Nigerian actress, Funke
Akindele, is one celebrity who has an admirable grass to grace story
- She has been able to turn her humble beginnings into a reputation
worth a fortune
- Legit.ng's Owolawi Taiwo takes a look at Funke Akindele's impressive
rise to fame
PAY ATTENTION: Legit.ng is on a mission to support vulnerable children
of Calabar – join the initiative on Patreon, let’s change more lives
together!
It is a common saying that many are born but few are chosen. In the case
of Nollywood actress and movie producer, Funke Akindele, she appears to
have been born and chosen for the path she later charted in life.
The Nigerian entertainment industry has evolved through many stages and
not many people were fortunate enough to survive it. While some people
did not rest on their oars and kept on pushing for when their big break
would come, others fell off on the sidelines and remained only a faint
memory in the minds of a few.
Read also
Jumoke Orisagunna, James Brown and 5 other Nigerians who suddenly became
famous after going viral online
The movie industry bigwigs today would not be listed without the name of
Funke Akindele being mentioned. Well, it was not always peaches and
roses for her and she paid her dues in the industry before attaining her
level of importance.
Funke Akindele’s Admirable Evolution From Child Star to One of
Nollywood’s Biggest Names
Funke Akindele started out as a bright-eyed young girl hoping to make it
big in the industry. Today, she is a VIP. Photos: UNFPANigeria,
@funkejenifaakindele
Source: Instagram
PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see
Legit.ng News on your Facebook News Feed!
For most people, it appears their earliest memory of the Nollywood star
is when she acted as a young secondary school girl named Bisi in one of
the most popular drama series at the time, I Need To Know.
How it started
The United Nation Population Fund (UNPF) sponsored series aired from
1988 to 2002. That was when Nigerians got to know of the young Funke
Akindele who would later become a big name in the movie industry.
Akindele’s talent was undeniable and she had starred in numerous movies
mostly in the Yoruba film industry. Her big break however came after the
making of her popular movie, Jenifa, in 2008.
Read also
My Trafficker Lied to My Parents That I Was in Saudi When I Was Already
in Nigeria – Returnee
Despite it being a Yoruba movie, its comic nature appealed to all
classes of people. Before long, a great number of slangs emanated from
the movie with many young Nigerians adopting her manner of speaking in
the film.
Funke Akindele won an Africa Movie Academy Award (AMAA) for the Best
Actress in a Leading Role after she played Jenifa.
Its great success also led to part two of the movie being made in 2011
and it was also a huge success. This had successfully stamped her in the
consciousness of Nigerians and even broadened her scope away from the
Yoruba genre of the Nigerian movie industry.
Jenifa remained a goldmine to be tapped and a television series titled
Jenifa’s Diary was also launched in 2014 and it is still running as at
the time of writing this article.
The top actress has been praised from time to time on social media for
having a great range especially when it comes to role interpretation.
She has starred in movies acting as a tout, lover girl, student, and
many more while delivering top-notch performances.
Read also
Ada Jesus, Dokta Frabz, Sadiq Daba and 10 Nigerian celebs who met their
untimely death in 2021
Even though her career seems to have been stellar, she has also had her
fair share of controversies.
Controversies
In 2020, during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Funke Akindele
and her husband, Abdulrasheed Bello aka JJC Skillz, gained negative
publicity after they hosted a house party with more than the advised
number of guests in attendance.
This was only discovered after videos from the occasion were shared on
the couple’s Instagram pages. In no time, Nigerians criticised them for
it and they were later picked up by the police.
The issue even gained international attention seeing as foreign media
outfits such as CNN, BBC, The Sun, Daily Mail, Aljazeera, and more
reported about it.
At the time, it looked like their fall from grace was imminent. The
couple was arrested, fined and made to do community service. Thankfully,
the matter later died down and they moved on with their careers while
taking it as one of those challenges in life.
