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Friday, May 30, 2008

Nigerians in Hollywood, season 1 contd.


Sophie Okonedo (born 1 January 1969) is an Academy Award-nominated British actress with Nigerian blood of course...LOL

Biography:
Early life Okonedo was born in London, the daughter of Joan, a pilates teacher, and Henry Okonedo, who worked for the government. Her father is Nigerian and her mother, a Ashkenazi Jew, was born in the East End to Yiddish-speaking immigrants from Poland and Russia; Okonedo was raised attending synagogue. Her father left the family when Okonedo was five, and she was subsequently raised in poverty by her single mother.

Career
Okonedo trained at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She has worked in a variety of media including film, television, theatre, and audio drama. She performed in Scream of the Shalka — a webcast based on the BBC television series Doctor Who — as Alison Cheney, a companion of the Doctor. As well as providing the character's voice, Okonedo's likeness was used for the animation of the character. Okonedo also played the part of Ms. Tulip Jones in the movie Stormbreaker (2006) and Nancy in the 2007 television adaptation of Oliver Twist. She was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Supporting Actress in 2004 for her role in Hotel Rwanda and nominated for a Golden Globe for a Lead Actress in a Miniseries for her work in Tsunami: The Aftermath. Personal Life Okonedo has a daughter, Aoife, from her previous relationship with Irish film editor Eoin Martin. They live in Muswell Hill, London. On her heritage, Sophie says, "I feel as proud to be Jewish as I feel to be black" and calls her daughter "a gorgeous Irish, Nigerian Jew, so she’s really got it made."

here are some of the films she has been in:
    1.Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995)
    2.The Jackal (1997)
    3.This Year's Love (1999)
    4.Dirty Pretty Things (2002)
    5.Hotel Rwanda (2004)
    6.Æon Flux (2005)
    7.Stormbreaker (2006)
    8.Tsunami: The Aftermath (2006)
    9.Martian Child (2007)
    10.Oliver Twist (2007)
    11.Skin (2008) (post-production)
    12.The Secret Life of Bees (2009)
pretty impressive aiight... believe me how could one have imagined such pedigree. Yeah you could say she never had anything to do with Nigeria true that, but it still doesnt change the fact that she's got a Nigerian Spirit.
Sophie has had a pretty impressive career her awards and nominations are strong evidence to this fact:

*Academy Awards 2005,
Best Supporting Actress: Hotel Rwanda (Nominated)

*Black Reel Award 2005,
Best Actress in a Drama: Hotel Rwanda (Winner)

*Golden Globes 2007,
Best Actress in a Television Movie/Mini-Series: Tsunami: The Aftermath (Nominated)

*Image Awards 2007,
Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special: Tsunami:

The Aftermath (Winner)2005,
*Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Hotel Rwanda (Nominated)

*MTV Movie Awards 1996, Best Kiss: Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls shared with Jim Carrey

*(Nominated) Screen Actors Guild 2005, Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture: Hotel Rwanda

*(Nominated)2005, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Hotel Rwanda (Nominated)

Nigerians in Hollywood, season 1


Hey folks once again my my 'creatively restless' mind is at it again. For some time now perhaps by some coincidence i have stumbled upon stories of some Nigerian actors who have been making waves in Hollywood.

  • Chiwetel Ejiofor actor,( Inside Man, Dirty Pretty Things)
  • Sophie Okonedo, actor, (The jackal, Dirty Pretty Things).
  • Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, actor, (Lost, The Bourne Identity, GI Joe).
these three name amongst the growing number of Nigerians who have found and are still making their way to the limelight called hollywood. on this thread i will attempt to bring you a profile of them, their current projects and their lives.

did u know that Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje is a Buddhist

yeah thats right there is a lot more to Nigerian professionals in diaspora than meets the eye.

Here is a brief Bio on Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje:

Name: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

Height: 6' 2''

Sex: Male

Nationality: British

Birth Date: August 22, 1967

Birth Place: London, England, UK

Profession: Actor, Model

Education: Kings College, the University of London (masters in Law)

Claim to fame: Played the criminal Simon Adebisi in the HBO prison series Oz (1997-2000), as well as Mr. Eko on the second season of ABC's survivor drama Lost (2005)

Nigerians in Hollywood, season 1 would be continued.

Attack on South African Embassy in Nigeria.

its Official as i write this post some Nigerian youths calling themselves students are threatening to burn down the South African Embassy in Nigeria 4, Maduike Street, off Raymond Njoku Street, S.W. Ikoyi
Lagos . if have been been on my blog you will remeber a few days ago i wrote on the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians based in SA, apparently this move by the Nigerian youths was anticipated by the authorities at the SA embassy see here . I would bring you more information as events unfold.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

**vision from within**



It is often said that when u loose one of the five senses the remaing four become enhanced, how true that is scientifically i cannot ascertain, but imagine if one was born that way what becomes of the other senses: my opinion is that those active senses move to a state of 'over perfection' if there is any word like that.
Such is the tale of one young Nigerian, Cobhams Asuquo that has continued to inspire me. Undoubtedly he is the best producer in Nigeria..., which prompts me to ask:
'If cobhams had his vision fully active what would he have become? '
Indeed his unusual and very humble persona has been a marvel to me ...
he believes he sees alot of things that his eyes may not have been able to see...
I my next post i'll explain what exactly i mean... keep it glued.

