Nollywood actress and filmmaker Toyin Abraham has unveiled BBNaija Season 10 winner Opeyemi Ayanwale, known as Imisi, as the latest cast member of her upcoming film Bestie. In a post shared on her Instagram page, Abraham announced that Imisi will play the character of Suzy Baby, describing her as a darling and the GOAT of BBNaija. Bestie is set to premiere in cinemas nationwide on December 16, 2026.
Imisi’s casting comes less than a year after she won BBNaija Season 10 on October 5, 2025, taking home the N150 million grand prize. It is a fast turnaround for a post-show acting debut, but what stands out most is not the timing, it is the company she is keeping. Abraham had earlier unveiled veteran actors Pete Edochie and Sola Sobowale as Papa Ngozi and Mama Ngozi respectively, placing Imisi’s first credited film role inside a cast built around two of Nollywood’s most respected names, rather than the kind of low stakes cameo BBNaija winners are typically offered in their first year out of the house.
Nollywood has a well established pipeline of BBNaija winners moving into acting, but that path usually starts with smaller parts or comic relief roles before graduating to serious ensemble casts. Imisi, by contrast, is entering that ensemble from her very first outing, a signal that Abraham, whose recent theatrical releases include Alakada: Bad and Boujee and Oversabi Aunty, is treating her less as a reality TV name to capitalise on and more as an actor worth building around from the start.