Read also
African Queen: 8 times actress Kate Henshaw looked stunning in
traditional print
Another time Funke Akindele’s career was almost dragged in the mud was
when one of her former staff, Cassandra Owolabi aka Khassie, accused her
of physical and emotional abuse.
According to Khassie, working for the A-list actress was like
enslavement. She also claimed to have written five series of Jenifa’s
Diary and was never given credit.
That wasn’t all; the former staff said they weren’t allowed freedom of
movement, speech, or expression. She even claimed to have witnessed
Akindele slapping another staff like a mother would hit her child.
Well, the allegations soon died down after other people who had worked
for the film star attested to her good character.
With a female Nigerian celebrity as big as Funke Akindele, one might
wonder how her love life has been seeing as a number of her colleagues
who are also doing well for themselves have been unable to find true
love.
Read also
Top facts about Funke Akindele's children
Her love life
Funke, like many other female celebs, struggled with love at a point in
her career.
In her bid to find the man after her own heart, the movie star entered
into her first marriage on May 26, 2012, when she tied the knot with
Alhaji Kehinde Adeola Oloyede.
Funke Akindele’s admirable evolution from child star to one of
Nollywood’s biggest names
Funke Akindele got married to Kehinde Oloyede in 2012. Photo:
@bellanaija.com
Source: UGC
The union made headlines with a lot of people expressing joy that
Akindele had found love. She even had to take on a Muslim name,
Khadijat, ahead of their wedding considering her husband’s religion.
Alas, it wasn’t to last. They parted ways in July 2013 while citing
irreconcilable differences.
As time went on, Akindele found love again in the arms of ace music
executive and TV producer, Abdulrasheed ‘JJC Skillz’ Bello.
The duo made things official in London in May 2016, and they have
continued to wax strong. They also eventually welcomed their first
children together, a set of twin boys, in 2018.
Read also
You will never believe how much Rita Dominic is worth!
Akindele also has several stepchildren seeing as her hubby has other
kids from previous relationships. They all seem to get along well going
by their displays on social media.
Social media influence on her career
Funke Akindele has no doubt come a long way from the young girl who
acted in I Need To Know.
In this day and age, social media is a very important part of the
celebrity lifestyle and it plays a huge role in their visibility,
acceptance, popularity, and more.
Just recently, she was named the most followed Nigerian actress on
Instagram. This came after she hit 13 million followers on the
photo-sharing site. This was just the tip of the iceberg and Funke went
ahead to achieve more feats.
Recent achievements
Funke’s gangster comedy film, Omo Ghetto: The Saga, was recently named
as the highest-grossing Nigerian film for the year 2020.
Read also
Learn about Funke Akindele's luxury assets and property
According to the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN), Omo
Ghetto maintained its number one spot for three weeks and in January
2021, it had grossed N468,036,300.
It took over from Kemi Adetiba’s The Wedding Party which held the record
for four years.
According to businesswoman, Damilola Rachel, Funke Akindele's
consistency, ability to mind her business and delivery has helped her to
remain relevant.
However, social media expert, Tobi believes that she was just lucky but
was prepared for the luck.
In his words:
"She was just lucky and she rode on that luck as someone who has
been prepared which makes the case for those that believe there is
nothing like luck just preparation meeting opportunity.
"But I will still say she was lucky, she was prepared but still
lucky."
A travel consultant, Adeyinka Amusu, who featured in some scenes in
Jenifa's Diaries, had something different to say about the actress.
While she admitted that she and Funke were not on set at the same time,
the movie star continued to run things despite being absent.
Read also
Is Funke Akindele in the new Avengers?
In her words:
"Funke is someone who loves things to go perfect. She was not on set
but she was giving orders from where she was. She is very hardworking
and consistent and I love that about her"
Legit.ng earlier reported on the time fans praised Funke Akindele for
her hardworking nature on social media. According to them, her type is
rare.
