Genevieve Nnaji: Age, Career, Married?

Genevieve Nnaji is arguably the best female actress in Nigeria. To avoid an argument is to say that Genevieve is one of the five best actresses to come out of Nigeria from 1960 to this moment. Recently, Genevieve was in the news for making “LionHeart” a film starring herself, Pete Edochie and Nkem Owoh and which Netflix bought for a reported 3.8 million dollars (1.3 billion naira, hold me) making it Netflix’s first original movie from Nollywood. “Lionheart” marks a major turning point for Genevieve and maybe Nollywood. This introduction feels like jumping too high too soon. Here, I intend to give you all the facts you need to know about Genevieve, but first her background and the likes.

Genevieve Nnaji – age and background

Genevieve was born in May 1979. Genevieve was born in Mbaise, Imo State which makes her a sister to Rita Dominic. She grew up in Lagos among seven other siblings for which she is number four. Her mother was a teacher and her father an engineer. Genevieve attended Methodist Girls College, Yaba for her high school then proceeded to the University of Lagos where she earned a degree in creative arts.

Genevieve is forty years old and not looking it; she has the face, body, and shape that could pass for that of a woman in her early thirties. And it is near impossible to find any man in Nigeria who would bad-mouth Genevieve as a partner based on her rather advanced age.

The ’90s romance and daughter

Genevieve Nnaji is a baby mama. Growing up in Lagos in the 1990s, while the Abacha days might have made it a darker period in Nigeria, it was a golden period in the aspect of letter writing, whistling at a girl’s window, meeting under the mango trees, and scaling walls, etc., all in the pursuit of love. Well, Genevieve fell pregnant along the way and the result was Chimebuka Nnaji.

Genevieve was 17 years old and has admitted that it was a difficult period and that she contemplated getting rid of the baby. She would be grateful she didn’t do that as her baby has turned out to be a spitting image of Genevieve and a source of happiness for the mother and inspiration for single mothers on the face of the earth.

Chimebuka Nnaji, a Mass Communication graduate, is a celebrity make-up artist and now a married woman. She got married in 2016 to her high school sweetheart whom she met in 2009. There are rumors to the effect that Chimebuka was pregnant hence the rush to get her to marry.

Genevieve Nnaji – career

In 1998, Genevieve became a national icon when she starred in the film “Most Wanted” in which she played the role of one of four women who became armed robbers when they couldn’t get jobs after university, terrorizing Nigerian highways. The film featured 1990s darlings such as Regina Askia and Liz Benson and was directed by Tunji Bamishigbin.

In 2002, Genevieve cemented her place in the hearts of Nigerians when she played the title role of “Sharon Stone”. Growing up in Nigeria, many of us referred to Genevieve as Sharon Stone for most of the 2000s. In 2003, Genevieve was in “Blood Sisters” as the evil sister opposite Omotola Jalade who acted the good sister.

Enyinna Nwigwe

2003 was her peak in Nollywood in which she appeared in up to 30 movies including a series of romantic films with Ramsey Nouah such as “Break Up”, “Butterfly”, “Honey” etc. In 2004, powerful producers from Lagos and Onitsha who sponsor films backlisted a handful of A-list actors for charging too much and holding filmmakers to ransom including. While in this limbo, she became a musician and released “One Logologo Line” a full album that only served to show that singing wasn’t her talent. It was also at this time that the quality of Nollywood fell as it became an industry of cheap products.

Genevieve has done a couple of modeling, the most popular being when she was voted “Face of Lux” in 2004.

More on her career

In 2009, she was in “Ijé: The Journey” in which she played the role of Chioma who went to the United States to support her sister. In this same year, she was in “Silent Scandals” with Uche Jombo. In 2012, she was in “Weekend Getaway” with onset sweetheart and Ini Edo. In 2013, she played a small role in the movie of Chimamanda’s “Half of a Yellow Sun” which stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and also has OC Ukeje in the cast list.

In 2018, Genevieve became a filmmaker and produced and directed “Lionheart” a movie that hit a lot of ceilings and was purchased in Netflix for 3.8 million dollars. Ramsey Nouah has made comments about reinventing Nollywood for quality and refreshing content. Tell him, he is not alone in this push.

Jim Iyke bio

Genevieve Nnaji should have a barrel full of awards somewhere in her home. The problem here is that Nigeria’s documenting laziness means that it is impossible to find all the awards Genevieve bagged. We are aware, however, that she was awarded Best Actress at the 2001 City Peoples Awards and also retained the award in 2003 at the Censors Board of Nigeria awards, becoming the first to receive these awards. There was also the award of Best Actress in a Leading Role in 2005 by People’s Choice Awards. In 2011, the government of Goodluck Jonathan awarded her the national title of Order of the Federal Republic which is the fourth highest honors given in Nigeria.

Is she Genevieve married?

We don’t know. In 2017 it was rumored that Genevieve had a quiet marriage with a man named AJ Achams in Portugal. In Nigeria, when you a beautiful woman and have accomplished something worthwhile and made money, marriage would be the next step many will expect you to go. So this rumor is easy to believe.

Ms. Nnaji was never short of suitors. In 2014, Phyno the rapper confessed to his feelings for Genevieve. “Genevieve Nnaji is my crush. I will give anything to have her. I can’t rule out dating her because nothing is impossible.” And this might end in marriage if Genevieve considered it. She didn’t. Phyno is small fly.

See also: Cossy Orjiakor facts

Maybe then, she was waiting for a big shot. Many had wished she would end up with her on-set lover Ramsey Nouah. Nouah is since married. When he got married, Genevieve was at the peak of her career and marriage wouldn’t have been a priority. But actresses like Omotola and Joke Silva have shown that marriage in itself is not an impediment to a fulfilling career. The only difference is that Omotola and co. were already married before they became celebrities and big shots in the industry. Mercy Johnson is still balling in the game. She is married with children. Marriage may not be a game-ender actually. At least not for everyone. We may never know how it would have turned out for Nnaji had she married in say 2006.

Or maybe, Genevieve was afraid of divorce. Funke Akindele‘s first marriage didn’t end well. Same with Ini Edo’s only marriage. And that of a certain Tonto Dikeh. Stephenie Okereke is another name in the list of celebrities who suffered bad marriages. Genevieve is right for being cautious. And as they say, marriage is not an assembly ground, latecomers are allowed.

But is Genevieve really married? Chimamanda got married for years before we found out and even now we don’t know the gender of her child. I have always suspected that Chimamanda and Genevieve have a lot in common besides been feminists. I suspect Genevieve is truly married.

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