Nollywood acts have proven to be extra ordinarily outstanding this year 2016, some of these young talents have graced the screen and entertained their audiences through widely acclaimed movies that made waves this year in cinemas and film festivals across Nigeria, Africa and around the world. In no particular order, starting off with;
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Adesua Etomi
She was born Tolulope Adesua Etomi in Owerri, a town in Imo State of South Eastern Nigeria to a soldier father and an engineer mother. Etomi is the youngest of three siblings. She is a native of Esan in Edo State, South-South Nigeria and her mother is Yoruba. She also attended Corona Primary School, Victoria Island, Lagos State and began her Secondary School education at the Queens College, Lagos then moved to the United Kingdom at age 13 and continued her education at the Harris Girls Academy (formerly Waverely School) before moving on to City College, Coventry. She obtained Diplomas in Performing Arts and Musical & Physical Theatre. Etomi holds a Bachelors of Arts, First Class Degree in Drama & Performance from the University of Wolverhampton. Upon graduation in 2009, she was awarded the Foursight Theatre Award for the Best Performance in A Devised Piece of Work.
Her film credits include Falling; a feature film from Closer Pictures which opened in theaters all over Nigeria in September 2015, her performance in Falling earned her the 2016 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Best Actress in A Drama Award. Others include; A Soldier’s Story by Frankie Ogar released in October 2015, InkBlot’s Out of Luck released in December 2015 and Lord Tanner’s Couple Of Days, which was released in February 2016. Adesua Etomi has also starred in MTV’s HIV/AIDS Edutainment show Shuga as Sheila and stars as undercover police officer; Amaka Obiora in Yemisi Wada’s police procedural drama series; LasGidi Cops, which debuted in June 2016 on Television.
Nollywood Actress Adesua Etomi has had a tremendous year with two of the biggest movie this year “The Arbitration” and ”The wedding Party” where she acts the leading role in both movie, she is one actress with great works.
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Wole Ojo
Dewole Ojo popularly known as Wole Ojo was born on 6 June 1984 in Nigeria. He holds a Bachelor Degree in Creative Arts from the University of Lagos. He commenced his professional acting career at the tender age of 9-years-old when he featured in childrens series Kidivision 101 and hit family sitcom One Big Family both which aired on Nigeria Television Authority NTA. He broke into the Nigerian scene in 2009, after winning the fourth edition of the Amstel Malta Box Office reality show.He recently won an award for Best Student Actor at the 2010 Peak Awards and is the brand ambassador of Amstel Malta. Wole Ojo currently features on M-Net’s hit series, Tinsel. He has acted alongside amazing actors and actresses like Adesua Etomi, Yvonne Jegede and others.
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Somkele Idhalama
Also known as Iyamah, was born in Delta State but went to school in Lagos. Her sisters are Oby and Dumebi. After finishing school she went to university in Ottawa in Canada. She played a fashion designer named Yvonne in NdaniTV’s series Gidi Up with Titilope Sonuga, Deyemi Okanlawon, OC Ukeje and Ikechukwu Onunaku. Her sister Dumebi is a fashion designer. Iyamah is married and had a son in 2014. In 2016 she was invited with OC Ukeje to attend the Toronto International Film Festival as “rising stars”.
At the 2016 Afriff Globe Awards special recognition by the Jury for my role in 93days, she has had a major success this year with block buster movies like The Arbitration, 93days and The Wedding Party, Somkele Idhalama is one star to look out for.
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Blossom Chukwujekwe
Born Chukwudi Echeloned Chukwujekwu on November 4, 1983 in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria to Dr. I.E and Evangelist J.C Chukwujekwu. Blossom Chukwujekwu is the first of two sons. He is a native of Toole, Newel North in Anambra State, Southeast Nigeria. He attended Greater Tomorrow Primary School and Greater Tomorrow Comprehensive College both in Benin City, Edo State. For his tertiary education, Blossom opted to study Mass Communications.
In 2009, after several auditions Chukwujekwu landed the lead role in the yet to be released Nigeria soap opera; Portrait Of Passion. That same year he was cast in his first feature film, Vivian Ejike’s Private Storm alongside Omotola Jalade Ekeinde and Ramsey Nouah. Blossom was profiled on Africa Magic’s Nollywood show, Jara, as one of the top 5 actors to watch out for in 2013. He was number 4 on ace Nollywood director, Charles Novia’s list of the best actors of 2013, In 2012 Chukwujekwu landed a role in Flower Girl which was his breakout movie. Released in 2013, it achieved critical and commercial success in Nigeria, Ghana, the United Kingdom and film festivals in the USA and Canada. Chukwujekwu’s next block buster feature film, Finding Mercy, was one of the most anticipated and successful movies of 2013. It was the closing film at the African International Film Festival (AFRIFF 2013).In 2014 Knocking on Heaven’s Door opened in cinemas nationwide on April 18.
Chukwujekwu’s performance as the abusive and emotionally volatile “Moses” earned him the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice 2015 Best Supporting Actor award. Blossom’s most notable film credits include Flower Girl (2013), Finding Mercy (2013) alongside Rita Dominic, Knocking on Heaven’s Door (2014) with Majid Michel, The Visit(2015) with Nse Ikpe-Etim, A Place Called Happy (2015) and Ghana Must Go (2015) with Yvonne Okoro. He has featured in a handful of TV dramas & series, such as Tinsel on MNET, where he played Mr. Akinlolu Hart, MTV BASE HIV themed Shuga, CATWALK by Emem Isong and Monalisa Chinda, Greg Odutayo’s My Mum and I, About to Wed and Married. Chukwujekwu plays the lead role of Kelechi Pepple in Nigeria’s first indigenous Telenovella; Taste of Love.
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Olayode Juliana
Real name is Olayode Juliana a.k.a Toyosi baby (nickname picked from popular TV series, Jenifa’s Diary) never believed that she would one day act alongside her screen idol, Funke Akindele. She won the hearts of so many Nigerians with her outstanding performance in Jenifa’s Diary and has also started landing major roles in forth coming Nollywood movies and we can’t wait to see them.
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Olumide Oworu
Most well-known for his television roles as Tari in the Africa Magic series The Johnsons and as Weki in MTV’s Shuga, he also has notable film credits in 8 Bars and a Clef, A Soldier’s Story, Stolen Waters and The Room. He was already modeling and doing radio voice-overs before he started acting at the age of six in the popular Nigerian TV Soap Opera Everyday People as Wole Johnson. He had done a lot of modeling in the corporate and fashion world before his big break in acting.
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Linda Ejiofor
Ejiofor was born in Lagos, Nigeria and she is the second of five children. She is a descent of Isuikwuato in Abia State, Nigeria. She attended Ilabor Primary School, Surulere. She then furthered her studies at Federal Government Girls’ College, Onitsha, and studied sociology at the University of Port Harcourt.
Linda Ejiofor (born Linda Ihuoma Ejiofor) is a Nigerian actress and model known for her role as Bimpe Adekoya in M-Net’s TV series Tinsel. She was nominated in the category Best Actress in a Supporting role for her first feature film, The Meeting (2012), at the 9th Africa Movie Academy Awards. Tony Ogaga Erhariefe of The Sun Nigeria listed her as one of the 10 fastest rising Nollywood stars of 2013.
These Nollywood stars have proved themselves worthy of admiration and we expect many more works from them in the coming year.