They did this after she disclosed the numerous she played to make the
Omo Ghetto movie a success. Read more: https://www.legit.ng/1413647-funke-akindeles-admirable-evolution-from-child-star-one-nollywoods-biggest-names.html
Nigerian actress, Funke
Akindele, is one celebrity who has an admirable grass to grace story
- She has been able to turn her humble beginnings into a reputation
worth a fortune
- Legit.ng's Owolawi Taiwo takes a look at Funke Akindele's impressive
rise to fame
PAY ATTENTION: Legit.ng is on a mission to support vulnerable children
of Calabar – join the initiative on Patreon, let’s change more lives
together!
It is a common saying that many are born but few are chosen. In the case
of Nollywood actress and movie producer, Funke Akindele, she appears to
have been born and chosen for the path she later charted in life.
The Nigerian entertainment industry has evolved through many stages and
not many people were fortunate enough to survive it. While some people
did not rest on their oars and kept on pushing for when their big break
would come, others fell off on the sidelines and remained only a faint
memory in the minds of a few.
Read also
Jumoke Orisagunna, James Brown and 5 other Nigerians who suddenly became
famous after going viral online
The movie industry bigwigs today would not be listed without the name of
Funke Akindele being mentioned. Well, it was not always peaches and
roses for her and she paid her dues in the industry before attaining her
level of importance.
Funke Akindele’s Admirable Evolution From Child Star to One of
Nollywood’s Biggest Names
Funke Akindele started out as a bright-eyed young girl hoping to make it
big in the industry. Today, she is a VIP. Photos: UNFPANigeria,
@funkejenifaakindele
Source: Instagram
PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see
Legit.ng News on your Facebook News Feed!
For most people, it appears their earliest memory of the Nollywood star
is when she acted as a young secondary school girl named Bisi in one of
the most popular drama series at the time, I Need To Know.
How it started
The United Nation Population Fund (UNPF) sponsored series aired from
1988 to 2002. That was when Nigerians got to know of the young Funke
Akindele who would later become a big name in the movie industry.
Akindele’s talent was undeniable and she had starred in numerous movies
mostly in the Yoruba film industry. Her big break however came after the
making of her popular movie, Jenifa, in 2008.
Read also
My Trafficker Lied to My Parents That I Was in Saudi When I Was Already
in Nigeria – Returnee
Despite it being a Yoruba movie, its comic nature appealed to all
classes of people. Before long, a great number of slangs emanated from
the movie with many young Nigerians adopting her manner of speaking in
the film.
Funke Akindele won an Africa Movie Academy Award (AMAA) for the Best
Actress in a Leading Role after she played Jenifa.
Its great success also led to part two of the movie being made in 2011
and it was also a huge success. This had successfully stamped her in the
consciousness of Nigerians and even broadened her scope away from the
Yoruba genre of the Nigerian movie industry.
Jenifa remained a goldmine to be tapped and a television series titled
Jenifa’s Diary was also launched in 2014 and it is still running as at
the time of writing this article.
The top actress has been praised from time to time on social media for
having a great range especially when it comes to role interpretation.
She has starred in movies acting as a tout, lover girl, student, and
many more while delivering top-notch performances.
Read also
Ada Jesus, Dokta Frabz, Sadiq Daba and 10 Nigerian celebs who met their
untimely death in 2021
Even though her career seems to have been stellar, she has also had her
fair share of controversies.
Controversies
In 2020, during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Funke Akindele
and her husband, Abdulrasheed Bello aka JJC Skillz, gained negative
publicity after they hosted a house party with more than the advised
number of guests in attendance.
This was only discovered after videos from the occasion were shared on
the couple’s Instagram pages. In no time, Nigerians criticised them for
it and they were later picked up by the police.
The issue even gained international attention seeing as foreign media
outfits such as CNN, BBC, The Sun, Daily Mail, Aljazeera, and more
reported about it.
At the time, it looked like their fall from grace was imminent. The
couple was arrested, fined and made to do community service. Thankfully,
the matter later died down and they moved on with their careers while
taking it as one of those challenges in life.
