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When it comes to old Nollywood realness, we all know that the women were the ones who came on the scene and served hard. We’ve decided to take a week to honour seven legendary actresses who still impact the movie industry decades after their debut.

Today, we honour the eloquent Joke Silva.

Born on the 29th of September 1961, Joke Silva attended the secondary school Holy Child Girl’s College in Lagos, after which she went into acting. During this time, she moved to London to study drama at Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts, a decision her parents were initially opposed to but eventually came to terms with (when her career began to take off). She later returned to Nigerian to study English at the University of Lagos.

Silva has starred in many English and Yoruba movies. Her earliest known role was in the 1990 English language movie titled Mind Bending. In 1998, she starred in the British-Canadian film titled The Secret Laughter of Women alongside Colin Firth and Nia Long. Some other movies she appeared in around that period are Owulorojo (1993), Violated (1995), Keeping Faith (2002), Shylock (2004), and many others.

Her performances have garnered her critical acclaim and many awards. For her role in 2006’s Women’s Cot, she won the award for Best Actress In A Leading Role at the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA). She won another AMAA – this time for Best Supporting Actress – for her role in 2007’s White Waters, and again for her role in 2018’s Potato Patahto. She has a knack for appearing in critically acclaimed movies like 30 Days (2006), Amazing Grace (2008), Phone Swap (2011) etc.

In 2016, She won the lifetime achievement award from the AMAA.

Silvia is married to fellow thespian, Olu Jacobs, who she met at the National Arts Theatre in 1981, and together, they have two children. Below is an excerpt from an interview in which Jacobs describes his first meeting with Silva:

“I was having a meeting at the National Theatre and the door opened a young lady came in. I looked at her. I have never met her before in my life and I said to the people in the room ‘ladies and gentlemen, this is the lady I am going to marry’. Everybody laughed. She looked at me up and down, hissed and left. Today, she is my wife.”

Jacobs and Silva in 1988, performing at the National Arts Theatre in a play titled Holy Child.

In addition to her continued work as an actress, Silva is a strong supporter of women empowerment and emancipation. She helps the cause by contributing to their education at the Lufodo Academy of Performing Arts, at which she is the director of studies.

Here’s to many more years of this once in a lifetime talent gracing our screens.

Check back tomorrow (19/9/2019) when we honour another Nollywood actress.
When it comes to old Nollywood realness, we all know that the women were the ones who came on the scene and served hard. We’ve decided to take a week to honour seven legendary actresses who still impact the movie industry decades after their debut.

Today, we honour the delectable Regina Askia.

A literal queen of beauty.

Along with being a (former) actress and model, Regina Askia-Williams (born Imaobong Regina Askia Usoro), is a healthcare and educational activist, television writer, producer, and public speaker.

In 1988, Askia was crowned Miss Unilag (after transferring from the University of Calabar as a medical student). She competed in that year’s Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria contest and came in second place (even though she was the crowd’s favourite). She eventually held the title position the following year when the girl that won, Bianca Onoh, resigned.

Her time in the pageant circuit helped her launch a modelling career on the runway, along with print and television commercials. Her big break in the world of acting came in 1993 when she was cast in early 90s television soap opera, Fortunes, as the gold-digging Tokunbo Johnson.

Askia’s was able to parlay the critical acclaim she got for her role in Fortunes into a full-fledged acting career in Nollywood. She starred in a ton of movies during the 90s and early 2000s like Most Wanted, Full Moon, Highway To The Grave, Suicide Mission, Man Snatcher (LMAO), and many others. At the height of her fame, she was compared to Elizabeth Taylor and commanded N300,000 per role. Remember that this was in the 90s and early 2000s, so N300k was a huge deal.

With a degree in Biology, Askia quit acting in 2007 and moved to the United States to become a registered nurse. She earned her nurse practitioner degree from Wagner College and is now a family nurse practitioner in New York City. She is married to Ruldoph Williams and they have three kids together.

Askia has no regrets leaving the glamorous world of Nollywood behind. During a question & answer session on her Instagram page, she said that she is fulfilled with being a nurse, as it is a career that feeds her body and soul.

Though we miss seeing her on screens, we’re just happy that she’s out there living her best life. Because isn’t that what we all hope for?

Check back tomorrow (18/9/2019) when we honour another Nollywood actress, Joke Silva.
When it comes to old Nollywood realness, we all know that the women were the ones who came on the scene and served hard. We’ve decided to take a week to honour seven legendary actresses who still impact the movie industry decades after their debut.

Today, we honour the incomparable Liz Benson.

The Queen of grace and radiance.

Elizabeth Benson Ameye (popularly known as Liz Benson) was born on the 5th of April, 1966. She started her career as an actress at the age of 5 and went on to attend Sylvania State College in the United States of America, bagging a degree in Dramatic Arts.

