5 Hollywood Stars With Nigerian Descent

In this article, RNN highlights Hollywood stars with Nigerian Descent. These stars on our list either come from Nigeria or have Nigerian heritage from their parents, whether born abroad. Nollywood has numerous Nigerian-origin celebrities in the entertainment world, They welcome talent and feature many talented stars with Nigerian roots from different backgrounds and significantly enhance the entertainment industry.

Here is a list of famous Hollywood stars with Nigerian Descent:

5. John Boyega

John Boyega, a British actor and producer, was born on 17 March 1992 in London’s Camberwell district. He grew up in Peckham with Nigerian parents of Yoruba descent.

Known for his role as Finn in The Force Awakens (2015) and The Last Jedi (2017), John Boyega is a Nigerian actor. He gained fame in Britain for his portrayal of a teenage gang leader in the comedy horror film Attack the Block (2011). Internationally, he achieved recognition by playing Finn in the Star Wars sequel trilogy films: The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017), and The Rise of Skywalker (2019). The BAFTA Rising Star Award was presented to him in 2016, and the Trophée Chopard was awarded to him at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.

In Steve McQueen’s anthology series Small Axe (2020), Boyega played Leroy Logan in Red, White, and Blue, earning him a Golden Globe Award. He subsequently starred in the historical action film The Woman King (2022) and the mystery film They Cloned Tyrone (2023).

4. Olurotimi Akinosho

Olurotimi Akinosho, also known as Rotimi, was born on November 30, 1988, in Maplewood, New Jersey. His parents, of Yoruba and Igbo descent, are Nigerians. Rotimi is both an actor and a singer, gaining fame for portraying Darius Morrison in the Starz series Boss and Andre Coleman in Power.

Rotimi made his debut on the silver screen in the 2013 film Black Nativity. In 2014, Rotimi also appeared in the highly successful film Divergent. In 2016, he acted in the movie Deuces alongside Lance Gross and Larenz Tate.

3. Forest Steven Whitaker

Forest Steven Whitaker, an American actor, producer, director, and activist born on July 15, 1961, of Nigerian-Igbo descent, has had a successful career in Hollywood. He’s known for roles in films like Platoon, Good Morning, Vietnam, Bird, The Crying Game, Phenomenon, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, The Great Debaters, The Butler, Arrival, and Respect. He’s also appeared in blockbusters like Panic Room, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and Black Panther. He received numerous awards, including an Academy Award for his role as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland. Additionally, he’s a director, with works like Strapped, Waiting to Exhale, Hope Floats, and First Daughter. Since 2019, he’s been starring in the Epix crime drama series Godfather of Harlem as Bumpy Johnson.

2. Yvonne Orji

Yvonne Anuli Orji, a Nigerian-American actress, and comedian, was born in Portacourt, Rivers State on December 2, 1983. She grew up in Laurel, Maryland. She gained fame for her role in the TV series Insecure (2016–2021) and received nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and three NAACP Image Awards. In 2015, she got the role of Molly on Insecure without an agent or prior acting experience. In 2021, she started working on a Disney+ series named First Gen, based on her life, produced by Oprah Winfrey and David Oyelowo. Orji wrote the book Bamboozled by Jesus.

In 2023, Orji voiced Tess, the estranged wife of secret bounty hunter Terry, in My Dad the Bounty Hunter. She also signed a two-year first-look deal with Sony Pictures Television in 2023.

1.Chiwetel Umeadi Ejiofor

Chiwetel Umeadi Ejiofor, a British actor, was born on July 10, 1977, in Forest Gate, east London, to Nigerian parents of Igbo descent. He has received several awards, including a British Academy Film Award, a Laurence Olivier Award, two British Independent Film Awards, and nominations for an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and five Golden Globe Awards.

Ejiofor started acting in school plays at Dulwich Prep London, where he played the gravedigger in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. He continued acting at Dulwich College and the National Youth Theatre. He portrayed Othello in various performances.

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