The Nigerian Entertainment Industry is a thriving one. While Afrobeats has been widely celebrated internationally, Nollywood is not lagging. Prime Video and Netflix have partnered to ensure that Nigerian filmmakers get to the international audience.
Ladies First…
Top 5 Underrated Great Actresses
This UK-based actress is widely underrated. From acting like a mom who loses her child while accepting a call from God to a spirit wife terrorizing a man and his wife, Balogun’s acting prowess never runs dry.
Here are a few movies that made us draw this conclusion.
God is Calling (2018), A Soldier’s Story (2015), Sylvia (2018), Wedding Party (2016), Royal Hibiscus (2017) & Fine Wine (2021).
An honourable mention is Balogun’s guest appearance in Before 30.
However, we believe any movie with Balogun is worth watching.
She also has a new movie coming out titled Blood. It would be Balogun’s debut as a producer. The film will air in July 2024 courtesy of Zaba Productions.
Blood is a psychological thriller documenting the struggles of women with endometriosis and other women-based health-related issues.
2. Sharon Ooja
One word, Oloture! Oloture! Oloture! It might seem a little biased that one movie will get our minds made up but, Ooja was phenomenal in her role.
Ooja plays a journalist, who goes undercover to uncover the truths about prostitution, but when she gets her hands on a bigger story of human trafficking, she takes extreme lengths to tell the stories of victims.
Ooja has other movies under her belt; however, other roles fail to encapsulate all the glory her acting houses. Nevertheless, we highly advise you to check out her movies, especially Skinny Gils in Transit. We guarantee that Shalewa will have you rolling over.
Another Oloture (2019) mention. Dada plays a prostitute who will do anything it takes to provide for her little sister and mother. Dada’s acting evokes emotions from the audience, making us truly believe in her character.
Another acting credit that showcases Dada’s talent is Kunle Afolayan’s Diamonds in the Sky (2019). She plays a woman struggling to come to terms with her diagnosis of cancer.
An honourable mention that helps us give her the number three spot is her role in Ndani TV’s Game On. She plays a secretive wife, who acts seemingly inconsiderate as her husband struggles with the financial burden of being a breadwinner.
4. Meg Otanwa
When we talk about underrated, we have to talk about Meg Otanwa. Otanwa has been acting for a while, but we do not believe she has gotten enough accolades for her acting chops.
If you want to see raw untapped talent, relax on your couch and watch 2020’s Nollywood drama, For Maria Ebun Pataki. Once you are done, you will call AMVCA and make sure Otanwa has enough awards to her name.
In this film, she plays the role of a mom struggling with severe postpartum depression. The movie asks its audience to try to understand the complicated mind of a mom dealing with depression and the impact it has on her family and the newborn child.
She makes appearances in other movies and shows, which we feel are worth watching; like Before 30, Hush and Soole.
A case of nepotism or a case of bloodline talent? I’ll let you be the judge.
This little Afolayan takes after her relatives. However, we believe coming from a long line of filmmakers, it makes absolute sense, why this teenager will thrive in her craft. Her dad, her grandad and even her uncles and aunts are all in the movie industry. It is safe to say that the stage was set from birth for this 18-year-old.
Nevertheless, family dynasty aside, Eyiyemi floors the audience with her performance in Anikulapo. The 18-year-old plays a princess who falls in love with a cloth weaver. However, when she finds out that her humble lover is in love with another, she makes drastic decisions that lead to a series of events that change her world as she knows it.
These are our 5 gems and their greatest work. We hope to see these women in more movies that test the boundaries of their talent.
So, do you agree with us? What actress do you feel like we skipped?
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