By BENJAMIN NJOKU
Nollywood is home to many legendary actresses whose performances and charms have continued to resonate with the Nigerian cinema.
These actresses, some of whom are still gracing the screens today were once the toast of many lovers of Nigerian movies. Their artistic exploits and beauties are still the talk of the town, and the actresses have left an indelible impact on the country’s cinematic culture.
From timeless performances to blockbuster classics, we celebrate the cinematic magic created by these trailblazing divas, which has outlived them. Enjoy the golden era of Nollywood as we revisit the iconic films and TV drama series that made these legendary actresses unforgettable.
Barbara Soky
Barbara Soky was one of the pioneer actresses, who made waves in the 80s and early 90s, with her captivating performances. She became a household name in many homes in Nigeria and beyond before disappearing from the screen. Soky rose to fame after starring in Fani-Kayode’s serial “Mirror in the Sun”, where she played the role of Yinka Fawole, a seductive young woman in love with two polar opposites. But she played her first major acting role as office receptionist Rosemary Hart in the NTA series “Inside Out”, an NTA Port Harcourt production, which gained popularity across the eastern part of the country back in time. The screen diva also starred in “You Can’t Take Your Wife to New York”, a series about a Nigerian ambassador with an illiterate wife. Meanwhile after her performance in “Mirror in the Sun”, Soky upped her ante in Zeb Ejiro’s “Ripples”, as unlucky-in-love city lawyer Daphne Wellington-Cole. The sitcom ruled the silver screen from 1988 to 1993 before it was rested. Soky would stage a comeback to her first love in 2022, when she starred in the reboot of Ripple: The New Generation. Back then, many families would get glued to their TV sets to watch Mirror in the Sun”, Inside Out” or “Ripples” among other popular sitcoms. Though she has starred in a couple of Nollywood movies in the past few years, Soky seems to have been missing on screen in recent times. During her hey days, Barbara Soky used her role not only to impact on the society, but also, to gain popularity within and outside the shores of the country. She remains one of the most sought after actresses in her time as history will be kind with her.
Liz Benson-Ameye
Ageless Liz Benson sparked excitement among fans and younger colleagues in the industry last year, when she rekindled her old passion, starring in Mercy Johnson’s movie, “A Mother’s Son,” after many years of disappearing from the scene. The veteran actress held sway as one of the queens of the tube in the 90s. There was no TV drama series shot back then that didn’t feature the likes of Liz Benson, who many young actresses look up to. The Akwa Ibom State-born actress started her career as a child actress in 1971 at age five, but gained fame after she featured as Mrs Agnes Johnson on a television soap opera titled ‘Fortunes’ on NTA in 1993 while she was 27. Liz rose to fame in the 1990s, starring in some classic movies and became a household name in those early days of Nollywood. Her performances in acclaimed movies such as ‘Glamour Girls’, ‘True Confession’, ‘Diamond Rings’, ‘Scores to Settle’,’ Evil Men1 and 2’, ‘Conspiracy’, ‘Dead End’, among others, are still being celebrated till date. When she re-married to Bishop Great Ameye of Freedom Family Assembly, Warri, Delta State, after the death of her former husband in 1998, Liz had disclosed that she is a born-again Christian and now preaches the gospel on full time basis as an ordained minister.
Ego Boyo
Ego Boyo is very much a force to reckon with, in the industry despite working behind the camera these days. The actress, who became popular after her role as Anne Haatrope in the early 90s soap, “Checkmate”, transformed as an executive producer and creative entrepreneur. She’s the founder and Managing Director of Temple Productions, Temple films and Temple Studio.
Boyo started her career in the early 1990s series “Checkmate”, where she played the character of Anne Haatrope, acting alongside Francis Agu and Richard Mofe Damijo. After “Checkmate” went off air in 1995, Boyo started work with Amaka Igwe on the acclaimed film “Violated”, which was released in 1996. Several members of the Checkmate cast and crew also worked on the film, which was well received by the audience Following her resilience and passion, Boyo established her own production company, Temple Productions, which has produced movies such as “The Ghost and the House of truth” among others. Even at that, Ego Boyo’s fans are still missing her face on the screen.
Franca Brown
Lovers of Nigerian movies will not forget Franca Brown in a hurry. She played the role of Mama Nosa in that popular TV drama, “Behind the Clouds”, which ran on NTA in the early 80s. The ageless actress who began her acting career as an undergraduate at University of Jos, may not have been visible in the industry, but she’s truly an inspiration to many young actresses. She ventured into scriptwriting, music and filmmaking, producing films that tackle social issues and cultural narratives. Recently, she made a comeback in movies such as “Ogadi” directed by Tissy Nnachi. and “One true love”’ a Royal Arts Academy production. Her music debut, “Osemwonyenwen” (Contentment), showcased her talent as a singer and songwriter. Nonetheless, Brown remains one of the queens of the tube.
Regina Asika
Back in time, one of the names that rang a bell in the Nigerian movie industry was Regina Askia. She was a reigning queen at a time, who lit up our screens with classics like ‘Full Moon’, ‘Vuga’, ‘Highway to the Grave’ among others in the 1990s. She first came into the spotlight after emerging the first runner-up in the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria Pageant in 1988. Asika eventually held the title when the reigning queen, Miss Bianca Onoh, resigned. Her big break in Nollywood came in 1993 when she played Tokunbo Johnson in Fortunes, a TV soap opera.
Following her marriage to her American hubby, Rudolph Williams, Asika quit acting and moved to the United States, where they live with their three children. In 2018, she started a career in nursing after gaining a degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner from Wagner University. Regina Askia also works as a healthcare and education activist, TV producer and writer. In 2021, Asika returned to her first love, starring in the movie, “Web” directed by U.S based prolific Nigerian movie director, Wole Ogundare. But nothing much has been heard about her since then.