Nollywood actress Yvonne Jegede has shared how she unexpectedly found herself in one of the most memorable Nigerian music videos of all time — 2Baba’s 2004 hit, African Queen.
Speaking on the Nollywood on Radio podcast, Jegede revealed that she never intended to become a video vixen, as her focus had always been acting. Her involvement in music videos, she explained, happened by coincidence rather than choice.
“When the director of African Queen first reached out to me, I just said ‘no, I’m not interested,’” Jegede recounted. “They were shooting the next morning at 9 a.m., and he told me to let him know if I changed my mind.”
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At the time, Jegede admitted she wasn’t even aware that 2Baba (then known as Tuface) had launched a solo career after leaving the group Plantashun Boiz. She only reconsidered after a chat with a friend later that evening.
“I was talking to my friend Michael, and I mentioned it casually. I said something like, ‘Someone asked me to come do one funny thing, something called African Queen.’ The moment I said it, he screamed, ‘That song is a hit! You have to do it!’”
Encouraged by her friend’s enthusiasm, she called the director back, got the details, and prepared for the shoot that same night.
“When I got there and saw Tuface in person, I was like, ‘Wow, this is really happening.’ But even after that, I didn’t want to be seen as a video vixen. I just wanted to act,” she said.
Jegede also spoke about her role in Djinee’s Ego video, saying it came about more as a favour than a career move.
“The director of Ego was a friend. He also worked with Styl-Plus back then. I was actually supposed to be in their Olufunmi video, but I got stuck in traffic and missed it,” she recalled.
After appearing in just two music videos, she made it clear she had no interest in continuing down that path.
“No more dancing, no more vixen roles. I just wanted to act,” she added.
Reflecting on her journey, Jegede said she feels fulfilled with how far she’s come as an actress in Nollywood.
“It’s been fulfilling, I’m not going to lie. I’ve experienced a lot and I’m still growing,” she said.
