Genevieve Nnaji is a Nigerian movie star. And most notably the first Nigerian actress to bag the prestigious African Movie Academy Award. She has also been honoured with the revered Member of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria title.
Background
Genevieve was born as the fourth of eight children on the 3rd of May 1979 in Mabaise, Imo State where she hails from. She however was raised in Lagos. Her father Mr Theophilus Nnaji was an engineer and her mother Mrs Benedatte Nnaji a teacher. She went to Methodist Girls College Yaba, Lagos. She went on to get a degree in creative arts from the University of Lagos.
Acting Career
Genevieve had always wanted to pursue a career in acting and she wasted no time in going for it. She started her acting career at a very young age. She starred in the popular television soap opera Ripples when she was just eight years old. And also featured in many commercials including one for Pronto beverage and Omo detergent. She continued going for auditions while she was still a student at University of Lagos. By the time she was nineteen she starred in the blockbuster movie Most Wanted. That gave her acting career the boost it needed. She went on to star in other in other movies like Last Party, Mark of the Beast and the highly acclaimed movie- Ijele. Her performance in the 2002 movie, Sharon Stone helped to register her as a talented celebrity not just in Nigeria but also in other African and European countries. Her fame helped introduce Nollywood to the rest of the world.
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Genevieve’s hard work has not gone unnoticed. She has been recognized and celebrated not only in Nigeria. Media personality and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey termed her the Julia Roberts of Africa. Owing to her sheer grit and determination to make a difference in the industry Genevieve has a history of being the first to bag many prestigious awards.
One of such was the Best Actress award at the City People’s Awards in 2001, the awards boards had before then only recognized Politicians and business moguls. In 2003 she also became the first actress to bag the Best Actress award by the Census Board of Nigeria.
Genevieve Nnaji waded into music in 2004 when she signed a recording contract with Ghanian record label EKB Records, she released her debut studio album One Logologo Line which contained a mix of R&B, Hip-Hop and Urban music styles. She also bagged the sponsorship deal to become the Face of Lux in Nigeria in 2004.
To give back to the society she started a clothing line “St Genevieve” in 2008. the clothing line donates its proceeds to charity.
She produced her first movie Road to Yesterday in 2015. It was a huge commercial success and clinched the Best Movie Overall-West Africa at the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards 2016.
Genevieve is one of the highest paid and most sought after actresses in the Industry. She has many endorsements under her belt as well. She is brand ambassador to brands like Amstel Malta, Etisalat and Polo.
It was announced in 2017 that Genevieve is set to star in a Hollywood movie alongside actresses like Kate Beckinsale and Gugu Mbatha-Raw. This would make her the first Nigerian actress to achieve the feat.
Genevieve Nnaji’s Net Worth
Genevieve’s net worth is estimated to be $7.5 million.
