"It's not my vibe." Mike Afolarin almost turned down the role of Gidibo in Red Circle

Mike Afolarin almost didn’t take the role of Gidibo in 'Red Circle'. “I just thought, man, I don’t know… It’s not my vibe,” he said during our interview. But a series of conversations with director Akay Mason changed his mind. “Apparently I had it in me somewhere.”

In the gritty crime saga set in Oshodi, Mike Afolarin plays Gidibo — the ride-or-die lieutenant who ends up challenging his boss, Oshisko (played by Lateef Adedimeji), after a mysterious woman changes the gang’s hierarchy. Though viewers have praised Afolarin's transformation, he hasn’t seen much of the reaction himself. “Really?” he said when told that people loved his performance. “I haven’t seen it.”

His prep for the character was hands-on — from shooting in Oshodi to working closely with Lateef Adedimeji. “He’s such an amazing actor. A legend, if I may say. That really helped me get into it,” he shared. “Who I was on the first day of the set wasn’t who I was on the last day.”

When asked what drove Gidibo to betray Oshisko, Afolarin didn’t see it as betrayal. “I think it was more like protective instincts for his hood. He knew his superior was making weird decisions, and he was like, ‘Why are you switching up on our loyalty because of some Banana Island girl?’” he explained.

If Mike Afolarin had the chance to direct a spinoff, he’d give Gidibo his own project — and maybe dive deeper into Shams and the Holloways. “There should be more to that.”

And before signing off, he delivered a teaser in full Gidibo mode. “A o fe oshi ni bi bayi o," he grinned.

Watch 'Red Circle' in cinemas nationwide from June 6, 2025.

Starring Folu Storms, Tobi Bakre, Timini Egbuson, Mike Afolarin, Omowunmi Dada, Bukky Wright, Femi Branch, Ibrahim Suleiman, Taiye Arimoro, Detola Jones, Rugged Man, Kanyin Eros, Bayo Royale, Kuchi Chris, Patrick Diabuah, William Benson, and Inem King.

Directed by Akay Mason. Written by Abdul Tijani-Ahmed.

#MikeAfolarin #RedCircle


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