Read also
African Queen: 8 times actress Kate Henshaw looked stunning in
traditional print
Another time Funke Akindele’s career was almost dragged in the mud was
when one of her former staff, Cassandra Owolabi aka Khassie, accused her
of physical and emotional abuse.
According to Khassie, working for the A-list actress was like
enslavement. She also claimed to have written five series of Jenifa’s
Diary and was never given credit.
That wasn’t all; the former staff said they weren’t allowed freedom of
movement, speech, or expression. She even claimed to have witnessed
Akindele slapping another staff like a mother would hit her child.
Well, the allegations soon died down after other people who had worked
for the film star attested to her good character.
With a female Nigerian celebrity as big as Funke Akindele, one might
wonder how her love life has been seeing as a number of her colleagues
who are also doing well for themselves have been unable to find true
love.
Read also
Top facts about Funke Akindele's children
Her love life
Funke, like many other female celebs, struggled with love at a point in
her career.
In her bid to find the man after her own heart, the movie star entered
into her first marriage on May 26, 2012, when she tied the knot with
Alhaji Kehinde Adeola Oloyede.
Funke Akindele’s admirable evolution from child star to one of
Nollywood’s biggest names
Funke Akindele got married to Kehinde Oloyede in 2012. Photo:
@bellanaija.com
Source: UGC
The union made headlines with a lot of people expressing joy that
Akindele had found love. She even had to take on a Muslim name,
Khadijat, ahead of their wedding considering her husband’s religion.
Alas, it wasn’t to last. They parted ways in July 2013 while citing
irreconcilable differences.
As time went on, Akindele found love again in the arms of ace music
executive and TV producer, Abdulrasheed ‘JJC Skillz’ Bello.
The duo made things official in London in May 2016, and they have
continued to wax strong. They also eventually welcomed their first
children together, a set of twin boys, in 2018.
Read also
You will never believe how much Rita Dominic is worth!
Akindele also has several stepchildren seeing as her hubby has other
kids from previous relationships. They all seem to get along well going
by their displays on social media.
Social media influence on her career
Funke Akindele has no doubt come a long way from the young girl who
acted in I Need To Know.
In this day and age, social media is a very important part of the
celebrity lifestyle and it plays a huge role in their visibility,
acceptance, popularity, and more.
Just recently, she was named the most followed Nigerian actress on
Instagram. This came after she hit 13 million followers on the
photo-sharing site. This was just the tip of the iceberg and Funke went
ahead to achieve more feats.
Recent achievements
Funke’s gangster comedy film, Omo Ghetto: The Saga, was recently named
as the highest-grossing Nigerian film for the year 2020.
Read also
Learn about Funke Akindele's luxury assets and property
According to the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN), Omo
Ghetto maintained its number one spot for three weeks and in January
2021, it had grossed N468,036,300.
It took over from Kemi Adetiba’s The Wedding Party which held the record
for four years.
According to businesswoman, Damilola Rachel, Funke Akindele's
consistency, ability to mind her business and delivery has helped her to
remain relevant.
However, social media expert, Tobi believes that she was just lucky but
was prepared for the luck.
In his words:
"She was just lucky and she rode on that luck as someone who has
been prepared which makes the case for those that believe there is
nothing like luck just preparation meeting opportunity.
"But I will still say she was lucky, she was prepared but still
lucky."
A travel consultant, Adeyinka Amusu, who featured in some scenes in
Jenifa's Diaries, had something different to say about the actress.
While she admitted that she and Funke were not on set at the same time,
the movie star continued to run things despite being absent.
Read also
Is Funke Akindele in the new Avengers?
In her words:
"Funke is someone who loves things to go perfect. She was not on set
but she was giving orders from where she was. She is very hardworking
and consistent and I love that about her"
Legit.ng earlier reported on the time fans praised Funke Akindele for
her hardworking nature on social media. According to them, her type is
rare.
