The Pathfinder
Monday February 16, 2026
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Nollywood actor Tokunbo Malvins has opened up about the harsh realities he faced in his early years, revealing that he slept on a burial ground for six years and later spent a year living at the beach while pursuing his dream of becoming an actor.
Malvins shared his experience in a recent interview on Oyinmomo TV, detailing the sacrifices and hardships that marked the beginning of his career.
According to the comic actor, he left his father in 1991 to pursue acting, starting out with stage performances at ceremonies as part of a travelling theatre group. Despite performing at numerous events, he said the group often earned nothing.
He disclosed that during that period, he shared a cramped apartment with six other apprentices. However, even the limited space came with restrictions that forced him to seek alternative places to sleep.
“I slept on the burial ground for six years. It was behind the house where I was staying while learning travelling theatre. The landlord, Alhaji Toriola, had a burial ground directly behind the house,” he recounted.
Malvins explained that the room was too small to accommodate everyone comfortably, so he only kept his belongings there. He said he once took a woven mat from a movie location, which he spread on the burial ground whenever he had to sleep outside.
“Any time the door was locked, it meant I would be sleeping at the burial ground. That was how I lived for six years,” he said.
He added that he later moved to sleeping in the passage of the building, despite warnings from a woman in the compound who opposed their presence there.
According to him, she would sometimes pour urine on them when they refused to vacate the space.
The actor also revealed that he spent a year living at the beach at another point in his struggle.
His breakthrough, he said, came after meeting Gbenga Adewusi, the Chief Executive Officer of Bayowa Films, who offered him his first television presenting role at Lagos Television (LTV 8).
That opportunity, Malvins noted, brought him into the public spotlight and marked the turning point in his journey to becoming a recognised comic actor in Nollywood.
FTN
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