Complete List of Nollywood Actors & Actresses 2024 Updated

This post is centered on the full list of Nollywood actors and actresses in Nigeria. Nollywood is the name for the Nigerian movie industry and it is ranked the third in the world in terms of the numbers of movies produced, this has really helped individuals who choose acting as a career and with the help of the huge population of Nigeria, there has been drastic success and improvements in their doings.

We have taken our time to compile and list here the full list of Nollywood actors and Nollywood actresses both dead and alive for our visitors.

Our list will consist of your favorite Nollywood actors, favorite Nollywood actresses and even those ones you actually do not know much about, these are Nigerian celebrities from every tribe and region of the country.

We all are familiar with the word Hollywood, this is the American movie industry, just the same way we have Nollywood, they both oversee the movie production in their respective countries.

NaijaXtreme earlier on published an article on the list of Yoruba actors and actresses in Nigeria, Yoruba is a tribe in Nigeria, there are other tribes too, we also have other movie industries like the Hausa and Igbo but they are all under the umbrella of Nollywood.

Nollywood celebrities are scattered all around Nigeria and also from the various ethnic groups we have in Nigeria, we have the veterans in the movie industry and also the young actors and actresses, you will know about them in this post.

Famous Yoruba Nollywood Actors

Odunlade Adekola

Without a doubt Odunlade Adekola is a major actor in the Yoruba movie industry, he is Yoruba by descent and also very talented. Odunlade can play any role given to him and he is an award-winning Yoruba actor.

In short, saying that Odunlade Adekola is the Yoruba most skilled actor in Nollywood won’t be an understatement, he has starred in many well-known films like Taxi Driver, Oyenusi, Omo Colonel, Alani Pamolekun, Adura, etc and most of the movies he starred in are on Netflix.

Odunlade has received a lot of awards like the Best Actor at the City People Awards and also the African Magic Movie Award for Best Actor for some years consecutively.

Femi Adebayo

What a perfect actor! Femi Adebayo is a Yoruba movie actor, son of Baba Adebayo Salami, he has been in the Yoruba movie world for a long time and is the choice of most Nollywood movie lovers, we have seen him feature in English movies, epic Nigerian movies and also in Yoruba movies of all genres, very adaptable.

Femi Adebayo is an award-winning Yoruba actor, he was awarded the City People Movie Award for Best Actor in 2015 and we have seen his performance in movies like Owo Blow, Jelili, Anini, Ayitale and many others.

Read: Full Biography Of Femi Adebayo & Net Worth: [Nollywood Actor]

Taiwo Hassan

Most people do not know him by his name, his stage name is Ogogo and his real name is Taiwo Hassan. Taiwo Hassan was once a mechanic before joining the movie industry and he is a veteran in the Yoruba entertainment world. He has been in the business for over 3 decades his acting prowess is so touching and whenever you see him act it’s always very emotional.

Saidi Balogun

Saidi Balogun the divorced husband of Fathia Balogun, he is a notable actor and a Yoruba Nollywood actor, he has acted in some English movies and series too. He has produced some movies that topped the charts. We cannot forget to mention his movie Third Party which is the first Ankara movie in Africa likewise Gbogbo Ere and also Modupe Temi.

Famous English Nollywood Actors

Shifting from the Yoruba famous actors to the English, we have listed the popular ones below before giving a comprehensive list of all the Nollywood actors.

Ramsey Nouah

Ramsey Nouah is a handsome and talented Nollywood actor, he acts the English version and has also acted in the Yoruba and Igbo version of Nollywood movies. He mostly plays a romantic role and he is good at what he does. He has acted in some interesting movies that made it on Netflix, movies like Figurine, Guilty Pleasures, Reloaded and many more.

Olu Jacobs

A legend in the movie world, Olu Jacobs has been in the industry for decades and he is one of the oldest Nollywood actors still breathing. We have seen him in many movie genres, he acts Yoruba movies, Igbo movies and even English movies. Not stopping there, his talent, skills and popularity have earned him some gigs in the international movie space as he has acted in some British movies and even in other countries of the world. He has received a lot of awards, he won the African Movie Academy Award for the Best Actor in 2007.

Below is the list of the Nollywood actors both the dead and those still alive, they are the veterans that have contributed immensely in the progress of the Nollywood movie industry:

