Kayode Jnr Ojuolape, Debby Felix and Michael Asuelime have opened up about the personal experiences that helped them connect with their characters in ‘Crossroads: The Blueprint’, Onyx Network Media’s four-episode limited series now streaming on YouTube.

At a screening of the series, the actors reflected on Afang Gyang’s decision to leave the comfort of his wealthy family in Jos to build a life for himself in Lagos and how the character’s struggles intersected with their own experiences of pursuing careers in the creative industry.

For Ojuolape, who plays Afang, the character’s circumstances were largely unfamiliar. But he found a connection in Afang’s mental struggle to establish himself in an unfamiliar environment.

“Afang is a character that I have nothing in common with,” Ojuolape said. “But I could relate to some of his mental struggles in terms of wanting to make a name for himself in a land where he doesn’t know anybody.”

Afang arrives in Lagos with the advantage of a wealthy family behind him but deliberately chooses to step away from that safety net as he attempts to prove himself. That tension became one of the defining elements of Ojuolape’s approach to the role.

The actor also described the psychological demands of playing Afang as more significant than the physical demands of some of his previous roles.

Compared with ‘Ijogbon’ and ‘Slum King’, where he was required to perform stunts and deal with greater physical demands, Ojuolape ranked ‘Crossroads: The Blueprint’ second to Slum King in terms of its effect on his mental health.

“I really like Afang’s story,” he said, pointing particularly to the character’s relationship with Tunde, his boss at the firm. “He was like a necessary evil. I didn’t like him, but I needed to work with him.”

For Debby Felix, who also stars as the leader of the architecture design firm in the series, Afang’s decision to leave home for a difficult path resonated more directly.

Felix recalled leaving home herself to pursue acting and initially having to squat while looking for ways to make money and establish herself in the industry.

“I had to leave home as well. To become an actor,” she said. “For me, I started by squatting, looking for a way to make money, to enter the industry.”

Her experience, she said, made it easier to understand the uncertainty faced by young people who want to leave familiar surroundings in pursuit of something of their own.

“Many young people actually want to come out of their comfort zone, but they don’t know how to do it,” Felix said, noting that the challenges can be difficult for people who have never encountered them before.

Korede Ajayi, who plays Tunde, approached the story from a different kind of insecurity. He described Tunde as a once-indispensable employee who begins to feel threatened when a younger, faster colleague arrives with new ideas.

Ajayi compared the character’s anxiety to the current fears surrounding artificial intelligence and the possibility of workers becoming obsolete.

“This is one guy who was the ‘in thing’ at the firm,” Ajayi said. “I was the brilliant guy, the guy with the idea. The Beyoncé of the firm.”

But the arrival of Afang changes that dynamic, forcing Tunde to confront the possibility that the qualities that once made him valuable may no longer be enough.

“He’s coming with brilliant ideas that make you feel insecure,” Ajayi said. “Like, yeah, this used to be me. I’m not obsolete.”

The different perspectives point to the broader concerns at the centre of ‘Crossroads: The Blueprint’: ambition, professional insecurity and the difficulty of building an identity outside familiar structures.

Directed by Tega Idogho and produced by Manuel Ruben, the series follows Afang as he navigates a high-stakes startup in Lagos after leaving the comfort of his wealthy family in Jos.

The cast also includes Cassandra Leonard and Michael Asuelime. Dinma Faith and Ọnụọha Udochukwu Ebubedike wrote the series, which is produced by Onyx Network Media.

‘Crossroads: The Blueprint’ began streaming on Onyx Network Media’s YouTube channel on July 23, 2026.

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