Hakeem Kae-Kazim on Being a Family Man - "I'm Nicely Tied Down"

Hakeem Kae-Kazim is one of the top ten Nigerians working in the international entertainment industry, and has recently become a staple feature in both Hollywood and Nollywood. He gained prominence in the Oscar nominated film Hotel Rwanda, and has also been seen in other American movies and TV Shows. He debuted in Nigeria in Inale, and also starred in Last Flight to Abuja, Black November, and the upcoming Half of a Yellow Sun.


However, not much is known about Hakeem's personal and family until he opened up in this interview about being "nicely tied down" to his South African wife and enjoying his three children. Excerpts from the interview below;

I’m sure you get a lot of attention from the ladies for your voice. How about relationships?
I’m nicely tied down actually. I’m married and I’ve got three little girls – Aisha, Shada and Jadesola.

Is your wife in the industry as well?
No, she’s not. She’s a blessing. She works in the hotel industry.

How do you two balance it out with you having to travel for work all the time?
That’s a very good question. I mean, it’s hard but, you know, one has to go where the work is so we make it work. When I’m at home, I try to spend as much time with the kids as I can so that sort of balances it out. I take up a lot of the slack when I’m not away.

Are any of your children interested in your line of work?
Maybe the middle one is a little bit but, you know, it’s not something I encourage as such because it’s a very difficult industry to be a part of. On the whole, people think that actors are millionaires but most of them aren’t so it’s very difficult. It’s difficult in terms of the way one works. You’re constantly in search for work and sometimes, you’re working not working for a few months here and there. So, if had the choice, I wouldn’t let them come into the industry to become actors but it’s up to them in the end. If they are passionate about it, I’d be there to support them.

Tell us a little bit about your wife.
Her name is Bronwyn. She’s from South Africa. Two of my kids were born there.

With your rise to fame over the past few years, how have you managed to keep your personal life out of the media?
I’m a family man and I think that is quite boring to the media. They like to see running around and chasing girls. That’s when it goes into the tabloids and the papers. I’m a family man so it’s like ‘what more do they want to know?’

At RML we don't find that boring at all, we believe stable relationships and families are worth celebrating. We wish Hakeem and his family every love and happiness.

You can read the rest of the interview on Bellanaija.