10 Things You Didn’t Know About Genevieve Nnaji

She’s beautiful, smart, talented and stylish, that much Nollywood enthusiasts know about this award-winning thespian. We bring you 10 interesting things you may not have known about the mother of one. 1. She first caught the acting bug at the age of eight, when she played a role in the TV series Ripples. When she finished secondary school in 1997, she immediately started auditioning for movie roles. 2. Her very first movie role was in the 1999 movie Most Wanted which starred Regina Askia, Ayo Adesanya and Ibinabo Fiberisima. Genevieve played a minor role as a reporter. 3. In 2000 she enrolled in a part-time course in Creative Arts at the University of Lagos, but she abandoned it because she couldn’t cope with juggling acting and studying. She decided to give acting her undivided attention, and it paid off. 4. In 2004 she became the Face of Lux, joining the league of beauty icons who have endorsed the brand over the years, including Marilyn Monroe, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Patti Boulaye. 5. She acted in her first stage play, Private Lies in 2004, alongside trained theatre professionals Najite Dede, Solomon Oguname and Femi Branch. 6. She had a brief stint in music a decade ago, and released her debut album, One Logologo Line, in 2005. The most popular song on it was No More (I say move, move, move before I show you my fist!). Her first concert, in Sierra Leone, was a huge success. 7. In 2008 she launched her clothing line, St. Genevieve, which donates all its proceeds to charity. 8. If you type “Julia Roberts of Africa” into Google, Genevieve’s name comes up, thanks to media queen, Oprah Winfrey who made the comparison in 2009. 9. Her best friend is Onyinye Carter, CEO of MUD Cosmetics. Genevieve is part of the MUD Cosmetics family, having been appointed Face of MUD in 2010. 10. In 2011 the Nigerian government honoured her as a Member of the Order of the Federal Republic for her contribution to Nollywood.   One thing is sure: Genevieve will always have a special place in the hearts of her fans. There’s no turning back when you fall in love with Nwanyi Mbaise!    

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This article was first published on 18th July 2015

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