They did this after she disclosed the numerous she played to make the
Omo Ghetto movie a success. Read more: https://www.legit.ng/1413647-funke-akindeles-admirable-evolution-from-child-star-one-nollywoods-biggest-names.html
Nigerian actress, Funke
Akindele, is one celebrity who has an admirable grass to grace story
- She has been able to turn her humble beginnings into a reputation
worth a fortune
- Legit.ng's Owolawi Taiwo takes a look at Funke Akindele's impressive
rise to fame
PAY ATTENTION: Legit.ng is on a mission to support vulnerable children
of Calabar – join the initiative on Patreon, let’s change more lives
together!
It is a common saying that many are born but few are chosen. In the case
of Nollywood actress and movie producer, Funke Akindele, she appears to
have been born and chosen for the path she later charted in life.
The Nigerian entertainment industry has evolved through many stages and
not many people were fortunate enough to survive it. While some people
did not rest on their oars and kept on pushing for when their big break
would come, others fell off on the sidelines and remained only a faint
memory in the minds of a few.
Read also
Jumoke Orisagunna, James Brown and 5 other Nigerians who suddenly became
famous after going viral online
The movie industry bigwigs today would not be listed without the name of
Funke Akindele being mentioned. Well, it was not always peaches and
roses for her and she paid her dues in the industry before attaining her
level of importance.
Funke Akindele’s Admirable Evolution From Child Star to One of
Nollywood’s Biggest Names
Funke Akindele started out as a bright-eyed young girl hoping to make it
big in the industry. Today, she is a VIP. Photos: UNFPANigeria,
@funkejenifaakindele
Source: Instagram
PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see
Legit.ng News on your Facebook News Feed!
For most people, it appears their earliest memory of the Nollywood star
is when she acted as a young secondary school girl named Bisi in one of
the most popular drama series at the time, I Need To Know.
How it started
The United Nation Population Fund (UNPF) sponsored series aired from
1988 to 2002. That was when Nigerians got to know of the young Funke
Akindele who would later become a big name in the movie industry.
Akindele’s talent was undeniable and she had starred in numerous movies
mostly in the Yoruba film industry. Her big break however came after the
making of her popular movie, Jenifa, in 2008.
Read also
My Trafficker Lied to My Parents That I Was in Saudi When I Was Already
in Nigeria – Returnee
Despite it being a Yoruba movie, its comic nature appealed to all
classes of people. Before long, a great number of slangs emanated from
the movie with many young Nigerians adopting her manner of speaking in
the film.
Funke Akindele won an Africa Movie Academy Award (AMAA) for the Best
Actress in a Leading Role after she played Jenifa.
Its great success also led to part two of the movie being made in 2011
and it was also a huge success. This had successfully stamped her in the
consciousness of Nigerians and even broadened her scope away from the
Yoruba genre of the Nigerian movie industry.
Jenifa remained a goldmine to be tapped and a television series titled
Jenifa’s Diary was also launched in 2014 and it is still running as at
the time of writing this article.
The top actress has been praised from time to time on social media for
having a great range especially when it comes to role interpretation.
She has starred in movies acting as a tout, lover girl, student, and
many more while delivering top-notch performances.
Read also
Ada Jesus, Dokta Frabz, Sadiq Daba and 10 Nigerian celebs who met their
untimely death in 2021
Even though her career seems to have been stellar, she has also had her
fair share of controversies.
Controversies
In 2020, during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Funke Akindele
and her husband, Abdulrasheed Bello aka JJC Skillz, gained negative
publicity after they hosted a house party with more than the advised
number of guests in attendance.
This was only discovered after videos from the occasion were shared on
the couple’s Instagram pages. In no time, Nigerians criticised them for
it and they were later picked up by the police.
The issue even gained international attention seeing as foreign media
outfits such as CNN, BBC, The Sun, Daily Mail, Aljazeera, and more
reported about it.
At the time, it looked like their fall from grace was imminent. The
couple was arrested, fined and made to do community service. Thankfully,
the matter later died down and they moved on with their careers while
taking it as one of those challenges in life.
