You thought Nigeria was only known for jollof rice? Think again—we’ve been secretly taking over Hollywood too! Some of your favorite actors have Naija roots, and we’re here to spill the tea.
1. Chiwetel Umeadi Ejiofor
Who would have thought that the voice of scar in The Lion King, 2016 is a Nigerian, a full Igbo man, Chiwetel Umeadi Ejiofor.
This Oscar-nominated actor from 12 Years a Slave has been secretly repping Nigeria while rocking the British accent. He is Igbo by blood. His father, Arinze, was a doctor, and his mother, Obiajulu, was a pharmacist.
He is the recipient of various prestigious awards, including a British Academy Film Award and a Laurence Olivier Award, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and five Golden Globe Awards. In 2008, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and in 2015, he was advanced to Commander (CBE) for his services to the arts.
2. Hakeem Kae-Kazim
Kae-Kazim was born in Lagos State to a family from Abeokuta, Ogun State in the southwestern region of Nigeria and relocated to south London when he was a baby. He began living and working in South Africa when he was 25.
Pirates? Mutants? Hotel owners in Rwanda? Hakeem has played them all. Kae-Kazim was born in Lagos State to a family from Abeokuta, Ogun State in the southwestern region of Nigeria and relocated to south London when he was a baby.
He began living and working in South Africa when he was 25.
He made his feature film debut in Ross Kettle’s After the Rain (1999) alongside Louise Lombard and Paul Bettany. However, it was his role as Georges Rutaganda in the 2004 Academy Award-nominated film Hotel Rwanda that brought him to international attention.
Kae-Kazim starred in the Nigerian films Inale (2010) and Last Flight to Abuja (2012), and also appeared in Half of a Yellow Sun. He produced and starred in Man on Ground (2011) about Nigerian immigrants to South Africa, earning Kae-Kazim nominations for Best Film and Best Actor at the 8th Africa Movie Academy Awards. He also had producing credits on the films Black Gold and Black November.
This Lagos-born actor went from Nollywood to Hollywood, proving that Nigerians take their talents worldwide, even into sci-fi universes.
3. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
Akinnuoye-Agbaje was born in Islington, to Nigerian parents of Yoruba origin, who were students in the UK.
He started his modelling career which led him to Hollywood, where he began his acting career with a 1995 role in Congo. His best-known acting roles have been as the imposing convict Simon Adebisi in the 1990s HBO prison series Oz and as Mr. Eko on ABC’s survivor drama Lost.
He portrayed Kurse in the Marvel Studios film Thor: The Dark World. He portrayed the character Malko in the fifth season of Game of Thrones.In 2015 it was reported that Akinnuoye-Abaje voices the lead character of Bilal, a film about the life of Bilal Ibn Rabah set to be released in the second half of the year.In 2016, he co-starred in the DC Comics film Suicide Squad, as the Batman villain Killer Croc.
Forget superheroes, this guy looks like he could beat up Superman. He’s been in The Bourne Identity, Lost, and Suicide Squad. Imagine telling your Nigerian parents you want to be a villain in Hollywood. The lecture would last three business days.
4. Adetomiwa Edun
Sir Elyan from Merlin is also Nigerian too, who would hsve thought!
Edun was born in Lagos, Nigeria, to Nigerian financier and politician Olawale Edun and half-Ghanaian, half-English Amy Adwoa (née Appiah). Edun moved to the United Kingdom at the age of 11. His father, a financier, encouraged Edun to enter banking as a career, but he decided to take up acting instead. In 2009, Edun became only the second Black actor to play Romeo at the Globe Theatre when he was cast in Dominic Dromgoole’s production of Romeo and Juliet. He also appeared in Slaves, a play by Rex Obano.
5. Cynthia Erivo Or Cynthia Chinasaokwu Onyedinmanasu Amarachukwu Owezuke Echimino Erivo
This British-Nigerian actress sings, acts, and wins awards effortlessly. If she ever gets tired of acting, she can easily become a motivational speaker, convincing you to bring one person to bring one person (if you know, you know).
