‘Bob Hearts Abishola’ Actor Tony Tambi Said His Car Crash and ER Trip Would Be ‘A Really Cool Movie’

Several actors gone after ‘safe’ career paths before choosing to chase their creative dreams. Bob Hearts Abishola actor Tony Tambi felt the same way while working as an accountant, until one day, took a road trip with a friend to LA. However, the road there had some unfortunate surprises. The future Billy Gardell and Folake Olowofoyeku co-star Tony Tambi got into a car crash and went to the ER. Instead of choosing to head home after an event like that, he recalled thinking the whole scenario would make “a really cool movie.”

Who is Tony Tambi, who plays Chukuemeka in ‘Bob Hearts Abishola’?

In Bob Hearts Abishola, Tony Tambi plays Chukuemeka, a Nigerian pharmacist who finds his love life overcomplicated. Gina Yashere’s drama-prone Kemi and his ex-arranged fiance Morenike (Tori Danner) have caused him a lot of issues.

In Bob Hearts Abishola Season 3, he has found himself involved with the plotline revealing Morenike as gay.

While his character struggles to take anything in stride, Tambi handled a car crash better than most people. Long before he joined the Chuck Lorre sitcom, he left his job as an accountant to chase his acting dreams in LA.

“Something that really affected me was coming to LA from Minnesota. I decided to make it a road trip,” Tambi told FatalCut Entertainment. “And a friend of mine, a roommate at the time, we got into an accident around a small town called Sydney, Nebraska.”

‘Bob Hearts Abishola’ Tony Tambi said not even a car crash could stop him from following his passion 

When Bob Hearts Abishola’s Tony Tambi got in a car crash, he had a lot of doubts flood his mind. Even lead actor Folake Olowofoyeku would not have gotten her role if she did not move to LA.

However, his mind quickly changed its tune at the ER.

“My car was totaled, we went to the ER,” Tambi said. “And I remember looking in the mirror in the ER and I was crying, telling myself ‘what am I doing, why am I going to LA? Why am I leaving an accounting degree behind to come do this?’ And as I was crying, I thought to myself, ‘wow, this could be a really cool movie.’”

Unlike his Bob Hearts Abishola character, Chukuemeka, who often gives in to pressure from his mother Ogechi (Kimberly Scott) and Kemi, Tony Tambi refused to back down in real life.

“That’s when I knew that something like that [car crash] couldn’t stop me from doing what I wanted to do,” Tambi revealed. “That’s when I was sure that this is exactly what I wanted to do.”

The Chukuemeka actor said that his car crash marked a ‘make or break’ moment

Tony Tambi did not debut on Bob Hearts Abishola until episode four when Abishola’s Auntie Olu (Shola Adewusi) tried to set her up on a date.

However, if he gave up after the car crash, he might never have joined the show at all.

“That was a make or break me moment, I should have said, ‘You know what? Let this go, go play it safe, go to your 9 to 5 as an accountant,’” Tambi continued. “But I was like, no, that’s not me. I’m gonna keep on going and follow my passion.”

Bob Hearts Abishola Season 3, while Douglas (Matt Jones) tries to figure out his never dynamic with bus driver Olivia (Edy Ganem), Tambi’s character tries to sort his feelings to appease his mom, Kemi, and Morenike.

Fans can catch Bob Hearts Abishola Season 3 Monday nights at 8:30 pm EST or stream previous episodes through Paramount+.