Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde is known as the Queen of Nollywood, Nigeria’s
booming movie industry. Since her 1995 film debut, the actress has
appeared in some 300 movies, selling millions of videos and establishing
herself as a Nollywood icon.
A prolific film siren, Jalade-Ekeinde has also carved out a successful
career as a singer and reality TV star. But there’s more to Nigeria’s
beloved celebrity than her glittering entertainment career. Here are 10
things to know about Jalade-Ekeinde.
She’s an icon: Last year, she was named as one of the
top 100 influential people in the world by Time Magazine, in the Icons
category. “I think that’s what gives me more satisfaction,” she says.
“The fact that I wasn’t just recognized as an artist but as an icon —
I’m very grateful for it.”...
She is an activist: Jalade-Ekeinde uses her stardom to
speak out about social issues affecting various African countries. An
ambassador for the United Nations and an activist with Amnesty
International, Jalade-Ekeinde has been on missions to Sierra Leone and
Liberia.
She’s a family woman: Jalade-Ekeinde is married to an airline pilot and is a mother of four children.
The story behind “Omosexy:” Her
popular nickname, “Omosexy,” was given to her by her husband — and it
has caught on. “That’s my husband’s pet name for me,” she says, “and the
fans love it and now people call me Omosexy almost more than Omotola.”
Her fans love her: Jalade-Ekeinde has amassed a large
following — in 2013, her Facebook page has surpassed 1 million likes.
Today, it’s 1.2 million, and counting …
Her road to stardom was paved with childhood tragedy: Jalade-Ekeinde
lost her beloved father in her early teens. She started working at 15
to help support her family, her first job being a model.
Her mother didn’t like the idea of her young daughter acting and
initially forbade Jalade-Ekeinde from doing so. Finally, she gave in
after a film director, joined by the entire movie crew, went to her
house to beg her to allow Jalade-Ekeinde to appear in the “Venom of
Justice” movie.
She is part of “New Nollywood:” Keen to improve the quality of Nollywood movies,Jalade-Ekeinde
is now building a film studio — what she calls a “Village.” “I’ve come
to a place where I realize I have to leave something,” she says. “I have
to have a legacy.
Nigerian film actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde (Photo Credit: TK. Provided by Koshie Mills / K3 Public Relations)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Kindly share your view about this post