Nigerian-born actress Folake Olowofoyeku has won the heart of critics and audiences alike with her title role in the CBS half-hour comedy “Bob Hearts Abishola.” In this comedic examination of immigrant life in America from a creative team led by Chuck Lorre (“The Big Bang Theory,” “Two and a Half Men”), a middle-aged, divorced medical sock salesman (Billy Gardell) from Detroit suffers a heart attack and falls for his cardiac nurse (Folake), an immigrant from Nigeria and young single mom.
“Olowofoyeku bewitches as the delightfully gruff and straightforward Abishola,” applauds the Hollywood Reporter, recognizing the “surprising level of nuance” in the series which renders it “nothing short of groundbreaking.” Audiences seem to agree, tuning in to make it one of the highest rated among the network’s series. In addition, Folake just received the 2019 Breakout Actress in TV Award for her work on “Bob Hearts Abishola.” on behalf of the Sync Con Honors Awards – a music, film and TV honors, with a focus on entertainment, sports and visual media.
On television, Folake was recently seen in a four-episode arc on “Transparent” in the wake of guest spots on numerous episodic series including; “Westworld,” “How to Get Away with Murder,” and “Modern Family”. In addition to being named Best Actress In a Short Film for CENTRAL & BROADWAY at the 2018 CinéFashion Film Awards, she also won Best Actress for her leading role in the short film drama WHEN THEY COULD FLY at the 2006 ReelHeART International Film Festival in Toronto.
Growing up in Nigeria, the youngest of twenty children, Folake always dreamt of being in the arts, a dream that went squarely against the wishes of her parents, Chief Babatunji and Chief Mrs. Felicia Olowofoyeku, who insisted on the family profession of law and politics. During a summer vacation in New York City, unbeknownst to her family, Folake began to pursue her goal as a student at City College of New York, where she would earn her B.A. with honors in theatre and a diploma in Audio Engineering from The Institute of Audio Research (IAR), also distinguishing herself on the basketball court where she competed with CCNY’s Beavers in the NCAA. She subsequently moved to Los Angeles to earn success in the film and television industry.
