Entertainment
Meet Veteran Nollywood Stars Missing In Action
It has been observed lately
that some veteran Nollywood actors and actresses that we use to know for their excellent role interpretations in the make-believe industry have been away from the big screen for sometimes now. Among the stars are:
1. HANKS ANUKU
Nollywood star actor, Hanks Anuku is associated with bad guy roles in the Nigerian movie industry. He has an American accent, having lived in the United States for a very long time, yet he is deeply rooted in the African culture. He is well known by his fans for the notorious characters he portrays in the movie industry.
2. SUSAN PATRICK
Susan Patrick was born in Akwa Ibom State, she came into the limelight after she acted in the movie ‘Sakobi’. She became a prominent character in the industry by playing her role effectively. She eventually faded away as a result of competition for most of the roles she acted.
3. SAINT OBI
Among the Nollywood actors, Obinna Nwafor is popularly known as Saint Obi. He is a prominent personity in the movie industry. Obi is best known for his roles in movies like Candle light, Sakobi, Goodbye Tomorrow, Heart of Gold. He has starred in over 60 movies.
4. LIZ BENSON
The Efik-born actress began acting when she was just a kid. Liz Benson was able to warm her way into the hearts of millions of Nigerian movie fans with her elegance and beauty. Benson has been known for acting brilliantly until she suddenly quit acting in 1996. She became a born-again Christian and started preaching the gospel.
5. SHAN GEORGE
Shan George is a Nollywood actress, singer, film producer and director. Prior to debuting in the movie ‘Thorns of Rose’, she had previously featured in a 1997 soap Opera titled ‘Winds of Destiny’. She is an actress that cannot be neglected due to the rav-shing beauty she possesses. Shan has proved how competent she is in her profession. She is bet known for her role in the movie ‘Outkast’.
6. ZACK ORJI
Zachee Ama Orji had his first movie in 1991, titled ‘Unforgiven Sin’ and after that, he has starred in different movies. Zack Orji is well known in the industry. Growing up in Cameroon, Benin and Togo, Orji speaks both English and French fluently.
7. SANDRA ACHUMS
Sandra Achums is one of the Nigerian actresses who were prominently featured in the late 90’s and the early 2000s. Achums who hails from Imo State is no longer seen in the movie industry. She used to be on the cover of most Nollywood movies.
8. PAT ATTAH
Patrick Uchenna Attah, popularly referred to as Pat Attah is a Nollywood actor who hails from Anambra State. He used to be among the prominent actors in the movie industry some years ago. His first movie was in 1994 and he has featured in over 50 movies since then.
9. ERNEST ASUZU
The Nollywood actor Ernest Asuzu was born in Imo State. Ernest is said to have taken time off to re-brand and rediscover himself. Asuzu who was dynamic in his movie characters has also helped in contributing to the movie industry in the time past.
10. GENTLE JACK
The Nollywood actor, Gentle Jack, is also referred to as the macho of Nollywood. He came into the limelight due not only to his movie roles, but his personality and body build. These two things made him outstanding among his contemporaries.
11. RITA NZELU
Rita Nzelu is also one of the veteran Nollywood actresses. Nzelu started her acting career way back in the 90’s. Although she is no longer seen in the industry, but her well composed works have contributed to her profile. The movie titled ‘Living in Bondage’ brought her to the limelight.
12. CLEM OHANEZE
Clem Ohaneze started his professional acting in 1995. He is a Nollywood actor with two decades in acting, but his breakthrough role was in 1998 when he featured in a big budget movie titled ‘Endtime’ Ohaneze has acted in over 500 movies before he briefly broke away from acting between 2006 and 2010 to pursue other interests including politics.
13. EGO BOYO
Ego Boyo played her first character in the Nollywood industry in the movie titled ‘Violated’, a film directed by the veteran filmmaker Amaka Igwe. Boyo’s character in the movie violated brought attention to her.
14. CHARLES OKAFOR
Charles Okafor became a popular figure in the Nollywood industry, for his roles in the movies titled ‘Domitilla’ and ‘Igodo’.
15. GEORGINA ONUOHA
Georgina Onuoha is one of the actresses who graced the Nigerian movie industry in the early 90’s. In building her acting career, she has also contributed to the level the industry is now. She decided to stay off the screen after her marriage.
16. SAM DEDE
Sam Dede is a veteran Nollywood actor in the Nigerian movie industry who has built himself very high repute by starring in numerous movies including ‘Issakaba’.
17. EJIKE ASIEGBU
Veteran Nollywood actor, Ejike Asiegbu is a popular face in the Nigerian movie industry. The theatre arts graduate is the ex-chairman of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN. Asiegbu has also tried his hands at politics like many Nollywood actors.
18. UCHE OSUTULE
The Nigerian actress Uche Obi-Osotule is now known as Uche Macaulay. She has been off the screen and movie industy for a while. Osotule is prominently recognized for her character in Tunde Kelani’s thunderbolt some years back until she recently revealed that she has been busy on other areas of interest like scripting and writing , particularly children’s books.
Entertainment
Funke Akindele’s Behind The Scenes Crosses ?1.77bn
Funke Akindele’s Behind The Scenes becomes Nollywood’s highest-grossing film of 2025, earning ?1.77bn in under four weeks.
Multi-award-winning actress and producer Funke Akindele has done it again, and this time, the numbers speak louder than applause.
