Omoni Oboli

Omoni Oboli listenⓘ (born 22 April 1978) is a Nigerian actress, scriptwriter, film director, producer and digital filmmaker.[4] She studied at the New York Film Academy and has written several screenplays, including The Figurine (2009), Anchor Baby (2010), Fatal Imagination, Being Mrs Elliott, The First Lady and Wives on Strike (2016). In 2018 she starred and directed the comedy film, Moms at War.[5]

Omoni Oboli
Oboli at the premiere of Love Is War
Born (1978-04-22) 22 April 1978[1]
Benin City, Edo, Nigeria[1]
NationalityNigerian
EducationBachelor of Art in Foreign Languages
Alma materUniversity of Benin
Occupation(s)Actress, scriptwriter, director, producer[2]
Years active1996 — present
Known forAn Actress, A Movie director and producer, A scriptwriter, An Author and the owner of House of Tara Franchise
Spouse
Nnamdi Oboli
​
(m. 2000)​
[3]
Children3

Early life and education

Oboli was born in Benin City, Edo State. She is a descendant of Mosogar, a small village in Delta State,[1] Nigeria. Omoni Oboli completed both her primary and secondary school education in Benin City, Edo State after completing her secondary school education, Omoni Oboli proceeded to University of Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria and graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in French at the University of Benin, and graduated with 2nd Class Upper division.[6] Following the completion of her first degree, Omoni Oboli went abroad for further studies at the New York Film Academy where she studied digital editing in a 4-week workshop.[7]

Career

Omoni began her movie career with her first movie role in Bitter Encounter (1996), where she played a secretary. Her next was Shame. She then went on to play the lead female character in three major movies; Not My Will, Destined To Die and Another Campus Tale. After enjoying a brief career in 1996, Omoni left the movie industry to complete her university education. She married immediately after school and did not return to the industry until a decade later. An act she said almost made her quit movie. She got back to the screen in 2009 then she realised the industry has no space for her anymore. Then she decided to start the production of her movies.[8]

Omoni has several screenplays to her credit, including her film Wives On Strike as well as The Rivals, a movie she co-produced with her friend and won the prize for Best International Drama at the New York International Independent Film & Video Festival.[6] It was the first Nigerian film to be premiered since the festival’s inception in 2003.[9] The movie was given a 3-star rating out of 4 by the festival's judges.[9][10] Omoni Oboli has played lead roles in mainstream films, including: The Figurine (2009), Anchor Baby (2010), Being Mrs Elliot, and Fifty (2015). She is also the first actress from Nollywood to win Best Actress in two international festivals,[11] (that are not organized by Nigerians or Africans), in the same year (2010). This she did at the Harlem International Film Festival and the Los Angeles Movie Awards for her lead role in the movie Anchor Baby.[11]

Awards and nominations

In 2010, she won the award for Best Actress Narrative Feature at the Los Angeles Movie Awards, and the award for Best Actress at the Harlem International Film Festival.[12] Omoni was nominated for the Best Actress in a leading role award at the 2011 Africa Movie Academy Awards.[13]

In 2014, she won the Big Screen Actress of the Year award, at the 2014 ELOY Awards, for her movie Being Mrs Elliott.[14] In 2015, Omoni was awarded the Sun Nollywood "Personality of the Year",[15] She has directed several movies such as Being Mrs Elliott, The First Lady, Wives on Strike, and Okafor's Law.

On 14 August 2017, Omoni Oboli took to her Instagram page to share a post announcing her new deal as the Brand ambassador of Olawale Ayilara's LandWey Investment Limited.[16]

Omoni Oboli starred in the movie Okafor's Law, which premiered on 24 March 2017. However, the movie could not be screened at the premiere due to an injunction by the court. Oboli was accused of copyright infringement by Jude Idada,[17][18][19] who claimed to have written part of the script for Okafor's Law.[20] The movie was released on 31 March 2017.[21]

Charity

Omoni Oboli set up a charity organization, "The Omoni Oboli Foundation" to use her celebrity status to bring relief to the plight of the less privileged women and children of Nigerian society. The foundation has been able to embark on several projects which included the feeding of street children in Lagos.[22]