• Ayo Makun
• Afeez Oyetoro
• Dele Momodu
• Ali Nuhu
• Chinedu Ikedieze
• Emeka Ossai
• Emeka Ike
• Adebayo Salami
• Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
• Desmond Eliot
• Elder Decembera Martins Njubuigbo aka Elder December (late)
• Chinwetalagu
• Justice Esiri (late)
• Kola Oyewo
• Mike Ezuruonye
• Clem Ohameze
• Chuma Emeka
• Dele Odule
• Ernest Asuzu (late)
• Femi Branch
• Fred Amata
• Festus Aguebor (late)
• Fred Ekata (late)
• Gbenro Ajibade
• Late Chyke Bryan (late)
• Richard Mofe Damijo
• Hakeem Kae-Kazim
• Jide Kosoko
• Jim Iyke
• Olu Jacobs
• Olumide Bakare (late)
• Shawn Faqua
• Sola Fosudo
• Jimoh Aliu
• John Boyega
• John Okafor
• Muyiwa Ademola
• Yemi Shodimu
• Yul Edochie
• Dede One Day
• Mr Ibu
• Nkem Owoh
• Nonso Diobi (late)
• C. Ukeje
• Obi Madubogwo (late)
• Dayo Okeniyi
• Okwy Chukwujekwu (late)
• Okey Bakassi
• Osita Iheme
• Late Prince James Uche (late)
• Saheed Balogun
• Adebimpe Oyebade
• Sam Loco (late)
• Yemi Ajibade
• Tope Tedela
• Victor Osuagwu
• Saint Obi

These are the names of the actors we grew up watching, the ones dead are not as popular as those still living, we only have few popular ones that are no more.

Read Also: Taaooma Biography & Net Worth, Career, Awards and Relationship

Famous Nollywood Actresses

We have written about Nollywood actors and it wont be cool not to mention the actress, Nollywood actress are performing even more than what is expected of them, they are the driving force of the movie industry, below is a list of the veteran actresses of Nollywood of which most of them are still living.

Funke Akindele

The movie queen is popularly known as Jenifa based on her project a movie series named “Jenifa”, Funke Akindele’s contribution to the Yoruba entertainment industry and Nollywood as a whole is exceptional. She is a very talented actress and also smart, in short, she is the most popular female actress presently in the Yoruba movie world and also in Nollywood.

She has been acting in some movies for quite some time and the movie Jenifa brought her to the limelight, she is so successful and she runs her own NGO called Jenifa Foundation which has been a helping hand since its establishment also has been helping people to gain professional works.

Of course, Funke Akindele is the richest Yoruba actress as at the time this article was published, she is popularly known as Jenifa. Akindele is an award-winning Nollywood actress.

Mercy Johnson

Talent speaks for her, Mercy Johnson is a household name and the character movie lovers like to see on their screen. She has been in this business for a long time and she is one of the wealthiest Nollywood actresses. She is happily married to Prince Odianosen Okojie and their marriage blessed with three children.

Nse Ikpe Etim

Another wonderful personality, Nse Ikpe Etim came into the limelight after her role in the movie “Reloaded”, since then people has been on the watch for her and she has also featured in some other Nollywood movies such as Guilty Pleasure, Tunnel, Phone Swap, American Driver, Stalkers and many others.

Mercy Aigbe

Aigbe is an actress with her roots firmly in Nollywood and the Yoruba movie space, she has been a consistent and hardworking actress, she has featured in hundreds of Yoruba movies and she is known for her unique role play.

Sophie Okonedo

Sophie is a British actress, though she is a Nigerian and she has starred in some movies which topped the charts like AfterEarth, Decemberday, Aeon Flux etc.

Read Also: Full Biography Of Rita Daniels & Net Worth

Some other popular Nollywood actress are listed below:

• Chioma Chukwuka
• Bimbo Oshin
• Kate Henshaw
• Bukky Wright
• Idowu Philips
• Chika Ike
• Patience Ozokwor
• Chioma Okoye
• Genevieve Nnaji
• Hadiza Gabon
• Nafisa Abdullahi
• Moji Olaiya
• Lola Margaret
• Mary Uranta
• Helen Paul
• Muma Gee
• Ini Edo
• Iyabo Ojo
• Regina Askia
• Carmen Ejogo
• Tamara Eteimo
• Kehinde Bankole
• Kiki Omeili
• Henrietta Kosoko (late)
• Liz Benson
• Megalyn Echikunwoke
• Carol King
• Bisi Komolafe
• Monalisa Chinda
• Nikki Amuka-Bird
• Nse Ikpe Etim
• Oge Okoye
• Tonto Dike
• Toni Tones
• Omotola Jalade Ekeinde
• Osas Ighodaro
• Rahama Sadau
• Bukky Ajayi (late)
• Shan George
• Stephanie Okereke
• Taiwo Ajai Lycett
• Rita Dominic

Dead Nollywood Actors & Actresses List (2010 – 2024)

1. Bukky Ajayi (2016)

2. Festus Aguebor (2016)

3. Prince James Uche (2017)

4. Moji Olaiya (2017)

5. Olumide Bakare (2017)

6. Adeshina Adesanya (Pastor Ajidara) – (2017)

7. Alhaji Kasimu Yero (2017)

8. Adebayo Faleti (2017)

9. Okwy Chukwujekwu (2017)

10. Obi Madubogwo (2017)

11. Funke Abisogun (2017)

12. Victor Eze (2017)

13. Enebeli Elebuwa (2012)

14. Bisi Komolafe (2012)

15. Ashley Nwosu (2011)

16. Ernest Asuzu (2021)

17. Babatunde Omidina (2021)

18. Racheal Oniga (2021)

19. Kunle Adetokunbo (2022)