Veteran Nollywood actor, Dele Odule, has opened up about a harrowing period in his life when he battled acute depression and hopelessness, revealing that he once went to a casket shop to price his own coffin.

The legendary thespian, who began his career in the 1970s before rising to prominence in the 1993 Yoruba classic, Ti Oluwa Nile, made this known during an intimate interview with Feelright TV.

According to Odule, the emotional breakdown occurred in Abeokuta during a phase of deep frustration over his career trajectory. He stated that he felt completely left behind and overshadowed by the success of his former classmates, which drove him to a state of total despair.

“I wasn’t sick, I just believed I could no longer have breakthroughs in the industry. I was fed up. Because all my schoolmates are doing far better than I am and my life was nothing to write home about,” he disclosed.

The actor recalled how a colleague, Olaiya Igwe, accompanied him during the distressing visit to the casket shop and broke down in tears over his state of mind.

Odule, who has remained a formidable figure in the Nigerian film industry for decades, used his story to reflect on the psychological battles entertainers face beneath the spotlight, encouraging young practitioners to find strength during periods of slow growth.