Veteran Nollywood actor, Antar Laniyan, has shared how dedication to his craft once made him miss some of the most important moments of his life — including his father’s burial and the birth of his daughter.

In a recent interview with The Nation, Laniyan spoke about the level of discipline he expects on movie sets, recounting how his own sacrifices shaped that standard.

According to him, he had already committed to a production and received payment when he lost his father. Despite the pain, he honoured the job.


“I couldn’t attend my father’s burial because I had taken payment and was already booked for a shoot. The producer wouldn’t let me leave. So I sent my younger brothers in my place and asked them to record the burial on VHS so I could at least watch it,” he said.

He also recalled how he left his wife in the hospital, shortly after a C-section, to shoot a film titled Strange Woman.


“My wife insisted I should go. The director, Andy Amaenechi, quickly arranged my scenes. I left the set by midnight and trekked from Ojuelegba to Mushin,” he added.

The seasoned actor said such experiences have shaped his zero-tolerance approach to lateness or excuses on set.


“If I could sacrifice that much, then I don’t entertain flimsy reasons for coming late. You’ll simply have to leave,” he said firmly.