Nollywood actress and filmmaker Efe Irele has emphasized that fame in the entertainment industry is never sudden, but the result of years of unseen effort and consistency.

The actress, who recently released her first cinema film ‘My Mother is a Witch,’ explained that many people fail to recognize the long journey behind public recognition.

“There’s no such thing as overnight success,” Irele said. “A lot of people always say that person is an overnight success, and it even happens with our musicians. When they see old videos of the artist, they’ll be like, ‘Oh, I never knew.’”

Irele recounted her own experience, noting that she had been active in the entertainment industry since she was 15 years old, appearing in several major music videos long before gaining widespread recognition as an actor.

“I was in Adekunle Gold’s Shade music video, Burna Boy’s Like to Party, I was in so many videos,” she revealed. “I’ve been in the industry, maybe not as an actor, but I’ve been in the industry for a very long time.”

She stressed that resilience, discipline, and patience are the real drivers of professional progression in Nollywood, not shortcuts or overnight fame.