The announcement of Nollywood actor, Jimmy Odukoya, son of Bimbo and Taiwo Odukoya as the senior pastor of the Fountain of Life Church (TFOLC) on Sunday sparked a variety of reactions.

Recall that the Church’s founder, Pastor Taiwo Odukoya, died on August 7, 2023, in the United States and was finally laid to rest on Saturday, September 9.

Nonetheless, Jimmy, who has now taken on the role of the church’s spiritual leader following his father’s passing, had previously stated that his acting career would not be influenced by his pastoral duties.

During a January 2021 Instagram Live interview with actress and presenter Iretiola Doyle, Jimmy expressed that he doesn’t mind playing antagonist roles in movies as long as they align with his personal beliefs and values.

Jimmy, as the successor to the Odukoya legacy, emphasized that acting and pastoral duties are distinct roles and rejected the notion of being labeled a “Christian actor,” as he believed the two roles should not be intertwined.

According to him, he would play any role as an actor as far as people can learn from it.

“How does being a pastor affect my acting career? I don’t believe it; some people have different opinions, one is if I am an actor, I should be a Christian actor, and I say there is no such thing.

“There is no such thing as a Christian banker, a Christian doctor, a Christian accountant, or a gynaecologist.

“An accountant is an accountant, and an actor is an actor. Because I am a Christian and an actor, that means I have a particular worldview,” the star of Netflix’s Woman King movie said during the said interview.

“In what I do as a person when I am given a role, I ask myself, ‘does this align with my worldview? Can a lesson be learned from this story?’ If the answer is yes, then I am happy to do it.

“It does not mean that I have to be a good guy; I am happy to be the antagonist as long as people can learn from it,” Jimmy said.

Recalls that Jimmy started his acting career in 2016 after featuring in Baby Shower.

He has been nominated for the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Award (AMVCA) in the “Best Supporting Actor of the Year” category.