# Kenneth Okolie

Kenneth Obinna Okolie listen (born 21 February 1984) is a Nigerian actor, model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Mr Nigeria 2010 and won the City People Movie Award for Best Supporting Actor of the Year (English) at the 2015 City People Entertainment Awards.

## Early life and education

Okolie is a native of Ihiala in Anambra State, a southeastern geographical area of Nigeria predominantly occupied by the Igbo people of Nigeria. Okolie is the firstborn child of his parents and has three siblings. He graduated with a B.Sc. degree from Valley View University in Ghana.

## Modelling and acting career

Okolie, before his debut into the Nigerian movie industry, began as a model in 2006, which he described as a coincidence, as he merely escorted a friend to an audition for models and never intended to participate in the auditioning process. He was compelled to audition by the organisers, which he accepted. He was successful in the audition and was selected, marking the start of his modelling career. In 2010, four years after beginning his modelling career, Okolie participated in the Mr Nigeria male pageant and won. After winning the pageant, Okolie competed in the Mister World pageant and finished as the second runner-up. Okolie debuted in the Nigerian movie industry in 2011. Okolie described his venture into the Nigerian movie industry also as a coincidence, as he never intended to be an actor.
In 2015, Okolie won the City People Movie Award for Best Supporting Actor of the Year (English) at the City People Entertainment Awards.

## Personal life

Okolie married Nwaka Jessica in 2017 and in 2019, she gave birth to their first child. Okolie had a crush on Nse Ikpe-Etim and Ufuoma Ejenobor.

## 2012 Kidnap case

In 2012, Okolie travelled to Owerri, the capital of Imo State, to shoot a movie alongside Nollywood colleague Nkiru Sylvanus. On 15 December 2012, it was reported that Okolie and Nkiru Sylvanus had been abducted, and their captors demanded a ransom of ₦100,000,000 (one hundred million naira), which was equivalent to $640,000 (six hundred and forty thousand U.S. dollars) at the 2012 exchange rate. On 21 December 2012, at 10:30 p.m., after six days in captivity, Okolie and Nkiru Sylvanus were released. The amount ultimately paid for their release was never disclosed by the Nigerian media.

## Selected filmography

Movies :
| Year | Movie Title | Character |
| 2011 | Aina | Bako |
| 2013 | Keeping My Man | Lanre |
| 2015 | House Husband | Chude |
| (2015) | Gbomo Gbomo Express | Jealous Guy |
| 2016 | 25th Birthday | Melvin |
| 2016 | Trouble Comes To Town | Benny |
| 2016 | A Girl’s Note | Ken |
| 2017 | Evol | Kamari |
| 2017 | Strangers | Reginald |
| 2017 | Mystified | Teddy |
| 2017 | Stormy Hearts | Johnson |
| 2017 | Next Door | |
| 2017 | The Royal Hibiscus Hotel | Deji |
| 2016 | My Name is Kadi | Tyler |
| 2019 | Different Worlds | Ike |
| | Molly’s Love Story | Tony |
| | Black Coffee | Francis Adu |
| 2019 | Alter Date | |
| 2019 | Reaction | Desmond |
| 2019 | Snap | Jerry |
| 2019 | Mr & Mrs ABAKOBA | Ifeanyi |
| 2019 | Drifted( When a soldier loves) | Ola |
| | Just a wish | Dave |
| 2019 | A Friendly Fire | Daniel |
| 2019 | Royal Tussle | Umenna |
| | This is not a love story | Kolawolé |
| 2019 | Borrowed Heart | |
| 2018 | Dear Ijeoma | Nicolas |
| 2018 | Hit and Run | |
| 2018 | A toast to a heart break | Michael |
| 2018 | Tripod | |
| | A long walk to nothing | |
| 2018 | 3 some | Mark |
| 2016 | Reconciliation | |
| | My Silence | |
| 2017 | Stranger than ever | |
| 2016 | No strings attached | Peter |
| | Wedlock | |
| | Bride with Gun | |
| | Lunch Times Heroes | |
| 2016 | Espionage | |
| 2016 | Kazbar | |
| 2017 | Date Night | Henry |
| | A haunted Marriage | |
| | Open Scars | |
| 2017 | Ruth | |
| 2016 | One Bite | |
| 2015 | The Sassy One | Scott |
| | Promises are forever | Dan |
| 2015 | Deluded | |
| | Love isn't enough | |
| 2020 | The Cleansers | |
| 2020 | Stroke of luck | |
| 2019 | The Tea Room | |
| 2020 | A Tiny Line | |
| 2019 | Olive | |
| 2019 | Izunna | |
| 2019 | Rising Above | Chidi |
| | Oath of silence | |
| 2019 | Heart Ripper | |
| 2018 | Love and Shadow | Izunga |
| 2018 | Strength of love | |
| 2018 | Imperfect Me | |
| | Crumbles cookies | |
| 2010 | Fatal Attraction | Ade |
| 2019 | The right kind of wrong | |
| 2019 | Jumbled | Damilola |
| 2019 | Mothers and daughters in law | Kunle |
| 2019 | Don't get mad Get Even | Julius |
| | Mr Black | |
| | RIFT | |
| | Lovers or Loosers (LOL) | |
| | Ignition | |
| | Chances | |
| | Ufuoma | |
| | True vows | |
| 2015 | The department | Moses |
| | Rubbles of love | |
| | Just 2 hours | |
| 2016 | A Girl's Note | Ken |
| | Alera's Diary | |
| | PayBack | |
| 2020 | Nneka the Pretty Serpent | Tony Okechukwu |

## TV series

TV-Series :
| Year | TV Series Title | Character | Seasons |
| 2013 | Desperate House Girls | | 1-2 |
| 2015 | Husbands of Lagos | Akinlolu | 1-2-3 |
| 2018 | Ojukwu | Odili | 1-2 |
| | Poison Ivy | | |
| | The Suncity | Chris | 1 |
| | Singles Ladies | | |
| | Before 30 | | |
| 2016 | Skinny Girl in Transit | Femi | |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref |
| 2015 | City People Entertainment Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Won | |
| 2019 | Best of Nollywood Awards | Best Kiss in a Movie | Nominated | |