Genevieve Nnaji is a Nigerian actor, producer and movie director. Genevieve won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Lead Role in 2005, making her the first actor to win the award.
In 2011, she was honoured as a Member of the Order of the Federal Republic by the Nigerian Government for her numerous contribution to Nollywood.
The beautiful actress, who was born on the 3rd of May, 1979, started her acting career as a child actress in the then popular television series ‘Ripples’ at the tender age of 8 years old.
Genevieve Nnaji: Early Life and Education
Genevieve Nnaji was born in Mbaise, Imo state, Nigeria but actually grew up in Lagos. As the 4th child out of eight children, she was brought up in a middle class environment. Her father was an engineer and her mother worked as a nursery school teacher.
She attended Methodist Girls College in Yaba, Lagos before gaining admission into the University of Lagos (UNILAG) where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in creative arts. While being an undergraduate, she began auditioning for acting roles in Nollywood.
Genevieve Nnaji’s Age, Movies, Awards etc
The talented actress started acting career as a child actor in the then popular television soap opera, Ripples at the tender age of 8. In 1998, at the age of nineteen, she was introduced into the growing Nigerian film industry in the movie ‘Most Wanted’.
In 2010, she starred in the award-winning movie ‘Ije: The Journey’. Genevieve has starred in over 100 movies locally and internationally.
In 2004, Nnaji signed a recording deal with EKB Records, a Ghanaian record label, where she released her debut album ‘One Logologo’. The album was a mix of R&B, HipHop and Urban music.
As at 2009, the beautiful actress was one of the best paid female actors in Nollywood. Due to her contributions to the Nigerian Movie Industry, she became the first actor to be awarded Best Actress at the 2001 City Peoples Award, which had only recognised politicians and business conglomerates.
She was also the first actor to be awarded as Best Actress by the Censors Board of Nigeria in 2003. In 2009, she was referred to as the Julia Roberts of Africa by Oprah Winfrey and in November 2015, she produced her very first movie called ‘Road to Yesterday’, which earned her the Best Movie Overall-West Africa at the 2016 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA).
Genevieve became the first Nollywood’s billionaire when Netfix purchased her movie ‘Lion Heart’ for USD3.8 million (N1,365,100,000).
Genevieve Nnaji’s Marriage and Daughter
The proud mother of one is yet to get married ans she is currently not engaged to any man. Her daughter’s name is Chimebuka Nnaji.
Awards and Nominations
The star actress has received several awards and nominations for her outstanding performances in the film industry which include the Best Actress of the Year award at the 2001 City People Awards and the Best Actress in a Leading Role award at the 2005 Africa Movie Academy Awards.
She has won and has been nomited by several organisations such as, Toronto International Film Festival, Africa Movie Academy Awards, AMVCA, Nigeria Entertainment Awards, Nollywood Movies Awarda, Ghana Movie Awards, Golden Icons Academy Movie Awards, Nollywood and Afriacn Film Critics Awards, City People Entertainment Awards, and Best of Nollywood Awards.
Genevieve Nnaji took the bold step of projecting herself beyond Nigerian by having a website constructed as far back as 2003, and it was arguably the most-visited Nigerian site on the Internet.
Source(s): Wikipedia @GenevieveNnaji1
Funmilola Bolaji is a Researcher, Writer and a trained Educationist; she’s the editor of Campusbiz Journal. You may want to reach her via for Campusbiz Journal related inquiries only.
