# Stephanie Okereke Linus

Stephanie Okereke Linus // (born as Stephanie Onyekachi Okereke; 2 October 1982) is a Nigerian actress, film director and model. She has received several awards and nominations for her work as an actress, including the 2003 Reel Award for Best Actress, the 2006 Afro Hollywood Award for Best Actress, and three nominations for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2005, 2009 and 2010. She was also the runner up for the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria beauty pageant of 2002. In 2011, she was honoured by the Nigerian government with a national honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic, MFR. Stephanie is also a scriptwriter, a Producer and a Director.

## Early life and education

Stephanie Okereke was born in Ngor Okpala, Imo State. She is the sixth child of Mary and Chima Okereke's eight children. She completed her primary and secondary education in Delta State. She studied at the University of Calabar in Cross River State, where she graduated with a degree in English and Literary Studies.

## Career

While she was still a teenager in the year 1997, she starred in two Nollywood movies; Compromise 2 and Waterloo. During the 2002 Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria beauty pageant, Okereke reached 3rd place. A year later in 2003, Okereke won two awards, out of the eight nominations she received, at the 2003 Reel Awards for 'Best Actress - English' and 'Best Actress of the year 2003'. After graduating from the New York Film Academy in 2007, Okereke released the movie Through the Glass in which she served as director, scriptwriter, producer and actress. The film received an Africa Movie Academy Award nomination for Best Screenplay in 2009. In 2014, she released another movie, Dry and again served as a director, scriptwriter, producer and actress which won many awards including 12th Africa Movie Academy Awards and 2016 Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards best movie overall movie with the prize of a brand new car. Okereke has starred in over 90 movies.
In March 2017 she was appointed as a Regional Ambassador for the UNFPA, and she held this position until 2020.
In March 2021, as part of her campaign against gender-based violence on the female folk, the actress released two short movies (which she produced) titled The Student and Bad Police.
In 2024 she was awarded the Lennox K. Black International Prize for Excellence in Medicine by Thomas Jefferson University.

## Personal life

In April 2005, on her way to the Africa Movie Academy Awards held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Okereke was involved in a serious car accident that left her with burns all over and a broken leg.
In April 2012, Okereke married Linus Idahosa in Paris, France at a private wedding ceremony that was attended by members of her family and scores of Nollywood actresses and actors. Their first son Maxwell Enosata Linus was born in October 2015. They welcomed their second son in May 2022, seven years after their first son.
Okereke and her husband celebrated their 13th Anniversary on 19 April 2024.

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Event | Prize | Recipient | Result |
| 2003 | What a Year Awards | Best Actress | Herself | Won |
| 2003 | Reel Awards | Best Actress - English | Herself | Won |
| 2003 | Reel Awards | Best Actress of the year | Herself | Won |
| 2004 | Afro-Dublin Awards | Outstanding Actress | Herself | Won |
| 2004 | Film Makers of Nigeria | Award For Excellence | herself | Won |
| 2005 | 1st Africa Movie Academy Awards, | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Herself | Nominated |
| 2006 | Afro Hollywood Award | Best Actress | herself | Won |
| 2009 | 5th Africa Movie Academy Awards | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Reloaded | Nominated |
| 2009 | 5th Africa Movie Academy Awards | Best Screenplay | Through the Glass | Nominated |
| 2010 | 6th Africa Movie Academy Awards | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Nnenda | Nominated |
| 2013 | Montage Africa Women of Exllence Awards | Achievement in drama and entertainment | Herself | Won |
| 2015 | 2015 Best of Nollywood Awards | Movie With the Best Social Media | Dry | Won |
| 2015 | 2015 Best of Nollywood Awards | Best Actress Leading Role | Dry | Nominated |
| 2015 | 2015 Best of Nollywood Awards | Best Director | Dry | Nominated |
| 2015 | 2015 Best of Nollywood Awards | Movie of the Year | Dry | Nominated |
| 2015 | Bentonville Film Festival | Best Protagonist | Dry | Won |
| 2015 | ZAFAA Global Awards | Best Actress | Dry | Won |
| 2015 | ZAFAA Global Awards | Best Film | Dry | Won |
| 2015 | ZAFAA Global Awards | Best Producer | Dry | Won |
| 2015 | ZAFAA Global Awards | Best Director | Dry | Won |
| 2016 | 12th Africa Movie Academy Awards | Best Nigerian Film | Dry | Won |
| 2016 | 12th Africa Movie Academy Awards | Best Film | Dry | Nominated |
| 2016 | 12th Africa Movie Academy Awards | Best Director | Dry | Nominated |
| 2016 | 2016 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards | Best Overall Movie (Africa) | Dry | Won |
| 2016 | 2016 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards | Best Director | Dry | Nominated |
| 2016 | 2016 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards | Best Movie West Africa | Dry | Nominated |
| 2016 | Pan African Film Festival | Programmers'Award Narrative Feature | Dry | Won |
| 2016 | Nafca | Best Actress In Leading Role | Dry | Won |
| 2016 | Nafca | Best Overall Movie | Dry | Won |
| 2016 | Nafca | Best Director | Dry | Nominated |
| 2016 | Nafca | Best Screenplay | Dry | Nominated |
| 2016 | Nafca | Best Drama Film | Dry | Nominated |
| 2016 | DALA awards | Face of Nollywood (Female) | Herself | Won |
| 2017 | Truth Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Boonville Redemption | Won |