Filmography
Year Film Role Notes
2009 Entanglement with Desmond Elliot, Mercy Johnson, Yemi Blaq
The Figurine Mona with Ramsey Nouah, Kunle Afolayan
2010 Bent Arrows Lola with Olu Jacobs, Joke Silva, Stella Damasus-Aboderin, Desmond Elliot
Anchor Baby Joyce Unanga with Sam Sarpong
2012 Feathered Dreams Sade with Andrew Rozhen, Philippa Peter-Kubor
2014 Brother's Keeper Mena with Majid Michel
Render to Caesar Alero with Gbenga Akinnagbe
Being Mrs Elliot with Majid Michel, AY, Uru Eke
2015 Lunch Time Heroes Governor's wife with Dakore Akande
The Duplex Adaku with Mike Ezuruonye
As Crazy as it Gets Katherine
The First Lady Michelle with Alexx Ekubo, Yvonne Jegede, Chinedu Ikedieze, Joseph Benjamin
Fifty Maria with Ireti Doyle, Nse Ikpe Etim and Dakore Akande
2016 Wives on Strike[23] with Chioma Chukwuka, Uche Jombo, Kalu Ikeagwu
Okafor's Law Ejiro with Blossom Chukwujekwu, Gabriel Afolayan, Ufuoma McDermott
2017 The Wedding Party 2 with Adesua Etomi, Banky Wellington, Chiwetalu Agu, Patience Ozokwor
Wives on Strike 2 with Chioma Chukwuka, Uche Jombo, Ufuoma McDermott, Toyin Abraham
My Wife and I[24] with Ramsey Nouah
2018 Moms at War and directed. Starred with Funke Akindele
The Women (2018) Teni Michaels
2019 Sugar Rush
Love Is War Hankuri Philips with Richard Mofe-Damijo, Jide Kosoko, Akin Lewis
Òlòturé Alero with Sharon Ooja, Omowumi Dada, Blossom Chukwujekwu,

Awards and nominations
Year Award ceremony Category Film Result Ref
2017 Best of Nollywood Awards Best Supporting Actress –English The Women Won [25]

See also

References
  1. "Omoni Oboli". Irokotv. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  2. Medeme, Ovwe (9 September 2009). "Nigeria: Sexual Harassment Not Peculiar to Nollywood -Omoni". AllAfrica.com. AllAfrica Global Media. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
  3. "Omoni Oboli: Actress on how she's still married 17 years later". pulse.ng. 18 July 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  4. "Nigerian filmmaker Omoni Oboli talks about the 'non-lucrative' side of Nollywood". Pulse.ng. Inemesit Udodiong. 9 October 2019.
  5. "NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY NOTABLE ALUMNI". New york film academy.
  6. "Award-winning, multi-talented actress, Omoni Oboli". amp-pulse-ng.cdn.ampproject.org. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  7. "Understanding Omoni Oboli's Age Milestones and Full Biography". Answers Africa. 17 February 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  8. "I almost abandoned film acting – Omoni Oboli". Punch Newspapers. 26 August 2016. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  9. "The rise and rise of queen of blockbusters Omoni Oboli". guardian.ng. 27 August 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  10. "Omoni Oboli- 12 Things No One Told You About The Filmmaker". WeAfrique. 4 March 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  11. "Omoni Oboli". IMDb.
  12. "Omoni Oboli". IMDb.
  13. "The 2011 Africa Movie Academy Awards Nominees List | ::GABz Incorporated::". gabzinc.com. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  14. "Red carpet and awards photos/Full list of winners". 2 December 2014.
  15. "The Sun Nollywood Personality of the Year 2015 Award is an Honour money cannot buy – Actress, Omoni Oboli - Playground.ng". Playground.ng. 11 December 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  16. "Omoni Oboli becomes Landwey Investment Brand Ambassador". Bella Naija. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  17. "Omoni Oboli vs. Jude Idada: Nigerians react to 'Okafor's Law' theft saga, premiere cancellation". Nigerian Entertainment Today. 25 March 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  18. Izuzu, Chidumga. ""Okafor"s Law": Jude Idada says Omoni Oboli stole movie from him". Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  19. "Court Adjourns Case Between Omoni Oboli and Jude Idada | Silverbird Television". silverbirdtv.com. 7 April 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  20. "TNS Exclusive: (AUDIO) Jude Idada Accuses Omoni Oboli Of 'Stealing' "Okafor's Law"". TNS. 27 March 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  21. "Video: 'My Story, My Script, My Film!'– Omoni Oboli Insists As 'Okafor’s Law' Premiere Is Cancelled", TNS, 24 March 2017.
  22. Rucky (24 April 2018). "Actress, Omoni Oboli Takes Her 40th Birthday To The Streets, Feeds 1,200 Kids In Lagos (Photos) - Naija news Naij news". ngr.ng. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  23. "Watch the Trailer for "Wives On Strike" starring Uche Jombo, Omoni Oboli, Ufuoma McDermott & More". BellaNaija. 26 February 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  24. ""My Wife and I" is refreshingly funny and entertaining". www.pulse.ng. 15 August 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  25. "BON Awards 2017: Kannywood's Ali Nuhu receives Special Recognition Award". Daily Trust. 23 November 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
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