Meet fast-rising Nollywood child actor Darasimi Nadi

Since earning critical acclaim for her role in the 2022 Nollywood film ‘Obara ‘M’, Nigerian child actor Darasimi Nadi has starred in other popular movies.

Darasimi has appeared in over a dozen movies, including A Father’s Love (2024), A Green Fever (2024), On The Edge (2024), and Ègún (2024).

The 12-year-old talent recently played a prominent role in the Ramsey Nouah-directed Netflix movie, ‘Tokumbo’.

In this film, she portrayed Nike Balogun, the daughter of the first female CBN governor, Folashade (Funlola Aofiyebi-Rami), in one of her best roles yet.

In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES, the assertive, outspoken, and intelligent child actor discussed her path to stardom and her relationship with her mother.

Path to stardom

Darasimi recounted to PREMIUM TIMES how her acting career began unexpectedly. Her interest was piqued when her mother, a producer, came to their compound to shoot a movie.

Upon seeing the camera, Darasimi was fascinated and wanted to be involved.

“I didn’t know what I was going to be, but I knew I was going to be a celebrity,” she said.

On the other hand, her mother (Mimi Haaga) needed a child actor for a project. Still, she hesitated to consider Darasimi due to the common practice of Nollywood producers casting their children in movies. After persistent persuasion, her mother relented, and Darasimi landed her first official role.

She continued to persuade her mom that she had the potential to be a great actor. She featured in a few skits, and her mother began to see her potential.

“I noticed she was a good actor but was camera shy, so she took it upon herself to correct that. We designed and started a cooking series of 8 episodes, and by the 3rd episode, she was excelling,” her mother said.

This opened doors to other producers and her first paid job, “The Pretty Ones Are The Loneliest”.

Background

Born in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria, Darasimi said she is not competing with her peers—she began her career in 2008.

She described herself and her journey: “I do things uniquely, and no one else can do what I am doing. I’m a racer, but I’m not racing with anyone. I’m on my own. The uniqueness is evident in her acting, but beyond movies, Darasimi is energetic, engaging, strong-willed, smart, intelligent, and true to herself’’ she said.

Tokunbo

“Tokunbo” is a story about the life of a smuggler and the consequences after he stops smuggling. It explores themes of family, love, betrayal, and manipulation.

Describing her experiences while starring in “Tokunbo,” she said: “It was fun, entertaining. I learned a lot. Mr Ramsey, being an actor-director, taught me a lot I didn’t know before, and I’m grateful for that”.

She also praised the camaraderie of team members, actors, and crew for making the experience worthwhile

She said: “Everyone had fun. We were one big family”. She particularly enjoyed the speech scenes, finding them energetic and fun”.

Support system

Darasimi’s relationship with her mother is admirable—a mother who loves and understands her daughter and a daughter who loves and understands her mother.

“My mom is Mimi Haaga. She’s been the best thing that has happened to me. She’s been supportive, sweet, loving, and caring,” she said.

In today’s Nollywood, Darasimi’s mum said her daughter is known for her punctuality. “I don’t know how to wake up early, but with my mom, I can never be late. She ensures I’m up and ready on time,” Darasimi said about her mother.

She added, “For a year, my mom paused her job as a director. She stopped taking assignments just to prepare me for acting. She invested time, money, energy, and emotions. I love her”.

Plans

Darasimi said she looks forward to advancing her career and working with renowned directors such as Kemi Adetiba and Kunle Afolayan. She also expressed her desire to work with Nse Ikpe-Etim.

She also offered words of encouragement to other child actors, saying, “Keep pushing. God’s time is the best. God’s plan is what will happen in your life. Keep God close, and keep your parents closer.”