Jide Kosoko Biography, Wife, Daughter, Family and Movies

Jide Kosoko Biography

Prince Jide Kosoko is a veteran Nigerian actor. He was born on January 12, 1954 in Lagos to the Kosoko royal family of Lagos Island.

He studied business administration at Yaba College of Technology. He began his acting career as a child actor in 1964 in a television production Makanjuola. He has featured in several Nollywood movies of both English and Yoruba Genres.

Jide Kosoko Wife – Jide Kosoko New Wife

He is married to two wives; Karimat and Henrietta with children and grandchildren.

Jide Kosoko Children – Jide Kosoko Family

  • Sola Kosoko (Daughter)
  • Bidemi Kosoko (Daughter)
  • Tunji Kosoko (son)

Jide Kosoko Daughter

He is the father of popular Nollywood Actress Shola Kosoko.

Jide Kosoko Movies

  • Nkan La (1992)
  • Oro Nla (1993)
  • Out of Luck
  • The Department (2015)[8]
  • Gidi Up (2014) (TV Series)
  • Doctor Bello (2013)
  • The Meeting (2012)
  • Last Flight to Abuja (2012)
  • I’ll Take My Chances (2011)
  • The Figurine (2009)
  • Jenifa

Jide Kosoko

Jide Kosoko Interview with Vanguard Nigeria

There have been arguments over when Nollywood came into existence. In your own view, when did the film industry emerge in Nigeria ?

Jide Kosoko: Nollywood is more than 20 years old as against what people think. They make reference to Living in Bondage (1992) which was not the pioneer film in Nigeria. I produced Asiri nla that same year. Film production in Nigeria started in the 60s but most of the films were documentaries.

You started acting when many parents did not believe in the industry. How did you manage?

Jide Kosoko: I started acting professionally in 1964 at age 10. But I starred in a professional production which was even before film production. My parents were not happy with my choice of career just like other parents. But I was rascally as a child. I engaged in things that many of my mates never could dare. My parents felt I was to be entertained as a royal prince and not the other way round.

What do you think influenced your choice of career?

Jide Kosoko: My passion for acting. Also, I lived in the same vicinity with Papa Hubert Ogunde on the Island and had some of his children as friends. I used to admire how people shouted his name whenever he drove round the street and I prayed to be like him. So, when the opportunity came, even as a child, I grabbed it with both hands.

What do you think you would have become if you didn’t go acting?

Jide Kosoko: Sincerely, I don’t know if I could have succeeded outside the creative world. Acting and entertainment is my calling.

What are the things you consider before accepting roles?

I have gotten to a stage where I cannot afford to be part of a bad production. The first thing I consider is the quality of the script. I also put who the producer is into consideration. A bad producer will only deliver a bad production because he will not be able to get able hands to work with. The director and the caliber of actors and actresses invited to narrate the story are also other factors to consider.

Which film sold you to the world?

Jide Kosoko: One film doesn’t bring an actor to limelight rather continuity does. When people see a particular face in good productions, they will note the face and as time goes on, they will reckon with the face. And that is how the fame comes. That is why I detest some of my colleagues who believe they can turn one actor to a celebrity overnight. A continuous process of quality film productions brought me to limelight.

You are an authority in the film industry, a role model to many actors and actresses, one of the pioneers in the industry, one of the few Nigerians who have been able to participate both in Yoruba and English films. What does all these mean to you?

Jide Kosoko: They mean dedication, hard work and most importantly, God’s blessing.

And how has your work affected your life?

Jide Kosoko: It has robbed me of my privacy. The moment you become a public figure, your life becomes other people’s business. You have to pretend to be a gentleman even when you are a rascal. We learn to stage-manage our lives even when we are not on set. Many of us have learnt to live a fake life to suit and keep our fans, people who see us as role models.

How have you been managing your role as a father, husband, actor, role model, etc., over the years?

Jide Kosoko: These are different sectors of my life. I know my responsibility as a father. I have eight of my kids who have graduated from the University. I make the money from being an actor to play my role as a father and husband. I try my best to remain focused and hardworking to remain a role model to many people.

Do you mind sharing those things that led to your marrying two women again?

Jide Kosoko: The situation that surrounded marrying my wives made me go for the two.

What has been the worst thing ever written about you and how did you react?

Jide Kosoko: Bad reporting is just bad. I can’t place my hand on the worst. I have decided not to react because I believe I am bigger than them. Also, the more I react, the more copies they sell. I need not cry over split milk at this level.

Many are of the opinion that actors are very promiscuous. What’s your take on that?

Jide Kosoko: That is far from the truth. In fact, our’s is one of the professions whose members are very disciplined. People tend to make noise out of everything we do as public figures. That is not to say we do not date or sleep with each other. The profession is a blessed one and people should please see the good side of our profession too. We educate, entertain, admonish, enlighten the world through our artistic works.

What is new in your plate?

Jide Kosoko: I am working on a movie titled Kobiowu meaning measurement. It is like a semi-epic movie and I intend shooting by April.

Are you as funny in real life as you are in movies?

Jide Kosoko: Life itself is a stage; it is just natural, it comes with the genes. I won’t call myself a comedian, but an actor must be versatile. You act any role given to you, you act the script you are given. Some people would say “Jide Kosoko, you are a crossover artiste, you act in English movies and you also act in Yoruba movies.” It is the script that I’m given that I act.

How many children do you have?

Jide Kosoko: I can’t be precise but my children are more than a dozen.

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