Exclusive: Catching Up With Actress Olunike Adeliyi (Village Keeper, The Fire Inside)
Currently in theaters is Rachel Morrison’s The Fire Inside, which tells the story of boxing champ Claressa Shields, played by Ryan Destiny. Playing her mom Jackie Shields is actress Olunike Adeliyi, who also starred in Karen Chapman’s independent film Village Keeper. Both films had its World Premiere at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival.
Olunike Adeliyi is a Canadian actress, writer, and producer of mixed Nigerian and Jamaican descent. Olunike got her big break in the hit television series Flashpoint (2008 - 2012) as Officer Leah Kerns. Since then, she has built an impressive resume that includes shows such as Workin' Moms (2017 - 2021), Revenge of the Black Best Friend (2022), where won the Canadian Screen Award for "Best Lead Performance," The Porter (2022) and Mike (2022).
Olunike’s film credits include She Never Died (2019) where she starred alongside Kiana Madeira (Fear Street), Darken (2017), The Parting Glass (2018), Boost (2018), The Prodigy (2019), and Chaos Walking (2020) directed by Doug Liman.
Blackfilmandtv.com caught up Adeliyi as she spoke about the two films that played earlier this year at the Toronto Film Festival. The Fire Inside is now in theaters and Village Keeper will be coming out soon.
You had a leading role in The Village Keeper and you have a supporting role in The Fire Inside. What's that feeling like to have two films that had its World Premiere at a major film festival?
Olunike Adeliyi: It's an actor's dream. To be in a major Hollywood film and also an independent film, but that has been getting rave reviews, that it's what you work for. Not for necessarily accolades or anything like that, but you work so that you can have a connection to your audience. And to be able to do that in two films is a dream come true.
Now, you've been working for some time and you've been in other roles, but with The Village Keeper, you have a leading role. Talk to me briefly what the story's about and how did it come about for you?
Olunike Adeliyi: Well, the story is about a mother that has experienced some traumas in her life and how it manifests into her children. And it really delves into generational trauma. The character Beverly-Jean begins a journey and tries to figure out a way to cut off generational trauma to save her children. She can only achieve this by beginning to heal herself. It's a beautiful film about family and mental illness within the black community and how we truthfully deal with it. Village Keeper offers tools to help eradicate it more and more every day.
Was this a role that you went out for or did it come to you?
Olunike Adeliyi: It was brought to my attention, yes. The director Karen Chapman wrote and produced it as well. She wrote it with me in mind and was hell bent on shooting it with only me before even meeting me. I was so honored.
How much stock did you take into playing this character? What was your research into playing this character?
Olunike Adeliyi: I definitely spoke to a lot of women in the Black community about their traumas. I also leaned on my own experiences because there is no human being without trauma. I started with just being a mother. I am a mother and know what that entails and what we have to do in order to keep our children safe, especially our black children. So, I leaned on that as well as leaned on a lot of people in the community. I also conversed with my family members and friends about how they deal with trauma. I was curious if they engaged in self-care or had no time for it because they are busy surviving.
A lot of research goes into my roles and being number one on the call sheet never really ever matters to me. It's about a collective of artists coming together and telling a story that helps community. Collaborative artistry is all I've ever cared about. And so for me, there's no small roles, right? Just small actors. That's just the motto that I’ve always gone by. Also, doing good work starts from the top. I know the disciplined regimen I go through in order to get my roles portrayed well. I understand the energy I bring to set trickles down and encourages creativity.
Was there anything you wanted to add to this character that was outside of what the script called for?
Olunike Adeliyi: Actually, yes. We have a Caribbean festival every year here in Canada called the Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival, but it used to be called Caribana. That's what we originally named it. And I've been going since I was a child with my mom taking me. I had never played mass before. I’ve never put on the elaborate carnival costume before the film. This character Beverly-Jean dives into opening up her herself and tries to get back to her roots of dancing by going to the festival as a participant. She's forced into it at first by a friend, but then she embraces it and enjoys the moment. I personally had never played mass before. I've always been a spectator, but I got into the parade and it was absolutely joyous. And because of that, it also led me to go to the Jamaican Caribbean festival and play mass. So I did that this year as well for the first time in my home country to continue liberating myself.
Do you have to get in shape to start fitting that costume?
Olunike Adeliyi: No, I stay in shape. I come from a dance background and I’m athletics. I have a daily regiment. Aside from my regular page @olunikeadeliyi, I also have my fitness page @olunikefitness. It focuses what I do in order to stay fit, not just physically, but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually as well. Total fitness is what I practice. Total fitness also lends to my art because I'm continuously disciplined.
Then you also have The Fire Inside, by Rachel Morrison in her directorial debut, from a script written by Barry Jenkins and starring Ryan Destiny. You play Jackie Shields, Claressa’s mom. What was that role like, playing the mom of a real life champion?
