The Nigerian movie industry is growing as a result of the works of talented minds which include talents that runs in the bloodline called Nollywood families. Nollywood is one of the biggest movie producing industries in the world. Movies produced in this part of the world are going farther than it used to be before and this can be attributed to the inputs of the stakeholders and personnel involved in the filmmaking.
The most popular personnel in the film making industry are those we see on screen (actors). Just like the Hollywood family of Will Smith, Willow Smith, and Jaden Smith, there are also blood-related personnel (filmmakers, directors, actors, and actresses) making waves in Nollywood. You might not know some of these great talents are blood-related but after reading this piece you will know some of the famous faces on TV that are Nollywood families.
Here is a list of the top 5 Nollywood families you need to know about
1. The Afolayans ( Adeyemi, Toyin, Kunle, Tayo, Gabriel, Moji, and Aremu Afolayan): The Afolayans really took acting as an occupation and they have been passionate about it since the works of late Adeyemi Afolayan (Ade Love) who is brother to Toyin Afolayan and father to film actors, Kunle, Tayo, Gabriel, Moji, and Aremu. Kunle Afolayan is undoubtedly one of the biggest movie producers in Nigeria today while Gabriel among others is a standout actor. Their bunch make up a very big Nollywood family.
2. The Adebayos (Salami, Femi, and Tope Adebayo): The Adebayos are one of the Nollywood families making impact in the Nigerian movie industry. Adebayo Salami is a veteran Nigerian actor, filmmaker, movie producer, and director who is also father to Nollywood stars, Femi and Tope Adebayo. Like father like son, Femi Adebayo is a Nollywood veteran actor who has really done well for himself in the Nigerian movie industry. Tope (Waheed in Jenifa’s diary) is another actor in the Adebayo bloodline.
3. The Edochies (Pete, Linc and Yul Edochie): Chief Pete Edochie and son Yul Edochie make up one of Nollywood’s finest families. Pete, a veteran Nigerian actor is considered one of Africa’s most talented actors. The legendary Pete is father to Yul, who is named after Russian actor Yul Brynner. The popular Yul is also joined by his brother Linc Edochie, who is also an actor to form the Edochies family. Another blood relation of the Edochies is the late actor, Muna Obiekwe.
4. The Amatas (Fred, Jeta, Agatha, and Mbong Amata): The Amatas are one of the brilliant minds in the Nigerian movie industry. Fred is an actor, producer, and director. He currently serves as the President of the Directors Guild of Nigeria. He married Agatha who is a director in Nollywood. Jeta Amata is also a Nigerian filmmaker who married Mbong who is a popular Nollywood actress.
5. The Egbusons (Dakore and Timini Egbuson): The Egbusons complete the list of the top 5 Nollywood families. Dakore Egbuson-Akande is one of the finest actresses in the Nigerian movie industry. She is joined by brother, Timini to form a Nollywood family. Timini Egbuson is a Nigerian actor, model and presenter notable for his work in the MTV Base television series Shuga where he played the role of Tobi, an artist manager. The duo of Dakore and Timini are faces you would love to see on your TV screen, they also make one of Nigeria’s finest Nollywood acts.
Other honorable mentions include the Anekes (Chidinma and Chidiebere Aneke), the Okagbues (Sandra and Christopher Okagbue), the Kosokos (Jide, Sola, and Bidemi), the Bankoles (Taiwo and Kehinde), and few others.
Let’s have your favorite Nollywood family/siblings in the comment section. Thanks for taking time to read this piece.