Cynthia Erivo portrayed Elphaba in the musical fantasy film Wicked (2024), which served as the first part of a two-film adaptation of the musical play. For her performance, Erivo received nominations for Best Actress at the Golden Globes, British Academy Film Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards (where she also received a nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast), and Academy Awards.
Throughout her career, Erivo has received a Daytime Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, and a Tony Award and has been nominated for three Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.
For the Broadway revival of The Color Purple, Erivo won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. The following year, she and the cast of The Color Purple won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.
Cynthia Erivo deserves all the recognition she has been getting, because Naija no dey ever carry last
6.strong> Wunmi Mosaku
Mosaku was born in Zaria, Nigeria, to Yoruba parents who were both professors. When she was one year old, the family emigrated to Manchester, England. She is known for her roles as Joy in the BBC Two miniseries Moses Jones (2009) and Holly Lawson in the ITV series Vera (2011–2012).
Mosaku starred as Annie in the 2025 horror film Sinners.
She starred in Lovecraft Country and Loki, proving that Nigerians are ready for supernatural adventures. She left Nigeria for England as a child, but the Nigerian spirit never left her, probably because her parents kept reminding her to “remember where she came from.”
7. Uzo Aduba
Uzo Aduba was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Igbo parents from Nigeria and grew up in Medfield, Massachusetts
She gained wide recognition for her role as Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren on the Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019), for which she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series in 2014, an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2015, and two SAG Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series in 2014 and 2015. Uzo Aduba was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Igbo parents from Nigeria and grew up in Medfield, Massachusetts
“Crazy Eyes” in Orange Is the New Black? More like Sharp Eyes when dealing with Nigerian parents. She once mentioned that her real name, Uzoamaka, confused Americans so much that she had to explain it meant “The road is good.” Nigerians watching Orange Is the New Black probably yelled, “Ahn ahn, this is our person!”
8. Caroline Chikezie
Chikezie was born in England to Nigerian parents of Igbo origin. She appeared as Lisa Hallett, a member of the secret organization of Torchwood who had been transformed into a half-human, half-Cyberman in “Cyberwoman,” an episode of Torchwood, and as Tamara, a fellow demon hunter, in the 3rd-season premiere of Supernatural. In 2018, she starred as a recurring character, Queen Tamlin of Leah, in the 2nd season of Shannara Chronicles.
The beautiful star of the movie “Mayhem.” From her name and fierce acting skills, you can already tell how Nigerian she is.
Nigerian parents: “You must be a doctor!”
Caroline Chikezie: Stars in sci-fi and action films.
Nigerian parents: “…Okay, just don’t disgrace us.”
9. Keiynan Lonsdale
The Flash, Love, Simon, and Dance Academy all featured this Australian actor with Edo roots. With a name like Keiynan, Nigerians probably thought he was Yoruba, but nope, Benin City says hello!
Lonsdale was born in Sydney, New South Wales, on 19 December 1991. He is the son of a Nigerian father of Edo descent and an Australian-born mother of Irish and Danish descent and he has eleven siblings, yes you heard right, 11!
10. Yvonne Orji
Yvonne Orji was born in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria to Igbo parents, and she grew up in Laurel, Maryland, in the United States. Nigerian parents can’t breathe when she’s around, because she lets out all their secrets on national Tv.
She earned both a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and a master’s degree in public health from George Washington University. Orji’s parents expected her to become a doctor, lawyer, pharmacist, or engineer. However, she was inspired to do comedy as a graduate student when she performed stand-up in the talent portion of a beauty pageant.
She’s made a namme for herself by sticking to her Nigerian roots and making the world know how unapolgetically Nigerian she is .
Yvonne Orji became a star on the TV show “Insecure”. She embraces her Nigerian heritage proudly, proving that comedy is a Nigerian trait.
