Murphy Afolabi: Thick Osun Accent, Born in 1974, and 5 Others Things to Know About Yoruba Actor
The Nigerian movie industry woke up on Sunday morning, May 14, 2023, to unfortunate news as ace Nollywood actor Murphy Afolabi was reported dead after a tragic fall in the bathroom of his house in Ikorodu, Lagos, Nigeria.
The Yoruba movie star was reported to have sustained grievous head injuries from his fall, leading to his death.
Source: Instagram
It was double jeopardy for the movie industry as the report about Murphy's death came barely 24 hours after news broke that veteran actor Saint Obi had passed away.
Legit.ng in this article has highlighted seven interesting details people should know about Murphy Afolabi as the movie industry mourn his tragic passing.
1. Where was Murphy Afolabi born, and what year?
Murphy Afolabi was born in 1974 in Osun state and hailed from Oroki Asala, Osogbo. He is one of seven children from a polygamous home.
PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Instagram - get the most important news directly in your favourite app!
He was born Olalekan Olatunbosun Afolabi; Murphy Afolabi is his stage name. He was in a traditionalist family and was also a Muslim.
He was the third child of his father and the first son of the Afolabi family. Ten days before he passed, Murphy had just turned 49 years old on May 5, 2023, and was hugely celebrated by his colleagues on social media.
2. He had his primary, secondary and tertiary education in Osun state
Murphy Afolabi spent most of his formative years in Osogbo, the capital of his home state, Osun.
He attended Ansar-u-deen Islamic Boys junior and senior secondary High school.
Murphy earned his diploma from Osun state polytechnic Iree, where he studied Theatre Arts and Film Production. He graduated with a Higher National Diploma degree from Iree Poly in 2001.
3. Is he married, and how many kids does he have
The ace Yoruba movie producer is happily married and has been with his wife for nearly two decades. However, Murphy had kept his marital life away from public view, and there are very few records of her to confirm her true identity.
The late actor reportedly has three kids, two boys and a girl, Olamilekan, Moyosore, and Fathia Afolabi.
4. Murphy's most popular movies
Murphy Afolabi is famous for his many Yoruba movies showcasing the Oduduwa cultural heritage and beliefs.
Many of his films were either epic Yoruba movies or portrayed the lifestyles of average street gang members within the Southwestern communities.
Here are some of the actor's most famous works: Idera, Wasila Coded, Omo Rapala, Ifa Olokun, Jimi Bendel, Olokiki Oru, Omowunmi, Malaika Dudu.
5. How his career started, and what were his biggest influences
Murphy started his career as a movie industry practitioner at a young age, working under the late legendary movie producer Duro Ladipo.
However, Afolabi made his onscreen debut under the guidance of veteran late actor Fasasi Olabankewin better known as Dagunro, in 1998.
6. What is Murphy Afolabi most famous for, and why he became a popular meme character
The Yoruba movie actor, who has been in the industry for over 25 years, recently became famous for his funny Osun accent and H-factor.
Even though he had been in the movie industry for years, Afolabi is a major meme character for many GenZs because of his famous deep Osun state Yoruba accent and dialect.
Apart from his undoubted acting talents and street credibility, his chronic Osun accent and dialect became his most famous trait.
7. Apart from being an actor, what else did he do? Companies owned
Besides acting, Murphy was an affluent scriptwriter, director and movie producer. He owns a YouTube channel, Murphy Afolabi TV
He is also the owner of Fatuns Films Production. Murphy also runs a travel agency, Schemelink.
After the report about Murphy Afolabi's death went viral Legit.ng reached out to a couple of entertainers who share a close relationship with the actor, and this was what they had to say.
Popular skit maker who had worked with Murphy before Gorosoekiti couldn't say much because he was distraught. All we could munch from our phone was:
"This is so sad and heartbreaking. I loved that man; he was one of the few true advocates of Yoruba indigenous languages."
Legit.ng also spoke with Dessy, an upcoming actress who revealed that she was at Murphy's 49th birthday party days before his unfortunate demise.
Dessy said:
"We still celebrate him at Club Akima on his birthday, not knowing he was saying goodbye to us. Ile aye, Ile asan."
Murphy Afolabi: Odunlade, Saidi Balogun, others react to tragic death of Yoruba film actor
Meanwhile, Legit.ng recalls reporting that the death of Murphy Afolabi has sent shockwaves across the internet in the Nigerian community.
The actor is reported to have fallen in his bathroom, suffering a head injury which led to his death.
Following the news reaching the internet, several stars, including Odunlade Adekola, have taken to social media to react to the sad news.
Source: Legit.ng