Monday, May 26, 2008

more than a friend (PSquare) new video

Tight Videos...


Last night i couldnt't help but marvel at the level of positive development that the Nigerian music industry has experienced. I saw the fresh set of PSquare videos, a new one from Nigga Raw. really splendid. Ifeel really excited about people like DJ Tee, Jude 'ENGEES' Okoye, some of the brains behind these fabulous videos...walai...LOL things really looking up. Also the level of organization of recent shows and awards like SMVA, Hipworld awards 08, and the likes have really been impressive. like all developments its always a rush when its the make it season, so i hope it only gets better. Here its a big thumbs up to people giving the industry some good PR with their passion.

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Out of the Box!



i've been told that the solution to a challeneg lies within that challenge. True that, sometimes alot of what we go through in life come our way not by accident but as some form of divine arrangement to move us to another level.
It is my believe that the term 'perfection' in itself is a disguised limitation that hinders further development. On a lighter note a car dealer in cansas city who wanted to boost sales of his trucks came up with an idea to offer his customers a hang gun or a fuel voucher worth $250 each for every purchase and with 3 days he sold 30 cars that is mosdef thinkng outta the box...LOL.
The fact that somethings work fine dont mean they can't work better, there is always a better way to do stuff.
This single act of creativity is the way out of being a 3rd world country in Nigeria. Like i always say we need to re-invent the wheel all it takes is for us to be more creative with what we already have.
You want proof.... check out the Nigerian Music Industry.

Friday, May 23, 2008

xenophobia!

its 7am this morning and i wake to a bright and wonderful start, only to turn on the TV briefly for the morning news and somehow my dial is on channels TV Nigeria, where this funny looking and wierd sounding work is the topic on sunrise. And then some how by chance i check AIT and the secretary of the Human Rights Commision is being interviewed on this same issue: 'xenophobia'

The recent Killing of some Nigerians in South Africa is the issue.
On getting to my office i got online & checked that word out and this is what i got for a definition:

"A person unduly fearful or contemptuous of that which is foreign, especially of strangers or foreign peoples"

I first heard of the SA killings sometime last week but to think that this has continued unchecked. What actually prompted me to write this is that i remember a certain documentary i watched by the American Defence Department where it was said that every US marine was a little more than a $1million package and that they where trained to protect the US integrity and Citizenry...

Why at this time our Nigerian government has not done anything concrete on this foreign massacre of Nigerians is what baffles me. I mean..., i'm not saying we should attack nobody,the least they can do is demand some form of justice, or does the government just say 'after all they went there themselves...'

First it was Damilola Taylor (photo left) a 10-year-old Nigerian boy, who was then left by passers-by to die in an open stairwell of a rundown London housing project.
His accused killers whose photos on the right where later .....


Next it was Nigerians in Libya some of whom where butchered and others deported.
But to be honest with y'all, nothing could ever stand as a justification for the snuffing of any human life not even war.

"But what continues to be a source of worry to me is why Nigerians even after being subjected to this inhumane treatment abroad they still would rather hang around than come home".


I thought we had a Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or does their job description not include protecting the interest of Nigerians in diaspora.

Whatever happens, we'll be watching.

Eedris ya'll....

Hey guys its actually funny how one minute an artiste is in the spotlight and next minute pofff...
so latety i have been wondering what Eedris Abdulkareem has been up to especially after making up with international rapper 50cents at the Kora pre-event.
Listen to thi and you'll find out whats he's been up to.

Koleyewon ft. Ruggedman -

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Extra-Ordinary People…

isn’t it amazing how a few men make a huge difference in world affairs. A wise man once said that where there is a vision there is a flock, meaning it doesn't matter what the vision is once you’ve got extraordinary people behind it people will most definately buy into that vision.

*check out Adolf Hitler despite the brutality of his vision till today we still have people who believe in his course years after his death.
*Another very good example is the US presidential aspirant: Barack Obama, the chicago Illinois senator has proven over the last couple of months that he is indeed a potential leader and that there is a new breed of politics that is far more effective than what was obtainable in the past. Enough of my ranting…

My point exactly is that every man has been blessed with a unique potential to do extraordinary things. It is my understanding that for every challenge a man faces he has already been equipped with the solution. the fact that you could even recognize that challenge is simply an indication of the fact that you can solve it.
Fela Durotoye a business consultant once echoed: "in order to achieve what has never been achieved, one must be ready to do what has never been done". this obviously means that it is only a fool that keeps doing the same thing and expects a different result. This is definately the attitude of extraordinary people like Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Woods,  and Steve Jobs.

Extraordinary people make things happen while ordinary people simply stand by and watch things happen. my question to you then  is  which would you rather be?
So every day you wake up always have it on your mind that you are alive for a reason, and that reason makes you a unique being .
till my next post…ciao.
stay Extra Ordinary.

-@gozzim

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