Only a selected few have the rare honor of being addressed as “Nollywood Super Actress”, but certainly one person stands out and elegantly wears the crown, she is “Genevieve Nnaji”, is a year older today, Friday, May 3, 2013.
Blessed with good body shape and astonishing beauty, the multiple award-winning star is loved by many fans who admire almost everything about her.
Born on May 3, 1979, the super brand ambassador is nothing but an embodiment of talents. Little wonder she is called the queen of African film industry.
For those who thought her rise in the industry was fast, here is a little trivia: Genevieve Nnaji started her acting career as a child actress in the then-popular television soap opera “Ripples” at the age of 8. She was also featured in several commercials, some of which included Pronto beverage and Omo detergent. In 1998, at the age of 19, she made her debut in the growing Nigerian film industry with the movie “Most Wanted.” Her subsequent movies include “Last Party,” “Mark of the Beast,” and “Ijele.” She has starred in over 80 Nollywood movies. As an upcoming actress, trying to create a niche for herself, she went through various minor roles seeking for that opportunity for a breakthrough.
Genevieve Nnaji grew up in Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria. The fourth of eight children, she was brought up in a middle-class environment. Her father worked as an engineer and her mother worked as a teacher. She attended the Methodist Girls College Yaba before heading to the University of Lagos. While at the university, Genevieve began auditioning for acting jobs among the many Nollywood productions.
In 2004, she became the face of Lux soap in a highly lucrative sponsorship deal.
Nnaji received several awards and nominations for her work, including 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 African Movie Academy Awards. In 2004, she signed a recording contract with EKB Records, a Ghanaian record label, and released her debut album, “One Logo logo Line,” a mix of various styles of so-called urban music.
In 2008, Nnaji launched a clothing line called St. Genevieve, which donates a percentage of its proceeds to charity. This is one star that is very selective about the roles she play and yet she is still one of the best-paid actresses in Nollywood.
This multi-talented mother, actress, musician and business tycoon turns 34 today, we at “TheHerald” are wishing you many fruitful years ahead.