Over the course of two consecutive weeks, we have looked at some of the internationally known celebrities who happen to be Nigerian.
Find the concluding part of the “15 World Famous Celebrities Who Happen To Be Nigerians” series below:
Adewale Akinnuouye-Agbaje
If you watched the Bourne Identity then you would remember Adewale Akinnuouye-Agbaje for his Yoruba phrase “Mo ti so fun e teletele, ori e o pe”. This proud son of the soil was born to Nigerian parents of Yoruba extraction in Islington, London. At the age of 8, Adewale was sent to Nigeria to learn the ways of his fatherland but faced a cultural identity crisis on his return to London. He eventually turned his life around, explored the world of modelling and landed a career in acting. He is known for his roles in Bourne Identity, The Mummy Returns, The Legionnaire, Get Rich or Die Tryin, Unstoppable, GI Joe: The Rise of the Cobre, The Lost series, The New York Undercover Series, and many more.
Caroline Chikezie
Caroline Chikezie is a British Nigerian actress who was born to Parents of Igbo extraction. She was born in England but was sent to a boarding school in Nigeria to discourage her from pursuing acting. Nevertheless, Caroline had her dream come true when she won a scholarship to the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts. She later got her big break in Hollywood and went on to star in movies like Holby City, Casualty, Judas Kiss, Freefall, Brothers and Sisters, and the award-winning Babymother. In 2010, she broke into the Nigerian entertainment industry when she starred in the movie Inale.
Richard Ayoade
Richard Ayoade is a British -Nigerian comedian who is known for his geeky persona. The immensely talented actor was born in Hammersmith to a Nigerian father and Norwegian mother. He found love for the arts at a young age and went on to perform in several play productions at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, where he studied law. He later ventured into the entertainment and has made his mark as a writer, actor, comedian, and TV presenter.
Adetomiwa Edun
Adetomiwa Edun is a British-Nigerian actor best known for his role as “Sir Elyan” on the renowned television show Merlin. He also played the role of “Alex Hunter”, a popular character among football video game fans. Adetomiwa was born to a Nigerian father and a mother of Ghanian and English descent. After living in Nigeria for a while, he relocated with his family to the United Kingdom and attended Eton College where he got involved with the arts. Adetomiwa would later go on to land an acting career and star in several movies such as “The Fixer”, “Law and order”, “Slaves”, and a host of others. Interestingly, Adetomiwa is fluent in his mother tongue, Yoruba, and Italian and Swahili, aside from English.
Hope Olaide Wilson
Popular for her role as Jennifer in the Tyler Perry movies, Hope Olaide Wilson is a Nigerian from the Yoruba ethnic group. She relocated to the United States in 1996 and went on to break into Hollywood. Hope is fluent in English, Yoruba, and French and this earned her the 2009 Diversity Awards Female Nova award.
Featured Image Source: Answer Africa
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