As far as Nollywood thrillers go, Iguana, his iconic red waistcoat and his obsession with a flower pot remains unforgettable.

The character made its appearance in the 2000 Mount Zion thriller, ‘Captives of the Mighty’ and is till date, the character that comes to mind whenever the name Doyin Hassan is mentioned. While the actor went on to feature in nearly a dozen Mount Zion films, his debut feature film performance as the fear gripping Iguana continues to overshadow his over two decades acting career. 

Hassan was not always nightmare inspiring. The Canada-based filmmaker began his acting career from high school where he was part of a school touring drama group. 

In 1985, he featured in 'The Heretic', a TV series produced by Baba Babs-Fashina and Jimi Odumosu. This was his very first professional performance. The project was very successful during its run, earning it a nomination for the Nigerian Festival of Television Programmes (NIFETEP ‘86). 

The success of the fan-favourite series birthed his performance in stage plays in the late 90s and early 2000s some of which include 'Sango & Saworoide', 'Agogo-Eewo', 'Died Wretched', 'Arrows of God'. 

After a successful theater run, the thespian had his first feature film break in the thriller written, produced and directed by Mike Bamiloye.

The film's plot is based on Mabel ( Funmi Okeowo) who suffers a miscarriage every time she encounters the flagitious Iguana in her dreams. Following several miscarriages, Mabel teams up with her husband and they both defeat the unrepentant demon. 

19 years later, ‘Captives of the Mighty’ remains one of the most popular films released by the gospel film production company and Iguana, one of Nollywood’s most dreaded villains. 

Have you seen ‘Captives of the Mighty’? Watch here: