Genevieve Nnaji

Genevieve Nnaji

Genevieve Nnaji at the launch of her fashion label St.Genevieve in Lagos Nigeria, May 2008
Born Genevieve Nnaji
3 May 1979
Mbaise, Imo, Nigeria
Ethnicity Igbo
Occupation Actress, model, singer
Years active 1987—present
Website
genevieveofficial.com

Genevieve Nnaji (/nˈnɑːdʒi/;[1] born 3 May 1979)[2] is a Nigerian actress and singer.[3][4] She won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in 2005.[5][6][7] In 2011, she was honoured as a Member of the Order of the Federal Republic by the Nigerian government for her contribution to Nollywood.[8]

Early life

Nnaji was born in Mbaise, Imo State, Nigeria but grew up in Lagos, the fourth of eight children and was brought up in a middle class environment. Her father worked as an engineer and her mother as a nursery teacher. She attended Methodist Girls College (Yaba, Lagos), before transferring into the University of Lagos. While at the university, she began auditioning for acting jobs amongst the many Nollywood projects.[7]

Career

Nnaji started her acting career as a child actress in the then popular television soap opera Ripples at the age of 8.[9] In 1998 at the age of 19 she was introduced into the growing Nigerian film industry with the movie "Most Wanted".[10] Her subsequent movies include Last Party, Mark of the Beast and Ijele.[9] In 2010 she starred in the award winning film Ijé: The Journey. Nnaji has starred in over 80 Nollywood movies.[11] Genevieve Nnaji is considered to be one of the best paid actresses in Nollywood.[12][13] In 2009, she was referred to as the Julia Roberts of Africa by Oprah Winfrey.[14][15] In 2004 she signed a recording contract with EKB Records, a Ghanaian record label, and released her debut album One Logologo Line,[16] a mix of R&B, Hip-Hop and Urban music.[17]

Modelling

Nnaji has featured in several commercials some of which include Pronto beverage and Omo detergent. In 2004 she became the "Face of Lux" in Nigeria[18] in a highly lucrative sponsorship deal.[7] 2008 saw Nnaji launching a clothing line, "St. Genevieve", which donates its proceeds to charity.[6][19] In May 2010 Nnaji was appointed to be the official "Face of MUD" in Nigeria.[20][21][22][23][24]

Awards and nominations

Nnaji has received several awards and nominations for her work, including the Best Actress of the year award at the 2001 City People Awards and the Best Actress in a Leading Role award at the 2005 African Movie Academy Awards.[5][7]

Filmography

Year Film Role Notes
1998 Most Wanted
1999 Camouflage with Ramsey Nouah
2001 Love Boat with Ramsey Nouah
Death Warrant
2002 Valentino with Ramsey Nouah
Sharon Stone Sharon Stone
Runs! with Gorgina Onuoha
Power of Love Juliet with Ramsey Nouah, Grace Amah
Formidable Force with Gorgina Onuoha
Battle Line with Ramsey Nouah & Pete Edochie
2003 Above Death: In God We Trust with Pete Edochie, Kate Henshaw-Nuttal, Ramsey Nouah & Zack Orji
Blood Sister with Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde & Tony Umez
Break Up with Ramsey Nouah
Butterfly with Ramsey Nouah
By His Grace with Tony Umez
Church Business with Ramsey Nouah & Segun Arinze
Deadly Mistake
Emergency Wedding with Tony Umez
Emotional Tears Helen
For Better for Worse
Honey with Ramsey Nouah & Pete Edochie
Jealous Lovers Chioma
Keeping Faith: Is That Love? with Richard Mofe-Damijo
Last Weekend with Ramsey Nouah
Late Marriage
Love Anita with Richard Mofe-Damijo & Segun Arinze
My only Love Angela with Ramsey Nouah
Not Man Enough
Passion & Pain with Ramsey Nouah & Desmond Elliot
Passions with Stella Damasus-Aboderin & Richard Mofe-Damijo
Player: Mr. Lover Man
Private Sin Faith with Stephanie Okereke, Richard Mofe-Damijo & Patience Ozokwor
Sharon Stone in Abuja Sharon Stone
Super Love with Ramsey Nouah & Pete Edochie
The Chosen One
Women Affair
2004 Bumper to Bumper with Georgina Onuoha
Critical Decision with Richard Mofe-Damijo, Stephanie Okereke & Mike Ezuruonye
Dangerous Sister with Tony Umez & Dakore Egbuson
Goodbye New York with Rita Dominic
He Lives in Me
Into Temptation with Ramsey Nouah
My First Love with Tony Umez
Never Die for Love
Promise Me Forever with Stephanie Okereke
Stand by Me
Treasure
Unbreakable with Ramsey Nouah
We Are One with Stella Damasus-Aboderin
2005 Darkest Night with Richard Mofe-Damijo & Segun Arinze
Games Women Play with Stella Damasus-Aboderin, Desmond Elliot & Zack Orji
Rip-Off with Ramsey Nouah
2006 Girls Cot with Rita Dominic & Ini Edo
30 Days Chinora Onu with Segun Arinze – this film received 10 nominations at the African Movie Academy Awards in 2008,
including Best Picture, Best Art Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Edit, Best Costumes and Best Sound[25]
2007 Letters to a Stranger Jemima Lawal with Yemi Blaq, Joke Silva and Segun Arinze
Warrior's Heart
2008 Beautiful Soul Olivia this film received 3 African Movie Academy Award nominations for Best Screenplay,
Best Soundtrack and Heart of Africa[26]
Broken Tears with Van Vicker, Kate Henshaw-Nuttal and Grace Amah
Critical Condition
River of Tears Yvonne with Kate Henshaw-Nuttal, Van Vicker and Grace Amah
My Idol
2009 Silent Scandals Jessy with Majid Michel & Uche Jombo[27]
Felicima Felicima with Alex Lopez[28]
2010 Ijé: The Journey Chioma with Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, Odalys García & Clem Ohameze[29]
Tango with me Lola with Joke Silva
Bursting Out Zara Williams with Majid Michel, Nse Ikpe-Etim, Omoni Oboli & Desmond Elliot[30][31]
Mirror Boy Teema with Osita Iheme[32]
2011 Sacred Lies Isabella with Olu Jacobs, Desmond Elliot & Nadia Buari[33]
2013 Half of a Yellow Sun Ms. Adebayo with Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton, Onyeka Onwenu, and OC Ukeje
Doctor Bello with Isaiah Washington, Vivica A. Fox, Justus Esiri, and Stephanie Okereke

