Nollywood legends

ywood

legends

a collection of illustration of notable Nollywood actors and actresses Edition 1

1

AyoOluwa Nihinlola

Dedication

This project book is dedicated to all good Nollywood actors and actresses ( dead or alive ) that have postisiviely

impacted the Nigerian film industry in one way or another, Thank you.

legends

Copyright

Copyright (c) AyoOluwa Nihinlola / E5studioz 2017 All right reserved. Except for brief excerpts for review purposes, no part of this book may be reproduced or used without any written permission from the publisher.

Request to publisher for permission should be addressed to +2348168616461, info@e5studioz.com

legends

Introduction Nollywood legends is a book designed to immortalize and project the legacies of some selected Nigerian Actors and Actresses. The book is illustrated in cartoon sequences of each of these characters beautifully niched and portrayed in their cultural context; which also entails a brief history and influence of the characters. Enjoy every flip of this glazed legacy penned by one of Nigeria’s rising digital artist.

legends

- Emmanuel Oyewole

copyrightŠ 2017, AyoOluwa Nihinlola / E5 Studioz All Right Reserved

legends

a collection of illustration of notable Nollywood actors and actresses Edition 1

AyoOluwa Nihinlola

Peter Edochie

Peter

Edochie Peter Edochie is often

reffered to as The Lion

of Africa. he was born in

Enugu on March 7 1947. he started his career in

broadcasting in 1967. He eventually left

the broadcasting industry for acting. He achieved

fame with his portrayal of Okonkwo in a television Adaptation of Chinua

Achebe's Things Fall Apart which earned him an

international award. He

has since acted in many movies.

4

Kareem Adepoju

m

Adepoju

Kareem Adepoju is

popularly known as Baba Wande, he began his

professional acting career in 1963 with the Duro

Ladipo Theatre. He later joined the Oyin Adejobi

Group where he became one of the star actors. He is

reputed to have starred in

more than 1000 productions.

He often plays comic roles but he has done well with serious roles too. He is a committed

Muslim and he once hosted an Islamic program on

Television. As one of the most experienced actors

alive, he also does stage productions.

Sola Sobowale

Sola

sobowale Sola Sobowale was born in Ondo State. She started acting as a

member of Awada Kerikeri Group under the leadership of Adebayo Salami. She acts, produces and directs and has gone on to win many awards. One of her most

popular performances is the 1992

production of Asewo to re Mecca.

She is versatile and can speak both English and Yoruba

languages fluently. She has

starred in several soap operas

and movies like Dangerous Twins

(2004), Ohun Oko Somida (2004) and the

Adet

highly rated Kemi

iba movie, The

Wedding Party (2016). A

mother of five, her birthday is 26 November.

38

Adebayo Faleti

Adebayo Faleti

Adebayo Faleti was born on 26

December 1930 in Agbooye, Oyo State. He is a poet, journalist,

broadcaster and actor. His parents

could not afford to send him to school

so he formed the Oyo Youth Operatic

Society in 1949.

He later went back to

school and proceeded to the University of

Dakar to obtain a certificate of Proficiency in French Language. He graduated with

Honours from the University of Ibadan where he studied English Language.

He has acted, written, and produced several movies which include: Thunderbolt: Magun

(2001), Afonja (1 & 2) (2002), Basorun Gaa (2004), and Sawo-Sogberi (2005)

Richard Mofe Damijo

Richard

mofe damijo Richard Mofe Damijo is

known as RMD and was born on 6 July 1961 in

Warri, Delta State.

He

attended Midwest College, Warri and Anglican

Grammar School where he was a member of the

Drama Club. He has a

Theatre Arts degree from

University of Benin and a

Law degree from University of Lagos. He worked with

Concord Newspapers and

Metro Magazine for a while as

a reporter before venturing into full time acting. Richard has

written and produced several movies

and he won the Africa Movie Academy

Award for Best Actor in a leading role in 2005. Mofe Damijo is also a former

Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in Delta State.

Bukky Ajayi

Bukky Ajayi

Zainab Bukky Ajayi was born on 2nd

February 1934.

She studied in

England with a

Federal Government Scholarship. She

came back to Nigeria in 1965 to work for

the Nigerian Television Authority as a

Presenter and

Newscaster. Her first

acting performance was in

the now legendary Television

Series, Village Headmaster which

aired in the 70's. During her acting

career, she featured in several films and

soaps including Critical Assignment, Diamond

Ring, Witches among others. She was honoured

with an Industry Merit Award in 2016. She died quietly at her Surulere, Lagos residence on 6 July 1982.

