5 Nollywood Actresses to Watch Out for in 2014

The Nigerian movie industry is fast evolving as industry players are putting in more effort to build Nollywood – as the industry is called – to international standard. As 2014 rolls by, Connect Nigeria’s entertainment beat writer, Michael Abimboye, examines five actresses that are expected to rise higher.

Damilola Adegbite The star actress from Tinsel, Vagina Monologue and Six hours to Christmas – productions that won her rave reviews and subsequently winning Best Actress in a TV series at the Nigerian Entertainment Awards in 2011 – has grown to become a toast of movie lovers. With a growing fan base, Damilola proved her mettle in the movie industry with her debut flick, Flower Girl, while also romantically linked with Ghanaian actor and fellow Tinsel star, Chris Attoh. Should Damilola stay focused and pick the right scripts, she could walk easily into the ‘B’ class actress list.

Linda Ejiofor Should Linda Ejiofor fail to hit the limelight in 2014, it will probably be by her own doing. Ejiofor broke the sitcoms star tag and starred in Rita Dominic’s The Meeting. With awards and nominations in her bag, picking the right scripts and maintaining the reputation The Meeting has given her, 2014 looks like her year.

Tamara Eteimo The winner of the 2011 Next Movie Star who also holds a degree in Theatre Arts from the University of Port Harcourt could hit it right in 2014 following the good reviews she received following her role as Itohan in Wale Adenuga’s SuperStory series and her role in Desperate House Girls which earned her Best Supporting Role at the Nigerian Movie Awards. Tamara is expected to take 2014 as it comes but no doubt she is poised for a good year.

Uru Eke Switching careers from telecoms to acting is probably the best thing to have happened to this London returnee. Uru has featured in a number of stage plays and acted in over 10 movies including critically acclaimed Last Flight To Abuja and Weekend Getaway, bagging Best Of Nollywood’s up-and-coming actress last year. Hype around Uru grows by the day as she was interviewed by CNN’s Vladimir Duthiers on the heels of her success in Last Flight To Abuja.

Kiki Omeli Nkiruka ‘Kiki” Omeli is not only an actress but also a presenter with a degree in medicine. She hit limelight with her role as Titi Haastrup in Married But Single, starring alongside Funke Akindele, Joseph Benjamin, and Joke Silva. Kiki is also known for her role as Lovette in the TV drama, Lekki Wives. Omeli bagged Best Actress in a Supporting Role at the 17th African Film Awards in London last year, and with Season 2 of Lekki Wives set to return, Omeli can kick off the year with it and just hit it right.