Beverly Naya born Beverly Ifunaya Bassey is one of the upcoming stars whose worth has continually grown. She was born in the UK and only returned to pursue a career in Nollywood. Here are five of the most important things we know about Beverly Naya as related to her career, background, education, love life, movies, and activism.
1. Beverly Naya background: She survived a childhood of bullying
The only child of UK-based Nigerian couple, born on 17 April 1989 in London, many would vow that Beverly Naya had a sweet and candy childhood. Perhaps she did have a sweet childhood, it is, however, punctuated by the fact that she had a somewhat tumultuous experience with bullies. This is one of the facts she admitted in an interview with Vanguard Newspaper. “I was bullied for the most part of my formative years,” she said. Beverly is not wallowing in self-pity and anguish over this as she admitted that it inspired her to want to help and encourage children who might be undergoing any form of bullying experience.
The actress understands the impact bullying can have on the future of these kids.
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Beverly Naya went on to study Philosophy, psychology, and sociology at Brunel University, West London and script-writing and film-making at Roehampton University, South-West London. She is grateful to not only survive her bullying days but come out of it strong and making a name for herself through her screen talents. Her fans too are grateful.
2. Beverly Naya’s Career: star had an award-winning entrance into Nollywood
While many actors endure years, sometimes up to a decade in the industry before their efforts are recognized with as much as a nomination, it wasn’t so for Naya. Naya who says Genevieve Nnaji and Ramsey Nouah are her mentors came into the industry blazing. She first had a movie role in 2008, her plan, then, was to only return to Nigeria and shoot movies during holidays. Her praise-worthy performances in her first appearances and her mother’s urging made the actress return to Nigeria permanently. She hasn’t looked back since then,
In 2010, Beverly won the award of Most Promising Talent at the Best of Nollywood Awards. The following year, she was recognized at the City People Entertainment Awards as the Fast Rising Actress. In 2003, Naya joined Nigeria’s most popular TV series and one of the longest-running in Africa, Tinsel where she played the role of Yaya. Such was her performance in this film that she was got a nomination for TV actress of the year at the 2014 ELOY Awards.
Beverly has been romantically linked with Big Brother Africa winner Uti Nwachukwu. She has denied this. In early 2018, news made the rounds in the blogs that the actress is set to wed actor Adeolu Adefarasin, nephew to popular Televangelist Pastor Adefarasin. This is yet to be made official.
3. The Actress is a fan of sex before marriage
In an interview with Genevieve Magazine, the actress said something many celebrities will be reluctant to say openly in Nigeria. She lends her support to sex before marriage. “I understand sex before marriage,” she says since “You don’t want to end up with someone who gives you bad sex.” She uses herself to illustrate the point. “I would love to abstain but I don’t want to be in a situation where the guy is impotent or can’t please me. I will resent him.”
While at this, Beverly added that she can’t stand pot belly in men.
4. Beverly Naya Activism: She is a dark skin champion
You might just have found out that Beverly is outspoken and doesn’t hold her tongue when she needs to say her mind. You are still ripe for more surprise, Naya is an activist. She is the founder of #FiftyShadesOfBlack, a campaign targeted at the empowering of black women and girls the world over, making them appreciate and love themselves. The actress is moved to do this as she is inspired by her mom and Oprah Winfrey.
In 2019, she teamed up with Daniel Etim Effiong to make the documentary “Skin”. The movie was well-received and won the Best Documentary award at the AMVCA. On why she made this film, Naya told CNN: “I want to inspire young people to love themselves. And I decide to use my documentary, ‘Skin,’ because I didn’t want to restrict my message to a small community. I knew it was important to get the message further.”
5. Beverly Naya Love Life and relationship: She has never been heartbroken before
Heartbreak is universal and many have worn its painful shoes at least once in their romantic life. Not Beverly Naya. She told Showtime People that she has never been heartbroken before, admitting she had been hurt before. “Being hurt is when you meet that guy you really and things don’t work well.” Drawing a distinction with heartbreak which she described as when “You have been completely deceived by a certain situation.”
Well, the screen act made these comments in 2013. A long time ago. The actress might have got heartbroken since then although we can only speculate. What is not open to speculation is what she expects in her man. “I want my man to be handsome,” she says, before adding that: “Any woman that says otherwise is lying to herself.” Not something non-handsome men will be happy to read. Next to physical attraction, the star points this out: “He has to be ambitious, he has to be self-driven, God-fearing, a gentleman – just someone who knows how to treat a woman and make her feel like a queen.”
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