The competition in
Nigeria’s film industry requires players, particularly the actors and
actresses, to give their best, one production after another. It is a
tough battle for survival, especially when the same faces and names are
being used over and over.
She, like most of
her colleagues, has become a household name that readily comes to mind
when producers and directors take decisions on who would best appeal to
an audience. She’s come far in what has been a successful career that
has won her a strong viewership base. Okoye’s journey started in 2001.
Growing up, she relished the glitz and glamour that came with being a
superstar. She grew up in England; however, she had always wanted to act
so she took part in auditions for some of Nigeria’s leading production
houses. After persistently pushing for acknowledgment, she landed her
first major title in the move Sister Mary. Produced by Great Movies
Production, Sister Mary shot her to the limelight, and got her career
off to a strong start.
It was the kind of
start she needed to announce her arrival onto the Nigerian movie scene.
Around that same year, the industry had taken off, somewhat, and was
making inroads in other parts of the world. A fine opportunity it was
for her to feed off the popularity at home, she became a known on-screen
face in the sub region.
Okoye’s love for
acting met so many obstacles but the support by her mother, who had
always believed in her, helped to spur her on. As a young child, she
would parade around their Nigerian home in fanciful clothes, strutting
off her lanky legs in typical modeling style. Okoye also took part in
drama sessions in her family’s local church, showing off a lot of skill,
even at that young age. Those traits grew with her, and decades after,
she became the star actress her mother had predicted she would.
She later starred
in the comedy movie Spanner, alongside the likes of Chinedu Ikedieze and
Nkem Owoh. She’s since starred in over 60 others, some of which include
Lady Gaga, Blackberry Babes, Beautiful Faces, I want Your Wife, Little
Angel, My Desire, Forever Yours, Separate Lives, Blood Sister, Hadsome,
and Trinity.
Her taking up a
role in the 2011 Hollywood produced movie Turning Point, directed by
London-based Nigerian Niyi Towolawi and co-produced by Egor Efiok, also
earned her some headlines. Okoye only found out about the production two
days before shooting started. She thought it was out of place to get
involved in such a major production with little or no preparation. Her
manager thought otherwise, and she gladly accepted the part.
Weeks later,
Turning Point, which also featured the likes of Patience Ozokwor, Jackie
Appiah, Todd Bridges, Joe Estevez, Igoni Archibong among a host of
other Nollywood and Hollywood stars, became a hit and her credibility
soared. A big career credit she still boasts off, Okoye can only get
better with time so long as she remains relevant, and a dominant
Nollywood feature.
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