Hubert Ogunde Convinced Me To Quit Nursing For Acting – Iya Rainbow

Veteran Nollywood actress Idowu Philips, popularly known as Iya Rainbow, has revealed that late theatre legend Hubert Ogunde persuaded her to resign from her nursing job and focus entirely on acting, a decision she says transformed her life and career.

Speaking in an interview with Feel Right News TV, the 83-year-old actress said she worked as a nurse while performing with the Osumare Theatre Group before Ogunde encouraged her to become a full-time actress.

According to her, she worked at the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba, Lagos General Hospital and other healthcare facilities while building her acting career.

Iya Rainbow recalled that Hubert Ogunde watched her perform in the Rabiatu Dance Drama at the Glover Memorial Hall in Lagos and was impressed by her performance.

She said Ogunde immediately advised her to leave nursing and dedicate herself fully to theatre.

“When we wanted to perform the Rabiatu Dance Drama, everybody knew Baba Ogunde was the king of dance drama. Before my husband, Augustine Ayanfemi Philips, died, he had trained us.

“We performed the drama in Lagos, and Baba Ogunde came with his three wives to watch. After the performance, he asked, ‘Wasn’t that Idowu who played Rabiatu? Wasn’t it Idowu who performed so well? And she said she didn’t want to leave nursing? Go and resign from nursing and take up theatre fully. You’re good at it.’

“His wives greeted me, and that was all. In 1986, I wrote and submitted my resignation letter.”

The actress also spoke about the support she received from Hubert Ogunde after the death of her husband, Augustine “Baba Osumare” Philips, founder of the Osumare Theatre Group, who died in 1984.

She recalled that Ogunde encouraged her to stop wearing mourning clothes whenever she visited his home.

“I salute Hubert Ogunde; may his soul rest in perfect peace. He was my husband’s boss and mentor. After my husband died, I always wore mourning clothes whenever I visited him.

“One day, he told me never to come to his house dressed like that again. His wife gave me another dress, and he asked them to tear the mourning dress.

“He told me, ‘You don’t mourn with the body but with the mind.’ He continued supporting my husband’s theatre group and stood by me.”

Iya Rainbow admitted that resigning from nursing was an emotional decision because many of her patients pleaded with her to stay.

“The patients I cared for refused to let me resign. They said even when I scolded them, I still took good care of them.

“There were many patients whose hospital bills I paid with my own money.”

The veteran actress also addressed the long-standing rumour that late actor Baba Agbako was the biological father of Fuji musician Pasuma.

She dismissed the claim as false, explaining that Pasuma’s late mother worked as an actress under Baba Agbako, leading many people to wrongly assume there was a family relationship.

According to Iya Rainbow, Pasuma was already a young man before his mother introduced him to members of the theatre community. She also praised the Fuji star for remaining loyal to those who shared a close relationship with his late mother even after becoming successful.

Iya Rainbow is regarded as one of the pioneers of the Yoruba film industry, with a career spanning more than five decades across stage and screen. She has featured in hundreds of productions and remains one of the industry’s most respected actresses.