Peter Fรกtรณmilรณlรก

Peter

fatomilola Peter Fátómilólá was born

in Ìdó Òsì, Èkìtì State on

16 January 1946 to an Ifá Priest father and a

Christian mother. His

interest in theatre led him to join the Orí Olókun Theatre

troupe led by late Professor Olá Rótìmí in 1967.

He

eventually joined the academic staff of University of Ife (Now Obafemi Awolowo

University) where he bagged

a degree in Theatre Arts in 1978. A dramatist, poet,

cultural activist and playwright, Fatomilola is the first Papa

Ajasco, a comic character in Wale

Adenuga’s Television Series, Papa Ajasco. He has featured in several movies and stage performances.

Kanayo O. Kanayo

Kanayo.O Kanayo

Kanayo O. Kanayo was born

Anayo Modestus Onyekwere in Mbaise, Imo State. He

was born on March 1, 1962 and began his acting

career in 1992. He has starred in over 100

movies and has won

several national and

international awards. He was honoured during the

Centenary Anniversary

celebrations in 2014. He is

currently a United Nations

Ambassador.

He is particularly

popular for his portrayal of

traditional Ibo settings and his passion for acting.

Sam Loco Efe

Sam loco

Sam Loco Efe was born on Christmas day 1945 in Enugu. In elementary school, he was a member various

groups including a drama society that performed a rendition of

Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar at

an Eastern regional Arts festival in Abakaliki, the play came last

in the drama competition but Efe was noted as the best actor

which earned him a scholarship to complete elementary school.

After secondary school, he joined a travelling theatre

group and played soccer. He

was nicknamed Locomotive as a footballer and the name was

eventually shortened to Loco. He

fought for the Biafra side during

the Civil War before returning to

Benin in 1968. He also formed the

Ovomwaren Theatre group but later

moved to Lagos in search of greener

pastures. He worked with Michelin Tyres and later Dunlop Tyres in Benin as a

Sales Representative. He went on to act

and direct several home videos and stage

plays. He is reputed for his skilful use of the

English language and his comic roles. Sam Loco Efe died in August 2011.

Adeyemi Afolayan

Adeyemi Afolayan

Adeyemi Josiah Afolayan

was born in 1940. Popularly

called Ade Love, he was an actor, filmmaker, producer,

director and dramatist. He is one of the pioneers of home videos in Nigeria. He has a

Diploma in Secretarial Studies and Performing Arts from

University of Ibadan. He starred in Àjàní Ògún in 1976 and he

produced the popular Taxi Driver

in 1983. Ade Love died in 1996 but three of his children are accomplished actors now.

Nkem Owoh

Nkem owoh

Nkem Owoh was born in 1962 at Enugu, he

started his Elctrical

Engineering degree at the University of Ilorin and

completed it at Institute of Management Technology,

Enugu. He developed interest in acting and participated in television and movie productions as an

undergraduat e. He had a stint with

WACO Engineering

before venturing into full time acting. He is more

known as a comic actor

and comedian. He also sings and has performed in

several countries. He has won

many awards for his work and is one of the frontline comedians in Nollywood.

Racheal Oniga

Racheal oniga

Racheal Tabuno Oniga was

born on May 23 1957 in Eku, Delta State. She grew up in a polygamous home as the

second child of her mother.

She started her professional career at Ascoline Nigeria

Limited, a Dutch Consultant

Company before venturing

into acting. Her first movie role came shortly after

separating from her husband.

The multitalented actress,

despite being from Delta state is

more popular

movies.

most

with Yoruba One of her popular

performances is

Sango, the story of a Yoruba legend.

She is a successful

actress, mother and grandmother

14

Abdulsalam Sànyàolú

Abdulsalam sanyaolu

Charles Olúmo who is popularly known

as Àgbákó was born as Abdulsalam

Sànyàolú in What

Owode, Ogun State. He was born in

1925. He is one of the oldest living

actors in the Yoruba Movie Industry.

He is known for playing the role of a notorious criminal in movies. He

started his career when he visited a

deems rehearsal with a friend at The Apostolic Church, Mushin. He

eventually

auto

abandoned his mechanic

training and

formed his

own drama

troupe. He has

visited the Holy

City of Mecca and is fondly called Alhaji.

Joke Silva

Joke Silva

Joke Silva was born on 29 September 1961 in Lagos.

She attended Holy Child College before earning a

degree in English from the University of Lagos. She

also studied Drama in the United Kingdom. She has

starred in several movies

and won many awards. She

is married to fellow actor, Olu

Jacobs and they both run the

Lufodo Group which is into film

production and drama training. Silva is a philanthropist and a strong

supporter of women's emancipation and

empowerment, contributing to their education,

training and progress. She is also a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador.

Olu jacobs

Olu

jacobs

Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs

was born on 11 July 1942.

