Bimbo Thomas, the talented Nigerian actress, has revealed why she decided to move away from playing “thug” roles after her breakout performance in Funke Akindele’s hit film, Omo Ghetto.

In an interview with Chude Jideonwo, Thomas opened up about her decision to showcase her versatility and prove that she could take on a wider range of characters beyond her famous street-smart persona.

The actress explained that while the “thug” roles earned her recognition, she didn’t want to be pigeonholed into one kind of character, a trap many actors fall into in the entertainment industry.

“I didn’t want to be typecast. I knew I had much more to offer as an actress and wanted to explore different roles,” Thomas said, adding that her goal was to demonstrate her full potential, even if it meant taking a step back from acting for a while.

While acknowledging the difficulty of her decision, Thomas admitted that it had led to fewer acting opportunities, some financial setbacks, and even the loss of friendships. She recalled: “I knew that if I kept accepting those roles, it would be harder to show my range later on. I had to take the risk, even though it slowed things down for me.”

At the time, Thomas was not yet fully established, and the choice to turn down typecasting roles was a tough one. However, she said the decision was also motivated by her desire to avoid being forever associated with one particular image, which could limit her future acting prospects.

The actress also shared that having a child during this period made her refocus on family, but fortunately, she found success in other areas. “Endorsements started to come in, and that helped a lot, otherwise, it would have been very difficult,” she added.

Despite the challenges, Thomas remains proud of her choice and is now focused on expanding her career and showing audiences the breadth of her acting abilities.