15 New Generation Nollywood Actors

This article highlights 15 good new generation Nollywood actors. You might already be familiar with some, while others are still young budding talents. Nollywood is an industry of over 25 years, and since its inception, we have seen actors from different generations thrill and entertain viewers with their acting skills, personality and humour. It is without a doubt that most of these legends dominated our childhood memories with performances that have stood the test of time. Legends like Pete Edochie, Olu Jacobs, Sam Loco and Ramsey Noah have been involved in laying the foundation and doing the grunt work for what we see as the new Nollywood of today. Now it is 2022, and a new generation of acting talent has emerged over the past decade, supplying a much-needed supply of fresh faces to the Nollywood industry.  

15 New Generation Nollywood actors

1. Blossom Chukwujekwu

Blossom Chukwujekwu is quite a familiar name in Nollywood with a great acting catalogue to his credit. He started his acting career as far back as 2009 in a soap opera but didn't get his breakthrough role until 2013 with the films Flower Girl and Finding Mercy. It's been smooth sailing for Blossom Chukwujekwu ever since, with a career of hit movies and awards like the AMVCA Best Supporting Actor Award in 2015. Blossom has featured in a collection of great films like Netflix's Oloture, Castle & Castle, and so much more. Blossom is definitely one of Nollywood's top new generation actors.

2. Folarin Falana

Folarin Falana is popularly known by his stage name Falz. The prolific multiple award-winning rapper who began dabbling into acting in 2016 has made a great name for himself in Nollywood. In an industry where it is very difficult for outsiders to break in, Falz is a Unicorn. He started out with tv series like Funke Akindele's Jenifa's Diaries, in which he won the AMVCA award for best actor in a comedy and then got his first major movie role in the comedy thriller New Money, where he played the role of Quam. Falz won the AMVCA award for best supporting actor in a comedy for his role as Quam in the movie. The success of the film and Folarin's performance opened the door to more roles in Nollywood, including the Netflix release Quam's Money, which is a spinoff of New Money.

3. Swanky JKA

Swanky, whose real name is Jidekene Achufusi, took Nollywood by storm in 2019 with his performance in the film Living in Bondage: Breaking Free. Before getting this breakthrough role, he had only been offered small roles in a couple of films; however, when the opportunity to play Nnamdi Okeke in Living In Bondage came, he took it and did an outstanding job. His performance in the movie earned him a nomination for Best Actor in a movie at the 2020 AMVCA. This opened the door to more prolific roles in films like Kambili and Dwindle.

4. Timini Egbuson

Timini Egbuson represents one of the most recognizable and prolific actors of the new generation. He has an amazing filmography and has been consistent with his performances over the years. Timini started his career in the tv shows Tinsel and MTV Shuga. His first film appearance was in the movie Fifty, in which he played a minor role. Timini has since then played both lead and supporting roles in quite a number of movies and tv shows. His best work, however, was in the 2019 comedy-drama Elevator Baby, in which he won the award for Best Actor in a movie at the AMVCA. Other popular Timini Egbuson films include Dwindle, Juju Stories and Breaded Life.

5. Efa Iwara

Efa Iwara started his career in the entertainment industry as a musician but started acting in tv shows like Tinsel in 2011 and MTV's Shuga in 2013. Efa appeared majorly in series while starting up before the role in feature-length movies started coming in. To build up his career, he appeared in series like The Men's Club, Life 101, Ajoche and a host of other series. Roles in Nollywood include films like Rattlesnake, Seven and most recently, the Netflix original film A Naija Christmas.

6. Chimezie Imo

Chimezie Imo, like many new generation actors, started off his career in tv shows. The actor was one of the high school students in MTV's Shuga. His performance in Shuga opened more doors for him in Nollywood. He got to play the lead character in Netflix's feature-length film Nimbe alongside Industry heavyweights like Toyin Abraham and Odunlade Ademola. He has also appeared in films like Dear Bayo and Kasala. Chimezie Imo is one of those actors with immense range, switching from humorous roles to soulful and intense roles effortlessly.

