David Oyelowo, Cynthia Erivo, 3 other Popular Hollywood Stars with Nigerian Roots
Hollywood is the largest film industry in the world and it has many talented actors of Nigerian descent. These actors have been featured in many blockbuster movies and a lot of young people look up to them.
Legit.ng presents five Hollywood stars with Nigerian roots.
1. David Oyelowo
David Oyelowo was born to Nigerian parents in England on April 1, 1976. His father hails from Oyo state while his mother is from Edo state.
The successful actor starred in the Queen of Katwe and played supporting roles in the Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Lincoln, and Jack Reacher.
Source: Instagram
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2. Cynthia Erivo
The actress and singer was born in Stockwell, England, on January 8, 1987, to Nigerian parents. Her mother is a nurse, The Nation reports.
She played the lead role in the biopic Harriet and was nominated for several awards.
Cynthia is the recipient of several accolades, including a Daytime Emmy Award, a Grammy Award and a Tony Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
3. John Boyega
John Boyega was born to Nigerian parents in Peckham, England, on March 17, 1992.
Some of the films he has featured in include Detroit, Pacific Rim, and Imperial Dreams. He received the BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2016.
4. Yvonne Orji
Yvonne Orji was born to Nigerian parents in Port Harcourt on December 2, 1983, but was raised in Maryland, the United States. She is known for her role in the HBO series Insecure.
Yvonne has starred in several films like Jane The Virgin, Flip the script, among others.
5. Chiwetel Ejiofor
Chiwetel Umeadi Ejiofor is a British-Nigerian actor. According to Chiwetel's biography on IMDb, he was born on July 10, 1977.
After enrolling at the National Youth Theatre in 1995 and attending the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art at the age of 19 and three months into his course, Ejiofor was cast by Steven Spielberg to play a supporting role in the film Amistad as James Covey.
He has since starred in numerous movies such as 12 Years a Slave, The Lion King, Half of a Yellow Sun, Deadly Travel, among others.
Source: Instagram
Bishop TD Jakes traces roots to Nigeria
Legit.ng previously reported that Thomas D. Jakes, the bishop of Potter’s House, a church in the United States, said he traced his roots to Nigeria and discovered that his ancestors were Igbos.
The renowned man of God made the disclosure during an interview with BBC Igbo, where he said he has the major attribute of the Igbo tribe, which is hardworking.
Jakes said he eats fufu and jollof rice whenever he comes to Nigeria, adding that Nigerian cuisines make his head sweat.
Source: Legit.ng