Discography

References

  1. ↑ "Pedro Pinto from CNN's 'African Voices' pronouncing Nnaji's name at 00:31 into the video". CNN. 29 March 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  2. ↑ "Nollywood's finest". New Vision (Kampala, Uganda: New Vision Printing & Publishing Company Limited). 1 May 2005. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
  3. ↑ "Star Actress Genevieve Nnaji Reveals Success Secrets". Leadership (Abuja, Nigeria). 8 December 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
  4. ↑ "Nigeria actress Genevieve ready to visit Zambia". Zambian Watchdog. 21 November 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Clayton, Jonathan (3 April 2010). "Nollywood success puts Nigeria's film industry in regional spotlight". The Times Online (London, UK: Times Newspapers Ltd). Retrieved 14 August 2010.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Ezenna, Uchenna. "ELAN PERSONALITY: Genevieve Nnaji". Lagos, Nigeria: Timbuktu Media. Retrieved 6 August 2010.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "Africa's Most Famous Movie Star?". Kent, UK: Newstime Africa. 21 August 2009. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  8. ↑ "6 Nollywood Stars Receive Nigerian National Honours". nollywoodmindspace.com. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "MIMI Lifestyle Magazine, February 2006: Interview with Genevieve Nnaji". Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  10. ↑ "Future Connector: Genevieve Nnaji". CNN International (Atlanta, GA, USA: Turner Broadcasting System). 27 October 2010. Retrieved 7 March 2011.
  11. ↑ "List of Movies by Genevieve Nnaji". Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  12. ↑ Mignot, Elisa (25 December 2009). "Lagos, capitale de Nollywood". Le Monde (in French) (Paris, France: Éric Fottorino). p. 16. Retrieved 29 August 2010.
  13. ↑ "Best Paid Nollywood Actresses Revealed". Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  14. ↑ http://www.konnectafrica.net/genevieve-nnaji-is-she-the-julia-roberts-of-africa/
  15. ↑ http://www.bellanaija.com/2009/09/29/genevieve-nnaji-featured-on-the-oprah-winfrey-show/
  16. ↑ "Genevieve at Blue Pie Productions". Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  17. ↑ "Genevieve: One Logologo Line". Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  18. ↑ "Genevieve Nnaji & Lux advertisement". London, UK: Unilever PLC. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
  19. ↑ Wehwe, Vivien. "Charity Runway; celebrities rise up for orphans". The Vanguard (Lagos, Nigeria: Vanguard Media). Retrieved 11 August 2010.
  20. ↑ "MUD, Bellezza Cosmetics and Spa, and Genevieve Nnaji = One beautiful collaboration!". Burbank, CA, USA: Make-up Designory. 22 July 2010. Retrieved 29 August 2010.
  21. ↑ "Genevieve Nnaji is Face of New Make Up Line". AllAfrica.com (AllAfrica Global Media). 21 May 2010. Retrieved 29 August 2010.
  22. ↑ Onyebukwa, Vivian (29 May 2010). "MUD Cosmetics berths in Nigeria". Daily Sun (Lagos, Nigeria: The Sun Publishing Limited). Retrieved 29 August 2010.
  23. ↑ Falode, Kehinde (13 June 2010). "Make-Up Designory (MUD) debuts in Nigeria". The Nation (Lagos, Nigeria: Vintage Press Limited). Retrieved 29 August 2010.
  24. ↑ Onyema, Ada (5 June 2010). "Genevive becomes face of MUD". The Punch (Lagos, Nigeria). Retrieved 29 August 2010.
  25. ↑ "List of Nominees for AMAA 2008". ScreenAfrica.com. Retrieved 20 October 2009.
  26. ↑ "AMAA Nominees and Winners 2009". African Movie Academy Award. Retrieved 7 March 2011.
  27. ↑ "Silent Scandals hits movie shelves soon". Vintage Press Limited. Retrieved 21 January 2010.
  28. ↑ "Felicima: The cripple who loves Genevieve". Retrieved 17 November 2013.
  29. ↑ "Odalys García's first feature film: Ijé -The Journey". Retrieved 19 November 2009.
  30. ↑ Olukole, Tope (7 August 2010). "Nadia Bouari Visits Nigeria". Nigerian Tribune (Ibadan, Nigeria). Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  31. ↑ "Genevieve, Majid Michale sparkle in Bursting Out". Vanguard (Lagos, Nigeria: Vanguard Media). 23 April 2010. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  32. ↑ "Richest Nollywood Actresses". AllAfrica.com (AllAfrica Global Media). 26 September 2010. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  33. ↑ Adedayo, Odulaja (11 March 2011). "Nigeria: Plate of Sacred Lies Dotted Only by Star Factor". AllAfrica.com (AllAfrica Global Media). Retrieved 23 July 2011.

External links