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Beyond storytelling and cinematography, films need casts that masterfully embody the characters they are contracted to portray. Nollywood has truly come a long way, and we’ve seen diverse talents who have given us a show and dominated the big screen from the days of VHS to VCD, DVD and now streaming services.
As the industry continues to evolve, there are more opportunities for newcomers to make their mark in Nollywood with their artistry.
We take a look at 10 actresses who we believe will make big moves in Nollywood this year. This year’s crop of emerging stars is a mix of fresh faces and long-working stars who recently broke out in Nollywood in a new way.
Uzoamaka Onuoha
Impeccable acting and diversity are things Uzoamaka Onuoha is known for. The actress who had her breakthrough role with Showmax’s Diiche played the role of twins and utterly captivated movie lovers with her interpretation of the characters. Before Diiche, she had appearances in films like If I am President (2018), Ordinary Fellows (2019), Omugwo (2020), Stories by Her (2021), Visa on Arrival (2021), Inside Life (2022), Country Love (2022) and Blood Sisters (2021).
Aside from screenplay, she is also known for featuring in stage plays where she played the lead characters in plays such as Folly of Men directed by Joshua Alabi (2019), Emotan directed by William Benson(2019), Chapters by Maduegbuna productions (2020) and The decision (2021), which was staged at Terra Kulture, Lagos, Nigeria.
Genoveva Umeh
When Blood Sisters hit streaming sites, aside from its storytelling and cinematography, the acting of actress Genoveva Umeh was the centre of discussions for weeks. She played the role of Timeyin with an understanding and mastery that is rare in the Nollywood industry.
The 27-year-old actress had her debut role in 2019 with the Stanley Obi-directed film Blameless. Since her debut, she has acted in many films, including Lizard (2020), Superstar (2021), and many more, before her breakout role in Blood Sisters (2022) and recently a feature in Far From Home (2022).
Beyond acting, she is also a producer. In 2022, she was an associate producer on the Netflix film, The Griot. We are excited at what the actress has to offer in the coming years.
Meg Otanwa
Meg Otanwa is an actress who started out in the industry as far back as 2011 but not until 2022 did movie lovers start noticing how outstanding her acting was, especially with her role in the Damilola Orimogunje-directed film, For Ebun Pataki, which centres on postpartum depression.
Before her big break, the actress had featured in Kunle Afolayan’s film October 1 (2014), Bodunrin Sasore’s drama series, Before 30 (2015), and Charles Novia’s film, Atlanta (2004). In 2022 she featured in Soole, Zubaida and Before Valentine’s, a range of casting that has put her on this list of actresses to watch out for.
In January 2023 alone she is already set to feature in two movies The Wait and Disconnect, The Wedding Planner.
Shine Rosman
Sunshine Rosman is a model turned actor who started her career in 2015, with her role as ‘Amara’ in the Nigerian family comedy film Lunch Time Heroes. Since then the 29-year-old actress has shown with recent consistency that she is here to stay.
In just a year, she has featured in various films, including The Boy Next Door (2022), A Christmas Getaway (2022), and very recently Showmax’s Flawsome (2022).
Diane Russet
Big Brother Naija has introduced the world to a range of talents, with Diane Russet being a part of the list of actors who have come out from the show. The actress also doubles as a filmmaker with a Youtube channel, Russet TV, where she releases short films and series like MO X MEL (2022), Bayi (2020), The Therapist (2019), Storm (2020), and Ricordi– a new show executively produced by Diane that is showing on Africa Magic.
Aside from her personal work, she has also featured in blockbuster films, including Jade Osiberu’s Brotherhood. The actress has not only proven to be a creative powerhouse with her short films, but she has also shown how talented she is as an actor.
Debby Felix
Debby Felix broke out in the Nollywood industry in 2017, and since then she has been featured in multiple Nigerian movies. In the past five years, she has shown her range as an actor on various occasions while not shying away from taking up stage play roles.
If featuring in about 34 films in five years is not an indication that the actress is on the right path towards establishing herself as an all-time Nollywood favourite, her featuring in specific blockbuster films like Saving Grace (2022), Strangers (2022), Love Like This (2022), Dinner At My Place (2022), The Mystic River (2021) and Family At War (2020) has definitely affirmed that.
Bolaji Ogunmola
Bolaji Ogunmola is no newbie. The actress has been in the industry for over 10 years, with over 120 movies and six film production tags to her name. She has come a long way in the industry as she has featured in movies in many capacities – as a filmmaker, costumier, writer, and of course, an actress.
Nollywood Newbies might know her for her role in the 2018 film Sylvia, but she ventured into the industry earlier than that. In 2022, she featured in films, like Impaired, Old Habits, Butterflies, Obara’M, and more. We are particularly looking forward to her character in the Mo Abudu-directed film Iyawo Mi, which is yet to be released.
Gbugbemi Ejeye
At this point, Gbugbemi Ejeye needs no introduction. If you, however, are still finding it hard to place who she is, the actress has featured in numerous blockbuster films, including Far From Home (2022), Quam’s Money (2020), The Catalyst (2022), Who’s The Boss (2020), and Citation (2020), among others.
Since she ventured into the Nollywood industry in 2019, she has strategically moved up the list of some of the fastest-rising stars in the industry, and her character Ralia in Africa Magic’s Covenant is one role you should follow. In 2022, she also featured on the Season 2 of Game On and The Set Up 2.
Elma Mbadiwe
Although Elma Mbadiwe reached nationwide popularity with Phases, the actress has been in the industry way longer, appearing in major blockbusters, including Far From Home (2022), World’s Apart (2022), Rattle Snake: The Ahanna Story (2021), and Quam’s Money (2020). She also made a film Employee of the Month alongside Tope Tedela which premiered at the Durban International Film Festival.
Toke Makinwa
Toke Makinwa might be an award-winning media personality, but not until recently did we see how well she acts as she featured in two highly acclaimed films in 2022, Blood Sister and Glamour Girls.
From her first film in 2019, Makate Must Sell, to her role in highly acclaimed films like Blood Sisters (2022), Omo Ghetto: The Saga (2020), Sugar Rush (2019), and The Smart Money Woman (2021), among others, the media personality turned actress has proved that she has lots to offer and we would be on the lookout.
The post 10 Nollywood Actresses To Look Out For In 2023 appeared first on Nigerian Entertainment Today.
Source: TheNet
