Do you think there is a certain age for you to start what you want in life?
The film industry is tricky and sometimes the recipe to remain memorable is to start early. Genevieve Nnaji started at the ripe age of 8 and she is still relevant in the industry. Most of her colleagues that started at the same age are nowhere to be found. That is how tricky the industry can be.
There are also those that started when they were older, and it feels like we have been enjoying their work for eternity.
Here are five Stars that started after clocking 30 and are still thriving in the industry
5. Nse Ikpe Etim landed her first major role at 34:
Nse started as a writer, collaborating with Jeta Amata on several projects. But her first prominent role came in “Reloaded” where she played Omoze. She also contributed to the script. She got several nominations for her performance including a nomination as the Best Actress in a Leading Role at the AMAA’s. She has been on a roll since then. She has 3 AMVCA nominations to her credit, and 2 AMAA nominations, she also has several other nominations from other big awards. One thing is sure though, she is one of Nigeria’s finest film stars.
4. Patience Ozokwor started acting on screen at age 40:
Patience Ozokwor started early as an actress but it was as a stage actress and after feeling great dissatisfaction with her work, she decided to concentrate on being a radio presenter. When she clocked 40, she decided to give acting a shot again, but this time she chose acting on screen not stage. A year after starting again she gained prominence and since then we remember her as the one and only Mama G.
3. Pete Edochie’s first major role was at 40:
Pete Edochie started as a Broadcaster on NTA in Enugu. His first role was as Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart which was broadcasted on NTA. It was the start to his acting career; he later abandoned his job as a broadcaster and as a director of programs to focus on acting. Today we cannot call three top Nigerian Veteran actors without calling Pete Edochie. It is never late to start!
2. Kunle Afolayan premiered his first film at 34:
Having a father with a strong background in film did not mean that Kunle will be too eager to rush into the film industry. He studied Economics in the university and was already working in the bank, while his younger brother Gabriel Afolayan was taking major film roles. He decided to quit his bank job and attend the New York Film Academy. After completing his program, he returned and directed his first major film, “The Figurine”. It was The Figurine that kept his name on our lips, after which he gave us the amazing phone swap.
1. Victor Olaotan enjoyed his first major role at 56:
Working for years as an actor did not give Victor Olaotan the big break and yet he did not relent. He started acting at the tender age of fifteen and he stopped after he lost his father. He moved to the United States and at 50, he returned to Nigeria to pursue his dream as an actor. It was not until six years after that he got his major role as the patriarch in the long running Africa magic show, Tinsel.
There are many more actors like Wole Ojo who starred in Phone Swap with Nse IkpeEtim and also, Ireti Doyle, they all started their career in film later in life.
at Xplore we aim to encourage you that it is never too late to chase that dream.
Keep your dreams alive!