Now we know the source of her superior acting skills.

She appeared in a few things but didn’t cause any buzz until she got the part of Mrs Agnes Johnson on the popular early 90s television soap opera, Fortunes (which ran for about two years). Her role in 1994’s controversial movie, Glamour Girls, shot into the limelight, turning her into one of the most sought after actresses in early Nollywood.

By 1996, she had warmed her way into the heart of movie lovers in Nigeria. However, during this time, a period which is considered the height of her career, Liz suddenly quit acting. Rumour has it that she gave her life to Christ and began preaching the gospel. She returned a year later in 1997’s Back To Life. It was after this quick break that she played one of her most iconic roles till date in the movie, Diamond Ring (1998) and its sequel (released the same year).

Liz Benson in Diamond Ring (1998). In it, she plays a rich dead woman who is super pissed about her tomb being robbed and proceeds to haunt the shit out of all the people involved. Go check it out if you haven’t. It’s a blast.

She went on to grace television screens in movies like Witches (1998), Chain Reaction (1999), World Apart (2004), Women in Power (2005), Crazy Passion (2005) and many others. Benson took another break from acting in 2007 when she met the man who would become her second husband, Bishop Great Ameye. They got married in 2009 and, together, run a church ministry named Freedom Family Assembly.

She returned to screens in 2014 and appeared in films like Dry (2014), Dearest Mummy (2015), Hilarious Hilary (2015), and Lizard Life (2017). Benson doesn’t act as much as she used to. She says she has found her purpose in “counselling people based on the word of God” but still appears in movies that, according to her, pass on good morals and propagate the gospel.

Here’s to many more years of seeing this goddess on our screens.

Check back tomorrow (17/9/2019) when we honour another Nollywood about actress and one time Most Beautiful Girl In Nigeria, Regina Askia.
It is impossible to list some of our favourite actresses from the golden age of Nollywood without mentioning her name.

Genevieve Nnaji frequently grace our screens and warmed our hearts.

With her blockbuster titles from Games Women Play to Blood Sister…

They will either pair her with Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde or Ramsey Nouah.
And who can forget the unforgettable Sharon Stone? Part 1, 2 AND 3!

If you have, this clip should refresh your memory:

https://twitter.com/OneTribeMag/status/859819055968014336

Can someone spot the stone in her hand?

This was just fifteen years ago fam!
If you feel old after watching this do like this:
Nollywood actress Iyabo Ojo, and her daughter Priscilla Ojo are just too cute for words. They totally nail this mummy-daughter thing and now we all want to have daughters. We even saw them dancing and doing Micheal Jackson things here.
1. Aren’t they the queens of selfies?

2. Owambe ready!

3. That time they had us thinking they were twins.

4. Priscilla is actually really beautiful.

5. They look like besties, or sisters.

6. Priscilla, on her graduation day.

7. Yummy mummy goals!

8. Very peng things!

9. We are all ready for daughters at this point.

10. Cuteness overload!
It’s safe to say almost every Nigerian has either seen Iyabo Ojo in a movie before, or at the very least heard her name; she is that popular.

We all know she’s cute. But seeing her shake it with her daughter is just too much cuteness to handle. Just see this:

https://twitter.com/femifactor/status/802262650251948033

Iyabo Ojo and her daughter Priscilla, are always giving us mummy-daughter vibes. So adorable really!

In case you didn’t know, Priscilla is also an actress. In fact, she won the 2014 Best of Nollywood child awards for her role in ‘Silence’.

Kudos to these two!

It is impossible to list some of our favourite actresses from the golden age of Nollywood without mentioning her name.

Genevieve Nnaji frequently grace our screens and warmed our hearts.

With her blockbuster titles from Games Women Play to Blood Sister…

And who can forget the unforgettable Sharon Stone? Part 1, 2 AND 3!

If you have, this clip should refresh your memory:

Can someone spot the stone in her hand?

If you feel old after watching this do like this:

1. Aren’t they the queens of selfies?

2. Owambe ready!

3. That time they had us thinking they were twins.

4. Priscilla is actually really beautiful.

5. They look like besties, or sisters.

6. Priscilla, on her graduation day.

7. Yummy mummy goals!

8. Very peng things!

9. We are all ready for daughters at this point.

10. Cuteness overload!

It’s safe to say almost every Nigerian has either seen Iyabo Ojo in a movie before, or at the very least heard her name; she is that popular.

We all know she’s cute. But seeing her shake it with her daughter is just too much cuteness to handle. Just see this:

Iyabo Ojo and her daughter Priscilla, are always giving us mummy-daughter vibes. So adorable really!

In case you didn’t know, Priscilla is also an actress. In fact, she won the 2014 Best of Nollywood child awards for her role in ‘Silence’.

Kudos to these two!