Genevieve Nnaji Biography: Early Life, Career, Movies, Awards, Husband & Net Worth

Genevieve Nnaji (b. May 3, 1979) is a Nigerian actress, producer, and director. In 2005, she won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, being the first actor to do so. The Nigerian government appointed her to the Order of the Federal Republic in 2011 in recognition of her contributions to Nollywood.

Lionheart, her directorial debut, is Nigeria’s first Netflix film and its first Oscar submission. The film was disqualified for having the majority of its dialogue in English. After having spent decades in the film industry, she was profiled among several celebrities and business figures in 2020 in two volumes by the publisher and editor-in-chief of Yes International! magazine, Azuh Arinze.

Who is Genevieve Nnaji?

Genevieve Nnaji was born in Mbaise, Imo State, Nigeria, and raised in Lagos. She was the fourth of eight children, raised in a middle-class home. She was born on May 3, 1979, in southern Nigeria, making her 46 years old. She is an Igbo woman from Imo State, Nigeria, Africa. Her father, Theophilus Nnaji, was an engineer, while her mother, Benedatte Nnnaji, was a nursery school teacher.

She has two brothers named Ebuka Nnaji and Stephen Nnaji. Genevieve Nnaji attended Methodist Girls College in Yaba, Lagos, before continuing on to the University of Lagos, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in creative arts. While at university, she began auditioning for acting roles in Nollywood.

Career

Nnaji began her acting career as a child actor on the television serial opera Ripples when she was eight years old. She was exposed to the rising Nigerian film industry with the film Most Wanted in 1998, when she was 19 years old. Her subsequent films are Last Party, Mark of the Beast, and Ijele.

In 2010, she appeared in the film Ijé: The Journey. She has appeared in more than 200 Nollywood films. Nnaji, along with eight other performers known as the G8, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Emeka Ike, Ramsey Nouah, Nkem Owoh, Stella Damasus, and Jim Iyke, were banned in 2004 for collecting exorbitant fees.

In the same year, Nnaji got a contract with EKB Records, a Ghanaian musical label, and released her debut album One Logologo Line. It was a combination of R&B, hip-hop, and urban music. In 2004, Nnaji was chosen as the face of Lux. In 2005, she won the Africa Movie Academy Award (AMAA) for Best Actress in a Leading Role, being the first actress to do so.

In 2009, Nnaji was among the highest-paid female actors in Nollywood. Because of her contributions to the Nigerian film industry, she was the first actor to win Best Actress at the 2001 City People’s Awards, which previously only acknowledged politicians and business corporations.

She was also the first actor to receive the Censors Board of Nigeria’s Best Actress Award in 2003. In 2009, she was called the Julia Roberts of Africa by Oprah Winfrey.

Nnaji produced her debut film, Road to Yesterday, in November 2015, and went on to win Best Movie Overall – West Africa at the 2016 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards. In January 2018, it was revealed that Nnaji would replace Funke Akindele as a member of the Dora Milaje in Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War.

This was eventually debunked as an internet prank, and the actor did not feature in the film. On September 7, 2018, Netflix bought her directorial debut, Lionheart, making it the first Netflix original film from Nigeria.

The film premiered at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, where she also starred in Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje’s autobiographical directorial debut Farming, alongside Kate Beckinsale, Damson Idris, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw.

In 2023, it was revealed that Nnaji would return as an executive film producer for I Do Not Come to You by Chance, an adaptation of Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani’s novel, alongside Chinny Carter. Blossom Chukwujekwu, Paul Nnadiekwe, Jennifer Eliogu, Sambasa Nzeribe, and Beverly Osu co-star in the film. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival but has yet to be officially published.

Nnaji is also a women’s rights activist. She advocates for Nigerian girls to have a choice in whom they marry. She is against early marriage for girls. She is an outspoken opponent of societal violence against women.

Nnaji has defined herself as a feminist, claiming that her definition of feminism is that of a woman who has the right to make her own decisions and do anything she wants. Nnaji has appeared in numerous ads, including Pronto (beverage) and Omo detergent.

In 2004, she was dubbed “Face of Lux” in Nigeria. Nnaji founded the “St. Genevieve” apparel line in 2008, with all sales going to charity. In May 2010, she was named the “Face of MUD” in Nigeria.

Awards and Nominations

Nnaji has garnered numerous accolades and nominations for her work, including Best Actress of the Year at the 2001 City People Awards and Best Actress in a Leading Role at the 2005 Africa Movie Academy Awards. In 2019, the Nigerian Oscars Selection Committee (NOSC) chose her film, Lionheart, as Nigeria’s submission to the Best International Feature Film category of the 2020 Oscars. It was the country’s first submission to the Oscars.

As a result, the Oscar submission was cancelled since it did not match the linguistic requirements. The film’s dialogue was largely in English. However, since 2006, the Oscar rules have required that eligible films feature a “predominantly non-English dialogue track.” This move was intended to provide greater opportunities for films from various cultures.

Filmography

• Farming
• Lionheart
• Road to Yesterday
• Half of a Yellow Sun
• Doctor Bello
• Sacred Lies
• The Mirror Boy
• Bursting Out
• Tango with Me
• Ijé: The Journey
• Silent Scandal
• Silent Scandal 2
• Beautiful Soul
• Broken Tears
• Broken Tears 2
• Critical Condition
• Critical Condition 2
• Love My Way
• Love My Way 2
• My Idol
• My Idol 2
• River of Tears
• River of Tears 2
• Sister’s Love
• Keep My Will
• Letters to a Stranger
• Unfinished Business
• Warrior’s Heart
• Wind of Glory
• Girls Cot
• 30 Days
• Darkest Night
• Games Women Play
• Rip-Off
• Bumper to Bumper
• Critical Decision
• Dangerous Sisters
• Goodbye New York
• He Lives in Me
• Into Temptation
• My First Love
• Never Die for Love
• Promise Me Forever
• Stand by Me

Genevieve Nnaji Ex Husband

Genevieve Nnaji, a famous actress, was married to Ugochukwu Udezue, the creator of the African Basketball League. She has a daughter named Chimebuka Nnaji. She has previously dated the following celebrities:

• Pat Attah
• Ramsey Nouah
• D’banj
• Kunle Coker
• Lynxx
• AJ Adam

Genevieve Nnaji Husband

Genevieve Nnaji, a well-known Nigerian actress and director, has never officially married. Despite her high-profile work and public curiosity in her personal life, she has had a private existence and has not revealed any romantic partners as spouses. Rumours circulated throughout the years that she had secretly married a wealthy guy, but these claims were subsequently proven false.

Genevieve Nnaji Net Worth

Genevieve Nnaji’s net worth is expected to be approximately $20 million, making her one of Nigeria’s richest actresses. Her riches are derived from her successful acting career, film production, and many sponsorship deals.

Social Media

Instagram: @genevievennaji