Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde is known as the
Queen of Nollywood, Nigeria’s booming
movie industry. Since her 1995 film debut,
the actress has appeared in some 300
movies, selling millions of videos and
establishing herself as a Nollywood icon.
A prolific film siren, Jalade-Ekeinde has
also carved out a successful career as a
singer and reality TV star. But there’s more
to Nigeria’s beloved celebrity than her
glittering entertainment career. Here are
10 things to know about Jalade-Ekeinde.
She’s an icon: Last year, she was named
as one of the top 100 influential people in
the world by Time Magazine, in the Icons
category. “I think that’s what gives me
more satisfaction,” she says. “The fact that I
wasn’t just recognized as an artist but as an
icon — I’m very grateful for it.”
She is an activist: Jalade-Ekeinde uses
her stardom to speak out about social
issues affecting various African countries.
An ambassador for the United Nations and
an activist with Amnesty International,
Jalade-Ekeinde has been on missions to
Sierra Leone and Liberia.
She’s a family woman: Jalade-Ekeinde
is married to an airline pilot and is a
mother of four children.
The story behind “Omosexy:” Her
popular nickname, “Omosexy,” was given
to her by her husband — and it has caught
on. “That’s my husband’s pet name for me,”
she says, “and the fans love it and now
people call me Omosexy almost more than
Omotola.”
Her fans love her: Jalade-Ekeinde has
amassed a large following — in 2013, her
Facebook page has surpassed 1 million
likes. Today, it’s 1.2 million, and counting
Her road to stardom was paved with
childhood tragedy: Jalade-Ekeinde lost
her beloved father in her early teens. She
started working at 15 to help support her
family, her first job being a model.
Her mother didn’t like the idea of her
young daughter acting and initially forbade
Jalade-Ekeinde from doing so. Finally, she
gave in after a film director, joined by the
entire movie crew, went to her house to
beg her to allow Jalade-Ekeinde to appear
in the “Venom of Justice” movie.
She is part of “New Nollywood:” Keen
to improve the quality of Nollywood
movies , Jalade-Ekeinde is now building a
film studio — what she calls a “Village.”
“I’ve come to a place where I realize I have
to leave something,” she says. “I have to
have a legacy.
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