Nollywood’s ‘A’ list stars
By Samuel Olatunji
Who is an A-list star? Certainly not an
entertainment celebrity that frequents the red carpet! Neither does he or she
adorn the cover of a magazine regularly. The A-list star is rich and popular. He’s a
goodwill ambassador and the choice for corporate endorsements. Nollywood has
some A-list stars and they include:
Omotola
and Genevieve
The duo is Nollywood super stars. They’re
bankable. If Omotola and Genevieve feature in a movie, there’s a proclivity the
producer would reap bountifully. In terms of fame they’re known nationwide and
beyond.
Lately, both actresses have been making
strong impacts beyond Nigeria.
Omotola was in Germany
to shoot Ties that bind and was hobnobbing with United Nations bigwigs due to
her charitable works. Genevieve featured not long ago on Oprah Winfrey Show,
and was interviewed twice on CNN International. She has also endorsed the MUD
cosmetic product lines.
The two featured in the box office hit,
Ije, which is Nigeria’s
highest selling movie of all time. Omotola has been in entertainment for 15
years while Genevieve has put in over a decade.
Stella
Damasus
Her popularity is immense and she is
reputed to be among top earners in the industry, but not much has come her way
from corporate endorsements. Stella is a plus on your poster or film jacket.
She started her acting career in 1992 with Abused and ever since, she’s been
remarkable. Though she’s planning a TV show, she has not been featuring in
movies lately.
Uche
Jombo
What she lacks in movie roles she has in
corporate endorsements. Her 12-year stint has made her so comfortable that she
has jettisoned Asaba movies for what she calls “quality works”. Uche who is a
Glo Ambassador, is now a producer with works like Holding Hope, Damaged and
Nollywood Hustlers in her kitty. The first movie she acted in was Visa to Hell
in 1999. She also acted in Adure. In her forthcoming movie, Damaged featuring
the likes of Kalu Ikeagu will test her popularity.
Kate
Henshaw
Some call her ageless Kate. It’s not
because of her vivacity but simply because she’s been there, she’s still there
and will likely be there in years to come. This Glo ambassador started her
acting career in 1993 with When its Sun Set and she’s among the finest acts
around. She’s the face of Onga seasoning, a product of Promasidor. Kate is also
a spokesperson for Lagos State Government and doesn’t have any scandals
trailing her. She has class that distinguishes her from others. Obviously she
has some big accounts in her kitty. Featuring in Saheed Balogun’s Eti Keta has
made her quite versatile especially because she’s from the South-South.
Rita
Dominic
Rita became popular in the ‘90s for her
numerous romantic roles. She has cornered corporate endorsement contracts from
Multichoice and Globacom. Her managers say she’s a stickler for quality. Rita
is an embodiment of finesse and she earns big. With an array of Asaba movies
she has done, she’s bankable. Rita who is picky about movies she acts is the
CEO of her production company, Audreysilva. She started her acting career in
Time to Kill in 1998.
Stephanie
Okereke
Stephanie Okereke has star power which also
comes with class .Her movie Through the Glass set the tone for quality of
Nollywood movies at the cinema. It was a hit. Through the Glass was the first
to make N10 million at the box-office. Stephanie who started acting in 1997
with Compromise and Waterloo
is now a power broker of sorts as part of President Goodluck Jonathan’s
campaign team. She’s a graduate of English and Literature from University of Calabar.
Ini
Edo
She started her acting career in 2004 with
World Apart and ever since she has been consolidating her A-list status in the
industry. A graduate of English from University
of Calabar, Ini is
immensely popular, and she’s a corporate ambassador for the House of Chi and
Globacom. She is seen as another Genevieve in many circles, but she is not
living under anybody’s shadow. Ini has upped the ante for herself by
co-producing Memories of My Heart with Emem Isong. She’s one of the most
popular faces of Nollywood and definitely a high earner in the industry.
Mercy
Johnson
She is talented, popular and earns big.
Mercy is perhaps the most popular after Omotola and Genevieve, because she has
her hands full of roles. Her A-List status has been long established, but she
doesn’t have much in terms of endorsement contracts. She was supposed to be a
Glo Ambassador but due to bad press didn’t make the list.
source. Sun
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