Olunike Adeliyi: Well, that's not the first time because I played Mike Tyson's mom in the Hulu series, Mike. I played the mom to two boxers and they know each other and are friends themselves, so it's hilarious that I got a chance to depict both their moms. I think playing moms is extraordinary because we're not a monolith. We are very diverse and those moms are very different. The one thing I wanted to do was honor Mike’s mom in a way that showcases why he is the person he is today. I did they same for Claressa’s mom. There are many dimensions to Mike Tyson, there's many dimensions to Claressa Sheilds. Their moms are multi-dimensional and deserve the same respect for character development.
They're both very disciplined people, but they couldn't have been these people in the world if their moms didn't have some kind of positive impact on them as well as negative, right? It was very motivational to play Claressa’s mom, and to meet Claressa. I haven't met her mom yet, but I'm hoping to meet her at the premieres. She has gone through her personal struggles. However, there’s never a moment in the movie that you don't see her trying.
She wants to be a good mom and she is always trying her best despite her circumstances that makes life much harder. She's responding to her environment which breeds a lot of trouble in her life, but she makes it through. I love that Claressa's mom herself has beat addiction and she is sober today in her life. And it's wonderful to be able to know that a human being made it through. Jackie’s daughter is now the number one female boxer of the world. Claressa is the GWOAT. Greatest Woman of All Time. That would not have happened if she didn't come from a fantastic human being that Jackie Shields gave her life and helped motivate her journey to freedom.
When you say you haven't met her mom, but yet when we see this character on screen, as you mentioned, there are dimensions. It’s a credit to the writing that she's not one note, but you see two sides of her. Not every parent is perfect and we see the ups and downs. And so for you in playing her and trying to embody this character, who gave you the best guidance into playing her right? Was it Claressa herself? Was it Rachel, or was it Barry?
Olunike Adeliyi: Rachel definitely began my research journey for the character. However, I think Claressa was the best guide outside of the script. Claressa and I met randomly when she was in Toronto while we were shooting The Fire Inside in 2022. And so during shooting, Claressa was in Toronto. She didn't come to set, but she had other business here in Toronto. And so a friend was able to introduce us and she did give me a little bit of a rundown about her mom. Also, I was privileged to see her documentary T-Rex. So I was able to watch her mom and pick up on the little things that make her character nuanced. And so, when we had the premiere at TIFF, Claressa took me aside and she told me that's exactly how the relationship went. She relived the moments. I have the approval of Claressa and that's all that matters, really. And hopefully her mom enjoys the film as well.
So when you're working with Karen and you're working with Rachel, what did you get out of their direction separately or maybe together that helps you out skillset wise as an actress moving forward to whatever project you do next?
Olunike Adeliyi: Those two women are very dynamic. I’ve labeled them both actor’s directors because they care about getting to the essence of the character by taking the time to nurture the moments. Even if it means clearing the set for character work or private discussion for clarity. Let's dive into this even more. I really love how hands on they were. And of course, they’re mothers themselves. So this was very precious to them. These projects were their babies and needed special love and care. Karen's Village Keeper paid homage to her own mother. This film was done for her mom who passed away two years ago, who was thee village keeper. They called her Sunshine. She was the shining light of the village that she lived in.
I’m honored to be trusted with these type of stories. I respect the journey to honour a life lived. The thing is, I've never been in a place where I've been scared of direction. I like to try things anyway. That's just who I am.
I come in with my understanding of the character and the story but I want to try avenues. I’m prepared and then I can throw everything away that I've researched so that I can receive the tutelage from these directors. And I go in as a person who is in a collaborative place and not just dictated to. That's not how I work. I work in a way where we are collaborating our artistry and we are trying to get to the truth of the story.
What’s coming up next for you?
Olunike Adeliyi: I have Morningside coming out written and directed by Ron Dias. Then, I head to the UK because I have to start two new projects, which is fantastic. One with director Edgar Wright starring Glen Powell and a series starring Gugu Mbatha Raw and directed by Storm Saulter. I will engaged in those projects till mid next year.
When you're not working, because it seems like you're always working, what do you do to stay humble?
Olunike Adeliyi: I travel. That's what I do. That is my self-care. Last year, after I finished filming, I spent nine months on a sabbatical traveling a lot. So I went to Costa Rica, Jamaica, Amsterdam, Portugal, Berlin, and Houston, Texas. It was about self-care, taking care of myself mentally, taking care of myself spiritually and also gathering nuts to bring back to the work. The fun part of creativity is the travel. And so I will be doing that for the rest of my life. This holiday I'll be heading back down to Jamaica for fun and research. And then at some point I'll head to Nigeria, which is my father's land, to honour his passing with my siblings. So I'm pretty lucky that way to get to do that.