7. Denola Grey

Adenola Adepetun, who is popularly known to the world as Denola Grey, is a Fashion consultant, model and actor. The 31-year-old actor started out in fashion at the age of 18 but expanded his reach into acting in 2016. He started off with small roles in tv series and in films like The Bling Lagosians. Denola has proven to be a dependable actor and has had more opportunities to prove himself as an actor. He starred in the Niyi Akinmolahan directed film DOD and was also part of the major casts in Ebonylife and Netflix's series Castle & Castle.

8. Alex Ekubo

Alex Ekubo started out as a model way back in 2010. He began his acting journey in 2013. Alex majorly played small roles in tv series like Tinsel, AY's Crib and Hope Bay. He has since then gone on to feature in over 30 Nollywood movies. Alex Ekubo is currently one of the most popular young faces in Nollywood. With notable performance in movies like The Bling Lagosians, The First Lady, Gbomo Gbomo Express, Your Excellency, 72 Hours and Son of Mercy. Alex Ekubo has expanded his acting range in the industry, playing different types of characters, both complex and simple.

9. Olamide Oworu

Olamide Oworu is a 27-year-old actor and model. He is definitely one of the most recognizable young actors in Nollywood today. He started acting in tv shows like MTV Shuga, playing the character Weki in 2 seasons. He also appeared on the popular African Magic comedy series The Johnson. Olamide has built a solid career for himself in Nollywood, appearing in films like Day Of Destiny, 8 Bars And A Clef, and A Soldier's Story, for which he was nominated for the best supporting actor at the AMVCA awards.

10. Gabriel Afolayan

Gabriel Afolayan is a versatile actor, singer and songwriter. The 36-year-old actor started his career in the Tade Ogidan film Madam Dearest, his performance in the movie brought him into the limelight, and he began to get more roles in the Yoruba speaking part of Nollywood. Gabriel returned to the big screens with his appearance in the musical film Hoodrush, his portrayal of the character Tanvier Jambari earned him the award for Best Supporting Actor at the African Movies Academy Award in 2013. Gabriel Afolayan has continued to stun audiences with his ability to commit to any role assigned. He is one of those actors who is ready to give everything it takes to give a great performance. Some of his popular films include Gold Statue, Coming From Insanity, Gone and Okafor's Law.

11. Tomiwa Tegbe

Tomiwa is a relatively new face in Nollywood. The young actor is known for his uncanny sense of humour and ability to play utterly ridiculous comedic roles. He got his shot at fame with the MTV show Shuga. He also appeared as a series regular on the third season of the YouTube comedy series Inspector K. Tomiwa has gone on to feature in a couple of Nollywood movies, films like Kasanova, Kasala, and Detour have added to his C.V as an actor. He is definitely one to look out for in the future.

12. Baaj Adebule

Baaj Adebule is a Nigerian actor and model who, like many young Nigerian actors, got his first acting gig on the tv show Tinsel. He has since then become a popular face on various tv shows and feature films. He became more popular with his role on Redtv's YouTube series The Men's Club. Baaj has featured in several blockbusters like Sanitation Day, The Snake Girl, Country Hard and Soldier's Story.

13. Sambasa Nzeribe

Sambasa Nzeribe is a trained Theater arts professional who ventured into acting in 2013. The multiple award-winning actor has featured in quite a number of successful films since his debut in 2013. He won his first Amvca award in 2016 for his performance as Ghetto in A Soldier's Story. He repeated the feat again in 2017, winning the award for best actor at the AMVCA awards for his performance in Slow Country. Sambasa has been one of the most prolific Nollywood actors in the last five years.

14. Uzor Arukwe

Uzor Arukwe shot to limelight after his performance in the movie Sergeant Tutu. He gained more fame after his portrayal of Knight in the comedy blockbuster Sugar Rush. The actor has since then featured in films like Smash, Size 12, Kambili, Dwindle and many more.

15. Adedimeji Lateef

Adedimeji Lateef is quite popular in the Yoruba speaking part of Nollywood, which is where he started his career. However, the actor has broadened his scope and has made appearances in more critically acclaimed cinema releases. Lateef played the lead role in Ayinla, the critically acclaimed Biopic directed by Tunde Kelani. He showed immense range in the movie as an actor and singer. We hope to see Lateef in more films that show his range beyond comedic roles, just like he did with Ayinla.