Folákẹ́ Olówófoyekù is an award-winning actor, musician, and advocate. She played the titular character in the CBS sitcom Bob Hearts Abishola from the show's debut in September 2019 until its finale on May 6, 2024, making history as the first Nigerian to portray a Nigerian on prime-time TV . She is also featured in Disney's Mufasa: The Lion King (2024).

Olowofoyekù's acting career started in the early 2000s with an appearance in the Classical Theatre of Harlem's production of Trojan Women. She made her TV debut in a 2005 episode of Law & Order, followed by appearances on 30 Rock, Sex and the City, Westworld, Modern Family, Colony, and How to Get Away with Murder. She also acted in films such as When They Could Fly (2006), Female Fight Squad (2016), Death Race 2050 (2017), and Armed (2018), as well as in an off-Broadway theatre production. In 2013, she appeared in two David Bowie music videos, "The Stars" and "Next Day", playing the bass guitar. Additionally, she has done voice work for video games, including Star Wars VR Series and World of Warcraft.

The actor was born on October 26, 1983, to Chief Babatunji Olowofoyeku, a renowned Nigerian politician and lawyer, and Chief Felicia Olowofoyeku. Despite her father's classical music training and her siblings' piano skills, her family expected Olowofoyeku to follow the traditional path of law and politics. However, she felt an artistic pull early and sought creative outlets by writing poetry and rap songs while growing up in Nigeria. She honed her piano skills and learned to play the guitar by sneaking to the church behind her home and convincing the bassist to teach her. By age 15, Olowofoyeku began visiting radio stations and auditioning for modeling roles, hoping to kickstart her career.

Her early and teenage years spanned Nigeria, the United Kingdom, and the United States, giving her a dynamic upbringing and a rich appreciation of diverse cultures and worldviews. When Olowofoyeku moved to New York in 2001, a wider world of artistic opportunities opened up. With the same tenacity she had in Nigeria, she began auditioning and mapping a path for herself. She enrolled at City College New York (CCNY) to study Economics, with plans to attend law school. However, she switched to a theatre major after discovering that CCNY focused on musical theatre. Following her intuition and desire to get her SAG card early, Olowofoyeku auditioned extensively for acting roles and soon earned her first few breaks. At school, she studied, worked part-time, and played basketball, joining the college's NCAA Division III basketball team, the CCNY Beavers. Despite having no prior basketball experience, she learned the rules from a PlayStation game and, by her second year, was averaging triple-doubles in assists, scoring, and rebounds.

Folake Olowofoyeku's acting career has been marked by her love for Nigerian culture, history, and representation. Despite pressure from potential agents and managers, she refused to alter her name, accent, or features. This commitment has grown over the years, even after her college role as Sally Bowles in Cabaret sparked controversy due to her race. In 2024, the king of her ancestral home, Ilesa, Nigeria, conferred upon her two special traditional chieftaincy positions, Yèyé Oba and Yèyé Atáyése, making her a titled chief like her parents before her. The actor, who currently lives in LA, speaks fluent English and Yoruba, and has a passion for Afrofuturism.

In 2019, Olowofoyeku made her TV lead debut in Bob Hearts Abishola, infusing Abishola's character with dignity as she portrayed her as an authentic Nigerian woman navigating career, single motherhood, and love. The show's creators, Eddie Gorodetsky and Chuck Lorre, encouraged Olowofoyeku's contributions in shaping Abishola, which contributed to the character's success. This role earned Olowofoyeku an Image Award (NAACP) nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series in 2021. The actor also won the ReelHeART International Film Festival's Best Actress Award for When They Could Fly (2007) and the CinéFashion Film Best Actress in a Short Film Award for Central & Broadway (2018).

In addition to acting, Folake Olowofoyeku writes and performs music under the stage name "Folake." Her style, which she describes as Afro-rock, is a fusion of folk, soul, and rock. Her first music video for single, "Ehen Ehen Okay Okay," was inspired by seeing Fela! on Broadway. She wrote the song quickly upon returning home. The multi-talented artist enjoys sound engineering and has a diploma in audio engineering from the Institute of Audio Research. Beyond the arts, Olowofoyeku is an advocate who gives back to Nigeria, sharing what she has learned and the healing she has found through years of exploration. She works with charities that promote health, wellness, and sustainable practices, including the Endometriosis Foundation, due to her own debilitating experience with the disease from age 13 into adulthood, and David Oyelowo's Gean Co Foundation, which caters to girls in Eastern Nigeria.

Olowofoyeku loves animals, being in nature, and engaging in high-intensity sports like basketball.