Funlola Aofiyebi-Raimi

Funlola Aofiyebi-Raimi, born Abibat Oluwafunmilola Aofiyebi and known informally as FAR, is a Nigerian actress. Funlola is the last of seven children, born to a businesswoman mother and an entrepreneur father. The name FAR came after she got married and has become her signature. FAR had an early start on stage and television, with her aunt Teni Aofiyebi, a renowned theatre artist, who has also become a doting mother to her son. She is married to advertising guru Olayinka Raimi.

Career

FAR took a TV acting course in Westminster College, and the prestigious Actors Studio Buckinghamshire London. She also has a BSc in Sociology from the University of Lagos in Nigeria.

FAR’s first shot at the big screen was in Amaka Igwe's film Violated acting alongside Joke Silva, Richard Mofe Damijo, Ego Boyo and Kunle Bamtefa. She was nominated for a THEMA best upcoming actress award in 1996 for that role. As a result of her performance in Violated, FAR was cast as a lead character in Keeping Faith, by Nigerian director Steve Gukas. FAR was also nominated for an AMMA best supporting actress award for The Figurine directed by acclaimed Nigerian director Kunle Afolayan.

Before landing her longest running appearance on TV, in the M-net TV show Tinsel, playing Brenda, FAR has featured on other drama shows like Doctors Quarters, Solitaire, and Palace. FAR has acted on stage too, performing in plays such as Sing That Old Song For Me and The Mansion written by Rasheed Badamusi, and also The Vagina Monologues.

FAR’s participated in a dance reality show called Celebrity Takes 2, which she won. Most recently, in 2014, FAR co-stars with international British-Nigerian actor Wale Ojo.

Besides acting, FAR also has several other artistic interests. www.iamfar.com, FAR’s blog site, has become her latest project. www.iamfar.com is an entertainment blog where FAR airs her thoughts and opinions on issues about the entertainments industry. After doing a radio show called Touch of Spice for 14 years (started in August 1999), FAR now focuses on her acting career and her blog.

Awards

NOMINEE - Africa Movie Awards Academy (AMAA); Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Figurine) 2010

NOMINEE - Nigeria Entertainment Awards, New York (NEA); Best Actress in a TV Show (Tinsel) 2010

WINNER - Celebrity Takes 2 (Nigerian Celebrity Dance Competition) 2007