Veteran actor, Adeola Shoremi, popularly known as Lanko, has revealed that his father disowned him for eight years because of his decision to go into acting.

The thespian, who has featured in several Yoruba productions, recalled that his father strongly opposed his career choice and cut ties with him. According to him, the rift lasted until an emotional twist of fate brought them back together.

“My father disowned me as a son for good eight years,” Lanko said. “One time, he fell sick and was admitted at the General Hospital in Ikeja for fifteen days without being attended to. His wife called me while I was hosting an event in Ketu. Thank God for my popularity, when I got to the hospital and entered the emergency hall, noise erupted from people who were hailing me. The doctor came out to know what had gone wrong and when he saw me, he also greeted me. I told him my dad was admitted there and they attended to him immediately.”

He explained that the incident softened his father’s heart and became a turning point in their relationship. “When I went back to my father, I met him crying. I asked why he was crying and he said he never thought a day like that would come, that I would be the one to come to his rescue,” he recounted.

Lanko, who described the experience as one of the biggest challenges of his career, said it taught him the value of staying true to one’s passion despite opposition.