Top Nigerian stars in Hollywood

Chiwetel Ejiofor

Born: Chiwetel Umeadi Ejiofor

DOB: 10 July 1977 (age 40)

Net worth: $12m

Ejiofor was born in London’s Forest Gate. His father, Arinze, was a doctor, and his mother, Obiajulu, was a pharmacist. After enrolling at the National Youth Theatre in 1995, and gaining a scholarship to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, at age 19 and three months into his course, Ejiofor was cast by Steven Spielberg to play a supporting role in the film Amistad (1997) as James Covey. For 12 Years a Slave (2013), he received Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations, along with the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award for Best Actor.

David Oyelowo

Born: David Oyetokunbo Oyelowo

DOB: 1 April 1976 (age 41)

Net worth: $3m

Oyelowo was born in Oxford, England to parents of Yoruba ethnicity. Perhaps his highest profile role to date was as Martin Luther King Jr. in the American biographical drama film Selma (2014). He also played the role of a chess coach in Queen of Katwe (2016). He has played supporting roles in Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) and Lincoln (2012), to name a few, and garnered praise for portraying Louis Gaines in The Butler (2013).

Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

DOB: 22 August 1967 (age 50)

Net worth: $3m

Akinnuoye-Agbaje was born in Islington, London to Yoruba parents, who were students in the UK. A former fashion model, he is best known for his roles as Lock-Nah in The Mummy Returns (2001), Nykwana Wombosi in The Bourne Identity (2002), Mr. Eko on Lost, and Simon Adebisi on Oz. More recently, he played Malko in the fifth season of the HBO series Game of Thrones, Dave Duerson in Concussion (2015), and Killer Croc in Suicide Squad (2016).

John Boyega

Born: John Adedayo B Adegboyega

DOB: 17 March 1992 (age 25)

Net worth: $2m

Boyega was born in Peckham, south London, to Nigerian parents, Abigail and Samson. He is best known for playing Finn in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015). Boyega rose to prominence in his native United Kingdom for his role as Moses in the 2011 sci-fi comedy film Attack the Block. He stars this year’s Oscar-contending historical drama Detroit.

Uzo Aduba

Born: Uzoamaka Nwanneka Aduba

DOB: February 10, 1981 (age 36)

Net worth: $1m

Aduba was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the daughter of Igbo parents from Achi in Enugu State. She is known for her role as Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren on the Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black, for which she won an Emmy Award in 2014 and 2015, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards both years. She is one of only two actors to win an Emmy in both the comedy and drama categories for the same role.

Source: Punch