When you hear the name Peller, what comes to mind is magic, entertainment, and legacy. But Yeye Olanike Abiola Peller has carved her own path as an actress, producer, businesswoman, and humanitarian. In this exclusive chat with The Interviewers Magazine, she opens up about her journey in the movie industry, her family’s magical heritage, and her passion for giving back through her foundation.
Welcome to The Interviewers Magazine, ma. Can you tell our readers who is Nike Peller?
My name is Yeye Olanike Abiola Peller. I am an actress, a magician, and also a businesswoman. Everybody knows me mostly as an actress, that is what I do for a living. When I came back to Lagos, I started my acting career, and up till today I am still acting and doing business, aside from magic, which is also part of what I do.
What’s your educational background before joining movies industry?
I hold an OND (Ordinary National Diploma) in Secretariat Administration. I also attended Singer Fashion School right after I left Akure Institute of Technology in the early 1990s.
Apart from acting, have you ever produced your own movie before?
Yes, my first movie that I produced was titled Oganjo Oru (meaning “12 Midnight”). The second was Tenitika, the third was Oluwatosin, and the fourth was Iyalode. Iyalode was more of a stage performance within ourselves. When my father was alive, our family also produced films such as Owo Idan, Idan Nlo, Oluweri (parts 1 & 2), and Agbara. We worked with both celluloid and optical films. In those days, celluloid movies were shown in cinemas, and they were very different from the video format (VHS) that later became common. Then, we had optical and celluloid amongst the movies we produced.
What are the challenges you have faced before in movies industry?
The movie industry is very sweet, but the challenge we face often comes from people within the industry itself. I remember vividly when I went for a movie shoot in Ajegunle with my late boss, Chief Kanran of blessed memory. In that film, he played my father. The story was about me, the CEO’s only daughter, falling in love with one of my father’s drivers. The movie made it so that he was upset about his only daughter falling for a driver.
On the day of the shoot, the driver character told me I needed to familiarize with the area and took me to his home in the ghetto. On our way, area boys stopped us, broke my car’s headlight, and demanded money. At that time, I was paid ₦5,000 per episode, but I gave them the ₦5,000, and they still demanded more, up to ₦100,000, which I didn’t have. I pleaded with them until a woman came to my rescue. She knew one of their bosses and called him. He later came and escorted me safely from Ajegunle to Eric Moore.
We face challenges like this in the industry, but during my time, there was much love amongst senior actors and younger ones. The elderly ones treated us like children, like family. Unlike nowadays where you see arrogance, pride, and disrespect, back then everybody know where he or she is coming from, that’s the way I look at it.
What can you say about the fake life that some of the actors and actresses are living?
We have a lot of them that didn’t expect where they find themselves. What you are not you are calling yourself that’s part of fake life in industry, this life has turned to something else everybody used to just look for what to eat and drink. But some people now believe in gathering treasure by borrowing up and down because of fake life. It should really be about how many lives you imparted in your area, even in your surroundings how many you have helped. Of course, there are genuine people in the industry whom God has blessed, and people know them for their good works.
We knew that you are from magician family like Otunba Toyin Abiola Peller, Mr. Kayode Peller, we heard that you are into magic show with Barrister Saheed Abiola Peller. Can you briefly tell our readers the differences between acting movies and performing magic?
Acting and magic are two different things, though both are forms of entertainment. I come from an entertainment family. My late father, Professor Peller, was a great magician.
According to history, when he was young, a strong wind (iji) took him away for seven years. God had a purpose for his life. People thought he was dead, but he returned, and that was when he began doing magic. He started in Primary school, conjuring biscuits and money. As he grew older, he travelled around the world, performed magic, got married, and became widely known.
He attended conventions with other world-famous magicians like David Copperfield, Criss Angel, and Indian magicians. My brother, Barrister Saheed Abiola Peller, used to attend such conventions in America after our father’s death.
As the saying goes, “Whatever you do, if you don’t pass it to your children, it will die with you.” That’s why virtually everyone in our family knows magic, even my father’s wives. My brother, Reverend Father Kayode Abiola Peller, was popularly called “Young Peller.” I used to follow him to shows across Nigeria, Ibadan, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja, and more. If my father collects show in north, my brother will be heading to east, and we perform in so many places.
Acting, however, has also been in me since childhood, it’s in my blood. My primary school teacher, Mr. Dokun Awolere (a former newscaster on LTV 8), introduced me to cultural and drama groups. He is from Oke-amo via Iseyin but teaches in Iseyin, once he said cultural group and literally group society let’s go to practice I’ll be happy because of the passion I have for acting. I took fashion from my grandmother, all her beads and Aso-oke I used to take it and distribute for my friends to dance, then when I entered secondary school I
joined drama group again. I later proceed to Akure school of technology where I did secretarial administration after i moved back to Lagos to attend singer fashion school in challenge Mushin.
God should grant my oga eternal rest late Akanji gorilla, there is this man also, Taiwo Arogunmatidi is my oga as well, he’s a cameraman then also a producer he is the one that called me when I was in Akure 1998/1999. He said, I have work for you in Akure, and that’s the first movie I shot in Akure titled Ayelu, it was produced with just ₦10,000. I was paid ₦300, which felt like ₦300,000 at the time, and the producer of the movie is Oyin electronics. I later relocated back to Lagos where I joined late prince Alade Aromire, and my sister Peju Aromire is the one that introduced me fully to Alade Aromire, and they came to me with this script and said I have to work with them. We met at Odunfa number 40, then that’s how i became an Actress fully.
The difference between magic and acting is that magic is usually performed
on invitation, while acting is not an everyday practice.
We heard about your foundation, how’s it going?
I founded the Nike Peller Foundation years ago to help people, especially the elderly. I am not saying I am rich, but I give from the little I have. A foundation cannot run alone I thank those who have supported me so far even though I cannot mention all their names, and I still seek more support from home and abroad. The foundation’s goal is to support and care for people in our society. I am using this medium to reach out to people out there to support Nike Peller Foundation and God Almighty will continue to bless you too.
What advice can you give to the youth or people who want to join movie industry?
My advice to people is to be humble. Some people feel that because they have money and fame, they no longer need to respect elders. But humility is important. As artists, we must be good examples to society because we are teaching people knowledge through our acting. Please let’s be of good example as i said earlier that’s my advice.
Are you still acting or producing movies because it has been a while your fans see your work?
Am still in the industry, still acting but it’s when I get called me too. I will also give it to my brother that just came around sometimes ago Kunle Afod. He said Aunty Nike what happen your fans said they are not seeing you in movies anymore, I told him am available. And with the help of God you my fans home and abroad, our daddies and mummies please stand up and support me I want to do a movie which will be in cinema too.
With the situation of the country, please what advice can you give to the government?
Finally, I appeal to the Nigerian government: please look into our problems. Fix the farming system, repair our bad roads, and create employment for our youths. People are suffering. Please, the government should come to our aid.
Thanks so much for sharing your precious time with us ma.
