Veteran actress, feminist, and journalist Taiwo Ajai-Lycett turned 80 today! With a career that spans over 50 years, she has been in everything from theatre to TV to movies. And to celebrate the long legacy of this icon, here are 5 things you should know about Taiwo Ajai-Lycett.
1. Her first acting gig was unplanned
Taiwo Ajai-Lycett made her acting debut in December 1966 in Wole Soyinka’s The Lion and the Jewel. But she never actually auditioned for the play! Ajai-Lycett just happened to be in the rehearsal hall and the director William Gaskill convinced her to join the production. She did and became a resounding voice in Nigerian theatre. That was how her 5-decade long acting career started.
She said in an interview, “When I started out as an actor…, I didn’t think I had a choice but I was chosen. I was turned around. I was made to see my true purpose in life.”
2. She was an editor for a women’s magazine in the 1970s
In 1975, Ajai-Lycett was invited to join the staff of Africa Magazine published by Raph Uwechue. Later, she became the pioneer editor of Africa Woman magazine, a women’s magazine for Africans in the diaspora. As editor, she was a participant at the United Nations International Women’s Year.
3. She is a feminist
Taiwo Ajai-Lycett has not only been vocal about the rights and freedoms that women deserve; she has also used her talents to enrich and inspire.
She covered the first International Women’s Conference in Mexico and later in Berlin, Germany. From her acting to her journalism to her interviews, Ajai-Lycett lets other women know they can only be fulfilled when they live on their own terms.
4. She provided on-screen representation for Black women in Britain
Taiwo Ajai-Lycett started gracing British screens at a time when Black women did not have anyone that remotely resembled them on TV. And she acted with such grace and power that convinced an entire generation of actors that it was indeed possible to be Black and powerful and visible and have a voice.
5. She had a child at 15
Taiwo Ajai-Lycett became a mother at 15 and had to drop out of school. However, she said she just kept moving and never stopped to feel sorry for herself. “In my case, I have been lucky to have the strength, motivation, and guidance to keep going,” she said.
Ajai-Lycett later went back to school, The Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London!