Her latest film, Behind The Scenes, has officially emerged as the highest-grossing Nollywood film of 2025, pulling in an astonishing ?1.767 billion in less than four weeks.
The Tide Entertainment reports that Funke Akindele Makes Box Office History as Behind The Scenes Crosses ?1.77bn
Earlier in its release cycle, the film’s distributor, FilmOne Entertainment, revealed that Behind The Scenes smashed five opening-weekend records, including the highest single-day gross ever recorded on Boxing Day, with ?129.5 million in one day. That announcement already hinted that something unusual was unfolding.
Reacting to the milestone, FilmOne described the moment as both surreal and communal, crediting audience loyalty for pushing the film to the top spot once again as the number-one movie of the weekend. And that sentiment feels accurate. This wasn’t just ticket sales; it was momentum.
What makes this achievement even more striking is that Behind The Scenes is Funke Akindele’s third film to cross the ?1 billion mark. Before now, there was A Tribe Called Judah, and then Everybody Loves Jenifa, a film that didn’t just open big, but went on to become the highest-grossing Nollywood film of all time. At this point, it’s no longer a fluke. It’s a pattern.
Part of Behind The Scenes’ success lies in strategy. The film enjoyed advanced screenings on December 10 and 11, quietly building curiosity and conversation before its nationwide release on December 12. By the time it officially hit cinemas, audiences already felt like they needed to see it.
Then there’s the cast. The film brings together a lineup that feels deliberately stacked: Scarlet Gomez, Iyabo Ojo, Destiny Etiko, Tobi Bakre, Uche Montana, and several others. Familiar faces, strong fan bases, and performances that kept word-of-mouth alive long after opening weekend.
Still, beyond timing and casting, there’s something else at work here. Funke Akindele understands Nigerian audiences. Their humour, their pacing, their emotional buttons. She doesn’t guess, she calculates, experiments, listens, and refines. That understanding has slowly turned into box-office dominance.
Behind The Scenes crossing ?1.77 billion isn’t just another headline; it’s confirmation. Funke Akindele has moved from being a successful actress to becoming one of the most reliable commercial forces Nollywood has ever produced. Three-billion-naira films don’t happen by luck. They happen when storytelling, business sense, and audience trust align.
And right now, that alignment seems firmly in her hands.
Entertainment
Adekunle Gold, Simi Welcome Twin Babies
Popular Nigerian music stars, Adekunle Kosoko, widely known as Adekunle Gold, and his wife, Simi, have become parents again this time to twins.
The award-winning singer shared the joyful update on his Snapchat story on Wednesday, confirming the expansion of their family.
“Asked God for another child and he blessed me double,” she wrote.
While the couple has not yet disclosed the gender of the newborns, the announcement has sparked an outpouring of warm wishes from admirers, fellow celebrities, and industry colleagues.
Speculation had intensified in December when Simi posted a video on Instagram accompanied by the caption, “From my baby, for my babies.”
The clip showed her with a growing baby bump, fueling anticipation that another child was on the way.
Their latest blessings arrive just weeks after Simi highlighted a scene from Adekunle Gold’s newly released music video, “My Love is the Same,” further stirring excitement among fans.
The Tide Entertainment reports that Adekunle Gold and Simi who tied the knot in 2019 after a long history of friendship and musical synergy remain one of Nigeria’s most admired entertainment power couples. Both artistes were once signed to X3M Music before soaring into mainstream acclaim.
The pair welcomed their first child, Adejare Kosoko, fondly called Deja, in May 2020.
Entertainment
Jesse Flames Opens 2026 With ‘Praise The Lord’ Featuring Magnito
After closing out 2025 with the release of “Praise the Lord” featuring Magnito, Jesse Flames enters the new year with renewed clarity and purpose, continuing to build a body of work rooted in intention rather than noise. In a moment where Afrobeats is moving faster and louder than ever, his approach remains measured and deliberate, prioritizing meaning, craft, and longevity over momentary attention. The official music video arrives January 10.
Following the momentum of his breakout single “FLEX,” “Praise the Lord” represents a shift from celebration to grounding. Reflective and soulful, the record centers gratitude, growth, and perspective, capturing a quieter confidence that resonates beyond a single moment.
“This song is about recognizing the full picture,” Jesse shares. “The work people see and the work they don’t. The lessons, the setbacks, the growth.”
The collaboration with Magnito, a respected voice in Nigerian hip hop known for his sharp lyricism and cultural authenticity, adds depth and weight to the record, reinforcing its themes of resilience, faith, and self reflection.
Released in December at the height of Detty December, “Praise the Lord” became a natural soundtrack for both celebration and reflection as the year came to a close. With the video arriving in January, the record takes on new meaning, opening the year as a tone setter rather than a reset.
Born in the United States, raised in Festac, Lagos, and now based in London, Jesse Flames brings a global perspective to his sound, blending Afrobeats, hip hop, and melodic soul into something sleek and intentional. His music reflects lived experience and cultural nuance rather than trend chasing.
The Tide Entertainment reports that with over 11 million streams, performances at O2 Brixton Academy and OVO Arena Wembley, and coverage from The Guardian and Business Post Nigeria, Jesse’s rise has been steady and self made. Looking ahead to 2026 and 2027, he is preparing for collaborations with Ice Prince, M.I Abaga, and Smurlee.
“Praise the Lord” ft. Magnito is available now on all streaming platforms.
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