Read also
African Queen: 8 times actress Kate Henshaw looked stunning in
traditional print
Another time Funke Akindele’s career was almost dragged in the mud was
when one of her former staff, Cassandra Owolabi aka Khassie, accused her
of physical and emotional abuse.
According to Khassie, working for the A-list actress was like
enslavement. She also claimed to have written five series of Jenifa’s
Diary and was never given credit.
That wasn’t all; the former staff said they weren’t allowed freedom of
movement, speech, or expression. She even claimed to have witnessed
Akindele slapping another staff like a mother would hit her child.
Well, the allegations soon died down after other people who had worked
for the film star attested to her good character.
With a female Nigerian celebrity as big as Funke Akindele, one might
wonder how her love life has been seeing as a number of her colleagues
who are also doing well for themselves have been unable to find true
love.
Read also
Top facts about Funke Akindele's children
Her love life
Funke, like many other female celebs, struggled with love at a point in
her career.
In her bid to find the man after her own heart, the movie star entered
into her first marriage on May 26, 2012, when she tied the knot with
Alhaji Kehinde Adeola Oloyede.
Funke Akindele’s admirable evolution from child star to one of
Nollywood’s biggest names
Funke Akindele got married to Kehinde Oloyede in 2012. Photo:
@bellanaija.com
Source: UGC
The union made headlines with a lot of people expressing joy that
Akindele had found love. She even had to take on a Muslim name,
Khadijat, ahead of their wedding considering her husband’s religion.
Alas, it wasn’t to last. They parted ways in July 2013 while citing
irreconcilable differences.
As time went on, Akindele found love again in the arms of ace music
executive and TV producer, Abdulrasheed ‘JJC Skillz’ Bello.
The duo made things official in London in May 2016, and they have
continued to wax strong. They also eventually welcomed their first
children together, a set of twin boys, in 2018.
Read also
You will never believe how much Rita Dominic is worth!
Akindele also has several stepchildren seeing as her hubby has other
kids from previous relationships. They all seem to get along well going
by their displays on social media.
Social media influence on her career
Funke Akindele has no doubt come a long way from the young girl who
acted in I Need To Know.
In this day and age, social media is a very important part of the
celebrity lifestyle and it plays a huge role in their visibility,
acceptance, popularity, and more.
Just recently, she was named the most followed Nigerian actress on
Instagram. This came after she hit 13 million followers on the
photo-sharing site. This was just the tip of the iceberg and Funke went
ahead to achieve more feats.
Recent achievements
Funke’s gangster comedy film, Omo Ghetto: The Saga, was recently named
as the highest-grossing Nigerian film for the year 2020.
Read also
Learn about Funke Akindele's luxury assets and property
According to the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN), Omo
Ghetto maintained its number one spot for three weeks and in January
2021, it had grossed N468,036,300.
It took over from Kemi Adetiba’s The Wedding Party which held the record
for four years.
According to businesswoman, Damilola Rachel, Funke Akindele's
consistency, ability to mind her business and delivery has helped her to
remain relevant.
However, social media expert, Tobi believes that she was just lucky but
was prepared for the luck.
In his words:
"She was just lucky and she rode on that luck as someone who has
been prepared which makes the case for those that believe there is
nothing like luck just preparation meeting opportunity.
"But I will still say she was lucky, she was prepared but still
lucky."
A travel consultant, Adeyinka Amusu, who featured in some scenes in
Jenifa's Diaries, had something different to say about the actress.
While she admitted that she and Funke were not on set at the same time,
the movie star continued to run things despite being absent.
Read also
Is Funke Akindele in the new Avengers?
In her words:
"Funke is someone who loves things to go perfect. She was not on set
but she was giving orders from where she was. She is very hardworking
and consistent and I love that about her"
Legit.ng earlier reported on the time fans praised Funke Akindele for
her hardworking nature on social media. According to them, her type is
rare.
They did this after she disclosed the numerous she played to make the
Omo Ghetto movie a success. Read more: https://www.legit.ng/1413647-funke-akindeles-admirable-evolution-from-child-star-one-nollywoods-biggest-names.html
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