If you are an ardent follower of Nollywood, you’d agree with me that the industry has immensely improved in the quality of movies it releases. More importantly, the veterans in the field can now rest easy, knowing that there’s an impressive new wave of talent to carry on their good work.
With the Nollywood Netflix series presenting us with New faces and fresh talents, 2023 is indeed an exciting time for Nollywood fans! That’s why we decided to take a stroll down 7 rising and sizzling hot talents to watch out for on the Nigerian cinema scene in 2023. No doubt, these creative and emerging actors and actresses are sure to be the stars of tomorrow.
Mike Afolarin
Mike Afolarin is fast becoming one of the hottest talents in the Nollywood industry and we’re not surprised at all. Every time he’s graced our screens to play any role, he effortlessly blows our minds with his impeccable acting. While his role as Ishaya Bello in the Naija Netflix series- Far From Home brought him more fame and prestige, he’s always been in the game.
In fact, his role as Chikodi in the 2018 movie Kasala was his first introduction to the limelight. Although he started his acting career while he was still a student at the University of Lagos, he advanced quickly in the field.
The best part? The actor is also a filmmaker, set designer and worked as the assistant director on the movie The 3rd Rule. Some of the other movies he’s appeared in include the 2021 movie The Wait, Your Excellency, Battle on Buka Street, and Soole. Mike is definitely one to look out for in 2023.
Genoveva Umeh
Her role in the Blood Sisters movie was definitely one of the hot trending topics when the Netflix series came out. Trust me, no one could get over how she embodied the character of Timeyin in the series. So, it only made sense that she’d reappear in another sizzling hot Netflix series Far From Home.
When it comes to acting, it does seem like anything Genoveva touches turns to gold. And the best part is that she doesn’t merely command attention because of her beauty, but does so effortlessly with her acting. However, this 27-year-old rising star is not an overnight success.
She began her acting career with her debut role in the 2019 movie Blameless. Other movies she’s starred in include The Crazy Wife, A Tune Away, and Survivor’s Guilt. In 2022, she was the assistant producer of the Netflix movie The Griot.
Tobi Bakre
Up next is Tobi Bakre, one of the few BBNaija stars that have clearly outgrown the name and status. Blessing our screens with his unique acting skills, Tobi is a rising star to watch out for in 2023. In 2018, he started his career acting in the African Magic Series Hustle. If you saw that series and weren’t convinced about his acting skills, his other movies should give you more than one billion reasons why Tobi Bakre is a fantastic actor and one to watch out for in 2023.
Tobi has starred in several other top raking movies, displaying versatility in all the roles he played. Some of the moves you’ll find him in include Sugar Rush, The Blood Covenant, Mokalik, and Brotherhood. With Gangs of Lagos coming up in 2023, we’re all in for another dose of Tobi’s unique acting.
Meg Otanwa
Although recent movies have started announcing the actress’ presence in Nollywood, Meg Otanwa has been in the industry since 2011. She quit her career at the Africa Development bank to pursue acting. One of her earliest movies is I’ll Take My Chances. Then, she starred in Kunle Afolayan’s October 1st.
Meg was also in the movie series Before 30 and got an AMVCA nomination in 2017. Although she had starred in a handful of movies, it was her role in the 2022 movie For Maria: Ebun Pataki that captured the eyes of many Nollywood lovers, setting her apart as a distinct and outstanding rising star to watch out for in 2023.
Jammal Ibrahim
Jammal Ibrahim is another multi-hyphenate talent who has been making waves in the Nigerian film industry. His unique ability to seamlessly perform as an actor and producer has placed him at the forefront of the Nollywood scene and got him major industry recognition.
Jammal has a raw talent for fitting into the crime and thriller movie genre. The movie The Delivery Boy placed Jamal on the list of really good actors in the industry.
He also displayed his skills in the crime and thriller Showmax series Crime and Justice Lagos where he proved that he’s one of the many actors to watch out for in 2023.
Uche nwaefuna
Uche Nwaefuna isn’t merely a pretty face. She’s another Nollywood actress with astounding acting skills. She debuted in 2015 and has since then progressively advanced to the limelight. Uche caught the eyes of many when she went on to win the Moreklue All Youth Awards Africa (MAYA) for “supporting actress” in the series Hush.
Since then, she’s starred in top Nollywood movies with great actors and actresses in the field. Some of the movies you’ll catch her in include Dinner at my Place, Hire a Woman, and The Story of a Boy and Girl.
Moshood Fattah
If you don’t know the name, you definitely know the face from the Netflix series Far From Home. Moshood played the right-hand man and best friend of our protagonist Ishaya in the series. Best believe, he embodied the role. But before you spotted him in the Netflix series, Moshood had starred in a couple of movies while pursuing his acting career.
He started out as a performing artist, playing the role of Gwanza in the Spirit of David Musical in 2015. Since then, he has starred in other stage plays as the lead character. A good one is the Fela and the Kalakuta Queens 2017 stage play where he delivered his role exceptionally. Lucky for you, you can also catch him in Funke Akindele’s Battle on Buka Street.
Conclusion
With the beautiful movies Nollywood has been releasing in the past few years, it’s refreshing to see the industry match these movies with raw, fresh, and exciting talents that embody the characters. It’s such a delight to see and we look forward to more blockbusters with these rising stars in 2023. Until next time.
