"Transformers" Actor Remi Adeleke on How God and Michael Bay Radically Changed His Life

Leah Marieann Klett : Jul 03, 2017
The Gospel Herald

“I try to be a light wherever I go. I try to be aware that I carry the presence of God with me. Whatever's going on around me, I walk in obedience to God; I try to be obedient and stay in prayer and the Word of God. No matter what your situation, no matter what obstacles you face, trust God.” – Remi Adeleke

(Los Angeles, CA) — [Gospel Herald] As a teen, "Transformers" actor Remi Adeleke lived life in the fast lane. (Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures via The Gospel Herald)

"Living in the Bronx in the 90's, I got involved in some pretty bad activities," Remi told theGospel Herald in an exclusive interview. "I was stealing from jobs, running scams, selling drugs, hanging out with a rough crowd. By the time I was 19, I had a ton of money from the stuff I was doing. I had it all in my eyes."

But God had other plans for Remi: Today, he's a former Navy SEAL and an up-and-coming actor who appears in the recently released "Transformers: The Last Knight.” He's also starring in Jockey's "Show 'Em What's Underneath" campaign, which encourages customers to embrace their true selves.

More importantly, he's a husband, father of two, and a devout Christian who believes his path is entirely orchestrated by God.

"When God starts something, He's been faithful to complete it - no matter what obstacles I've faced," Remi said. "Throughout my life, God has shown He had a plan, and His plan is way better than my plan. God may not give us what we want all the time, but He will always give us what we need."

Remi knows a thing or two about overcoming obstacles.

Born in Nigeria, Remi, along with his mother and brother, were forced to immigrate to New York in 1987 after his father passed away.

"Growing up, we had cars, we had nannies - we had everything," he recalled. "But, the same time my father died, the Nigerian government destroyed everything. I went from having everything to having nothing. I tried to fill the void in my life by stealing and scamming."

And then, two drastically different figures entered his life: God and Michael Bay.

"When I was 19, I lost everything after a drug deal gone wrong," Remi said. "Proverbs 13:11 says, 'Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.' I gave up my former life and just stayed home, I literally did nothing for six months."

After watching Bay's "Bad Boys," starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, and "The Rock", Remi was struck with an overwhelming sense of hope.

"These guys onscreen - they looked like me, but they were good guys, they were heroes," he said. "For the first time in my life, I realized I could be something more than a thug."

As he lay in bed one night, Remi heard a voice speaking to him, telling him to join the military.

"At the time, I thought it was my subconscious bothering me, but looking back, it was the voice of God," he said. "I battled with …”

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