for an actor of his standing and revealed as much about the industry’s uneven rewards as it did about the man himself.
Alongside his own career, Adediwura has taken on the role of Creative Director at Actors Lab, a training space dedicated to structured programmes, masterclasses and mentorship for working and aspiring performers. His filmography has continued to expand, Jagun Jagun, Wire Wire, Rahab, Midnight in Shangisha, Aiye Nika, evidence of an actor who kept working even when the returns were uneven. Starlomo now places him on the largest canvas of his career so far.
Starlomo opens in cinemas nationwide on 25 September 2026. The cast includes Kamo State, Lanre Adediwura, Odunlade Adekola, Ibrahim Chatta and Lateef Adedimeji, among others.
Finding Mide
In conversation ahead of the film’s release, Adediwura described Mide as tough and humorous, a figure who presents himself as a thug while carrying the weight of misfortune. The character injects energy and unpredictability into the story, and the task, he explained, was to locate the humour, the danger and the vulnerability that sit beneath the surface.
Balancing comedy and thriller elements required careful calibration. He credited director Kayode Kasum with a clear sense of what each character needed to achieve. Rather than forcing laughs through exaggerated gestures, Adediwura focused on facial expression, timing and voice. Sometimes, he noted, what Mide withholds or the way he looks at another person carries more weight than spoken lines. The approach was to allow the character to take over, treating himself as a vessel rather than an actor imposing choices.
Working with Kayode Kasum and Entering a New World
Adediwura had been hoping for the chance to work with Kasum before the opportunity arrived. What impressed him most was the director’s understated method of character analysis. Kasum, he said, avoids unnecessary complication, gives actors space to understand their roles and then trusts them to bring their own interpretation. The collaboration felt straightforward, and Adediwura expressed interest in future scripts from the same stable.
Stepping into the cinematic world associated with Kamo State carried its own pressure. Adediwura likened it to facing a new challenge at a higher level. His primary concern was ensuring audiences would not see him as a miscast. He set out to earn his place inside that established space and leave a lasting impression.
A Cinema Debut and a Moment of Confirmation
For Adediwura the cinema debut represents growth, grace and the outcome of sustained work. He described it as finally confronting one of his own fears after years spent across television, theatre and film. The journey, he observed, sometimes takes longer than expected, yet the essential requirement is readiness when the opening arrives.
One of the scenes was emotionally demanding. Working opposite Ibrahim Chatta felt like a rare privilege, and Adediwura knew the moment required his strongest work. Confirmation came only at the premiere, when Chatta approached him and expressed pride in a sterling performance. Coming from an actor of that stature, the words carried significant weight.
Why the Film Matters
Adediwura described Starlomo as a film with a relatable storyline capable of drawing viewers in, entertaining them and offering points of connection. He believes audiences will also encounter another dimension of Kamo State’s range. For himself, he simply hopes viewers will encounter Mide on the big screen.
In Summary
Adediwura has said the best of Mide sits in the pauses and the looks, so watch those closely, along with the scene he shares with Chatta. Starlomo opens on Friday, September 25, and it will be the first time cinema audiences see what Adediwura does with a screen this size.
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