When it comes to old Nollywood realness, we all know that the women were the ones who came on the scene and served hard. We’ve decided to take a week to honour seven legendary actresses who still impact the movie industry decades after their debut.
Today, we honour the magnificent Omotola Jalade Ekeinde.
Born on the 7th of February 1978, Omosexy (a nickname she was given by fans for obvious reasons) is a Nigerian actress, singer, philanthropist, and former model. She wasborn into a family of five and attended Chrisland School and Command Secondary School for her secondary education. She started her tertiary school education at Obafemi Awolowo University and completed it at Yaba College of Technology where she studied Estate Management.
Omotola’s original ambition was to work in Business Management. While waiting for her results after university, she began modelling to earn a living. During this time, she accompanied a friend to the auditions for the 1995 movie, Venom of Justice. She somehow ended up getting the lead role in the movie and caught the acting bug. Her role in the 1996 movie Mortal Inheritance gained her critical acclaim and mainstream recognition, shooting her into the list of A-list actors in Nollywood. She went on to star in such movies as Scores to Settle (1998), Lost Kingdom (1999), Blood Sisters (2003), Games Women Play
After over 300 straight-to-video releases, Omotola starred in her first cinematic release in 2010. The movie, named Ije: The Journey, reunited Omotola with her Blood Sisters co-star, Genevieve Nnaji and was shot in parts of Nigeria and the United States. It became the highest-grossing movie at the time (until it dethroned by 2012’s Phone Swap).
In 2005, Omotola launched a music career with the release of her debut album titled, Gba. The album produced the singles Naija Lowa and the less commercially successful The Things You Do To Me. The singles Feel Alright and Through the Fire were released to promote her sophomore album. The album, though recorded, was never released for unknown reasons.
She married Captain Matthew Ekeinde in 1996 and had a white ceremony in 2001 that took place onboard a Dash 7 aircraft flying from Lagos to Benin. Together, they have four children.
Here’s to many more years of Omosexy gracing us with her many talents.
