Nollywood actress Yvonne Jegede has opened up about the surprising story behind her appearance in 2Baba’s timeless hit, African Queen — a role that introduced her to millions of Nigerians.

Speaking during a candid chat on the Nollywood on Radio podcast, the actress and mother of one revealed that she nearly turned down the opportunity that helped launch her into the spotlight.

“When the director first called me, I didn’t even think twice. I said, ‘No, I’m not interested,’” Yvonne shared with a laugh. At the time, she was fully focused on building her acting career and didn’t think appearing in a music video fit into that plan.

Adding to her reluctance, she admitted she wasn’t familiar with 2Baba’s solo work back then. “I only knew him as part of Plantashun Boiz. So when they mentioned ‘African Queen,’ I was like, ‘Which one is that again?’” she said.

Everything changed when she casually mentioned the offer to her friend Michael. She described brushing it off as “some stupid video,” but Michael immediately urged her to reconsider. “He screamed, ‘Go and do it! That song is amazing!’”

Motivated by his reaction, Yvonne quickly called the director back, got ready overnight, and was on set the next morning — where she met 2Baba for the first time. “I saw him and said to myself, ‘So this is real o,’” she recalled playfully.

While the African Queen video boosted her visibility, Yvonne clarified that she never intended to become a video vixen. “I just wanted to act. That’s always been the dream,” she said. In fact, the only other music video she ever appeared in was Djinee’s Ego, which she did purely as a favour for a friend.

Today, Yvonne Jegede has grown far beyond her early music video fame, building a solid career as a respected actress and film producer in Nollywood.