This is the third
installment of my tribute to Nigerians who are making a name for themselves in
Hollywood. As you can see, the list keeps growing; a testament to the fact that
Nigerians are really making waves in Tinsel town. Read on.
Nonso Anozie
Best known for:
Game of Thrones
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| Nonso Anozie Picture: Wikipedia |
Nonso Anozie (full
name Chukwunonso Nwachukwu Anozie) was born in May 1979 in London, England to
Nigerian parents.
In England he
appeared in several stage plays and four films. In the summer of 2002 he played
the title role in William Shakespeare's King Lear, and in 2004 he won the Ian
Charleson Award for his performance in another Shakespeare play, Othello.
Anozie played small
roles in films such as Joe Wright's Atonement and Guy Ritchie's film RocknRolla.
His film other credits include, The Grey, the survival thriller starring Liam
Neeson; Ender’s Game, a science fiction action film; Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit,
and Cinderella, among others.
In 2011, he played
a pirate and close friend of Conan, in Conan the Barbarian. That year he was
also cast to play the role of the powerful merchant Xaro Xhoan Daxos in the hit
TV series Game of Thrones.
His huge 6ft-6inch
and 250-pound frame made him suitable to play the role of Samson in History
Channel's television miniseries The Bible.
Anozie, a versatile
actor, has also appeared in other TV series such as Tut, Zoo, Sense8 and Doctor
Who.
Ene Oloja
Best known for: The
Brave One
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| Ene Oloja Picture: www.naijadivaexpress.org |
Ene Oloja stands
out in this list because, unlike the other names, she was born and bred in
Nigeria. She had also become a household name in Nigeria before venturing
abroad.
Born in 1957, Oloja
is the first of eleven children. In 1974, she gained admission into the
University of Ibadan, Nigeria, to study Theatre Arts. She will be remembered
for her powerful performances in the hit drama series Cockcrow at Dawn as well
as Behind The Clouds, which aired on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in
the 1980s.
She won several
national and international awards for her role in Cockcrow At Dawn as an
actress and scriptwriter.
After making a name
for herself on Nigerian television, she moved to the USA in 1991, at the age of
34. She had to adapt to a different lifestyle and culture, therefore her
ability to get jobs in the USA is highly commendable.
“The film industry
in the United States is the most difficult career field to break into even for
indigenes, let alone artistes from other countries around the world,” Oloja
said in a 2007 interview.
In New York she was
involved in theatrical plays with some actors from Nigeria, South Africa,
Guyana and Jamaica. Along with four others, Oloja put together a theatre
production, Echoes from the Diaspora, in 1993. The thought-provoking production
dealt with the immigration experiences of people of colour from the Diaspora.
It was staged in New York and New Jersey to packed audiences.
She finally got a
film role in The Brave One, a 2007 action thriller directed by Neil Jordan.
Though her name didn't appear in the opening credits, she gave a riveting
performance.
Oloja says the way
she got involved with the film was "God's miracle." She was alongside
the Oscar Award winning actress Jodie Foster. Her character, Udo Josai, is an
African immigrant who first becomes a neighbour and eventually a confidant to a
troubled radio show host Erica Bain (Foster’s character).
Oloja may not be
very popular in the USA but Nigeria she remains a household name and is widely
referred to as the doyen of acting in Nigeria.
Gbenga Akinnagbe
Best known for: The
Wire
Gbenga Akinnagbe is
an actor and writer. He was born in December 1978 in Washington, D.C., USA to
Nigerian parents. The second of six children, he was raised in Silver Spring,
Maryland.
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| Gbenga Akinnagbe Picture: www.24spoilers.com |
Akinnagbe attended
Bucknell University on a wrestling scholarship, majoring in Political Science
and English.
In 2004, he had a
frequent recurring role in the series The Wire. Four years later, during the
show’s fifth and final season, as his stock grew, he became a series regular.
He has appeared in
many other TV series such as Numb3rs, and Law & Order: Special Victims
Unit. He played the role of Pastor Isiah Easton in the award winning series The
Good Wife. He also played CIA agent Eric Ritter in 24: Live Another Day as well
as a drug lord in Graceland. He also stars as nurse Kelly Slater, in the series
Nurse Jackie.
The 38-year-old
actor has also made a name for himself in the big screen, appearing in films
such as The Savages (2007) and the remake of The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009),
as well as Lottery Ticket.
Akinnagbe, who is a
cousin of DC rapper Wale, clinched leading roles in two independent films, Home
and Big Words.
Ashley Madekwe
Best known for:
Revenge
Ashley Madekwe was
born in 1983 in East London, England to a Nigerian father and Swiss mother.
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| Ashley Madekwe Picture: Wikipedia |
She attended the
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London where she gained a BA in acting. In
school she took part in many stage plays such as King Henry V and Wuthering
Heights.
Her TV credits in
England include Drop Dead Gorgeous, Teachers, Casualty and Secret Diary of a
Call Girl, among others. She also appeared in the films Venus (2006), and Woody
Allen’s Cassandra’s Dream (2007).
When she decided to
relocate from London to Los Angeles to further her career, her agent in the UK
tried to discourage her, saying it “wasn’t her time.” But that only helped to
inspire Madekwe, who says she had always wanted to have an international
career.
In the US she said
she initially found it hard to get roles because of her mixed race. “There’s an
archaic view of what it means to be a black woman sometimes in TV and film,”
she said in Elle magazine.
After about a year
of endless auditions, Madekwe finally made her official US debut in 2009 when
she took part in the short-lived drama series The Beautiful Life.
Instead of giving
up and running back to England, she decided to keep trying. Her patience and persistence
paid off. The next year, she got the part of social-climbing party planner
Ashley Davenport in Revenge, enjoying a regular part in the first two seasons
of the hit series. She currently plays the role of witch Tituba in the series
Salem.
The 33-year-old is
married to British actor Iddo Goldberg. They have appeared in many productions
together.
More to Come!!!
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