Widely known as Olu

Jacobs, he has featured

in several British, Nigerian

and International Television

Series and movies. He was a member of the Drama and

Debating Societies in Secondary school and after he watched a

performance by the late Hubert

Ogunde, he pursued a drama training in England. He eventually faced

Nollywood movies and has acted in over 120 of them. He is one of the leading actors in Nollywood because of his versatility. He has been

honoured with an Industry Merit Award. He is

married to Joke Silva, an actress.

26

Patience Ozokwor

Patience ozokwo

Patience Ozokwor is

popularly known as

Mama G. She was born

in Ngwo, Enugu on March

25 1958. She attended and

attended Abimbola Gibson

Memorial School in Lagos, an all girls school where she

played Hamlet in a production

of Shakespeare's Hamlet. She

got married at age 19, lost her

husband early and became a radio

presenter. She later started an

empowerment center for girls. She also

spent time in politics before going into

full time acting. She is known as the

mother of Nollywood because of her

motherly roles. She was among the 100 Nigerians honoured during the

Centenary Celebrations in 2014.

Akinwunmi Isola

Akinwumi Isola

Professor Akinwunmi Isola was born in Ibadan in

1939. He attende Labode Methodist School and

Wesley College. He further

earned a Bachelors Degree

in French from the University of Ibadan, and a Masters

Degree from University of

Lagos. He became a Professor

at Obafemi Awolowo University in 1991. He wrote Efunsetan

Aniwura during 1961 and 1962 whilst still an undergraduate student. Asides being a

playwright, he is also an actor,

dramatist, culture activist and scholar.

18

Alex Usifo

Alex Usifo

Alex Usifo Omiagbo

was born on April 16,

1953 in Ewohimi, Edo State. He attended

Catholic Schools for his

Primary and Secondary

education before proceeding to the University of Lagos to study Mass

Communication and Philosophy.

He also studied at SS Peter and Paul Seminary before

bagging a PhD in Babcock

University. He has starred in several soap

operas and

home videos.

20

Lere Paimo

Lere

Paimo

Lere Paimo was born on 19

November 1939 in Ogbomoso, Oyo state. He stayed with family

members in Osogbo from where he

travelled to Imo State to join the Mbari Group. He later joined the Oyin Adejobi Theatre group in 1960 before

switching to the Duro

Ladipo Theatre group. He is an actor, film-maker,

producer and director. He got his nickname, Èdá, onílé olá

from his lead role in a Yoruba adaptation of Medieval

Everyman. His most popular

movie is Ògbórí Elémòshó, a

movie about the history of his

hometown, Ogbomoso. He has won several awards including a Member for the Federal

Republic(MFR) which he won in

2005.In April 2014, he won N1m

cash prize in a Nigerian game show,

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. He

remains one of the oldest surviving actors in Nollywood history.

Ayo Mogaji

Ayo

Mogaji Binta Ayo Mogaji was born to an Islamic family in Ibadan in 1964.

She started acting in 1979 when her elder brother invited her to play a role in a stage play.

Since the advent of home

videos, she has featured in over 400 movies, among which is Ti Olúwa ni Ilè(1992) and

Igbáládogí (1998) where she

played the lead role of Àbèní

Igbáládogí. She speaks both English

and Yoruba languages fluently and she

prefers to be called a Nollywood actress

rather than a Yoruba actress. Asides acting, her

she has also produced own movie. The versatile

actress is

married to British

Psychotherapist, Dr. Ayo Oduleye.

Legend list Below are the list of the few selected Nigerian Actors and Actresses featured in this book, in no particular order.

1. Peter Edochie

2. Kareem Adepoju 3. Sola Sobowale

4. Adebayo Faleti

5. Richard Mofe Damijo

6. Bukky Ajayi ( R.I.P ) 7. Peter Fátómilólá

8. Kanayo O. Kanayo

9. Sam Loco Efe ( R.I.P )

10. Adeyemi Afolayan ( R.I.P ) 11. Nkem Owoh

12. Racheal Oniga

13. Abdulsalam Sànyàolú 14. Joke Silva 15. Olu Jacobs

16. Patience Ozokwor 17. Akinwunmi Isola 18. Alex Usifo

19. Lere Paimo

20. Ayo Mogaji

Credits/Acknowlegdement My Sincere Appreciation to Almighty God and everyone that made this project come to a reality, for contributing in one way or the other.

Olaoluwatomiwa Olumide, Oseni Oluwaseun, Ibiyemi Ayodele, Idowu Abayomi, Emmanuel Oyewole

www.wikipedia.org, Imdb.com, Babawandetv.blogspot.co.za, Blackprideent.blogspot.co.za Thank you

- AyoOluwa Nihinlola

legends

copyrightŠ 2017, AyoOluwa Nihinlola / E5 Studioz All Right Reserved