Gabriel Afolayan: Acting is a calling, not just family legacy

Actor and singer Gabriel Afolayan has said his decision to pursue a career in acting was driven by a personal calling rather than the influence of his family’s established legacy in the entertainment industry.

Speaking in a recent interview on Channels Television, Afolayan addressed the expectations that come with belonging to a celebrated acting family, noting that while the pedigree carries weight, his path was shaped by conviction rather than obligation.

He maintained that acting transcends professional ambition, describing it as a vocation he feels destined to fulfil.

“Yes. I’ll put it that way. Because being inspired is one thing. Having your own inner core is another thing. And that, because we’re just, I think we’re just six in this business. And we have a whole bunch of other kids that are into something totally different. It could have been the same with them as well, if, truly, you know, that’s the case.

“I think this is just what a few of us who are into this business do. I think this is just what we also want to do. Whether our father was into it or not. Because I grew up strictly feeling that this is exactly what I wanted, even without having anything to do with or seeing my dad or seeing any other person. I think it was just inner.

“It was within me. And we saw a lot of films while growing up. And there’s a way all these things get to inspire your own intuition as well. So, for me, I’ll say for a fact that it’s also what I would love to do. Trust me. If it’s in another life, we probably won’t know what to do until we are in that particular life. So this life that we are in right now, for me, I think this is more of a calling than a job,” he stated.

Afolayan acknowledged that living up to his family’s legacy can be challenging, but his personal dreams and calling drive him.

“It’s a big weight to… because one thing is the legacy. Then another thing is what spice do you have as a person? And it calls for a whole lot of heavy talk around, because they already know what your dad had done.

“So what about you? Who are you? We are, we’re all out proving ourselves almost all the time, making sure the legacy is still very intact. And also let people know that, okay, we’re from this family, but also this is our own calling as well,” he said.

He noted that constantly trying to separate oneself from a famous name can be unnecessary.

“For me, I think it’s common talk, but then again, you can’t rule out your legacy. There’s nothing anybody can do about that. No matter how astute you are with your craft and all that, people still would have to tag you to that legacy, whether you like it or not.

“But as time goes by for you as a person, I think your own personal dream will start revealing itself over time based on what you get to do with whatever you’ve been given. And as time goes by, people will be able to say, okay, we know him also, even though he’s part of this legacy. I think that will happen over time. So you can’t put up an argument all the time and defend yourself that ‘I’m different.’ People will know if you’re different,” the actor said.

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