## Filmography

| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1997 | Compromise 2 | | |
| 1997 | Waterloo | | |
| 2002 | Pretender | | with Patience Ozokwor and Tony Umez |
| 2002 | Blind Justice | | with Tony Umez |
| 2003 | Aristos | Star | |
| 2003 | Emotional Crack | Crystal | with Ramsey Nouah, Dakore Egbuson and Patience Ozokwor |
| 2003 | Genesis of Love | | |
| 2003 | Private Sin | | with Genevieve Nnaji, Richard Mofe-Damijo and Patience Ozokwor |
| 2003 | Queen Sheba | | |
| 2003 | The Cross of Love | Lynda | with Patience Ozokwor |
| 2003 | Together as One | | |
| 2004 | Beautiful Faces | | with Ini Edo |
| 2004 | Critical Decision | | with Genevieve Nnaji, Richard Mofe-Damijo & Mike Ezuruonye |
| 2004 | Deep Loss | | with Desmond Elliot |
| 2004 | Diamond Lady: The Business Woman | | |
| 2004 | Dream Lover | Benita | |
| 2004 | Eye of the Gods | Princess Ekemma | with Ini Edo |
| 2004 | In the Name of Love | | with Desmond Elliot |
| 2004 | Last Girl Standing | Thilda | |
| 2004 | Magic Moment | Stephine Okereke | with Desmond Elliot |
| 2004 | Mama-G in America | | with Patience Ozokwor |
| 2004 | Miss Nigeria | Ruby | |
| 2004 | More Than a Woman | Tricia | |
| 2004 | My Mother My Marriage | | |
| 2004 | Official Romance | | with Zack Orji |
| 2004 | Promise & Fail | | with Desmond Elliot |
| 2004 | Promise Me Forever | Bukky | with Genevieve Nnaji |
| 2004 | Right Man for Me | | with Tony Umez |
| 2004 | Sensational Spy | Sandra | |
| 2004 | Strength of a Woman | | with Emeka Ike |
| 2004 | To Love Again | | |
| 2004 | Virgins Night Out | | |
| 2004 | Working Class Lady | | with Rita Dominic |
| 2005 | A Time to Die | | with Olu Jacobs, Emeka Enyiocha |
| 2005 | Days of Bondage | Lucia | with Clarion Chukwura, Muna Obiekwe |
| 2005 | Guys on the Line | | with Rita Dominic |
| 2005 | Lonely Hearts | | with Ini Edo |
| 2005 | Ola... the Morning Sun | | with Pete Edochie |
| 2005 | Omalinze | Adaugo | with Onyeka Onwenu |
| 2005 | Price of Ignorance | | with Pete Edochie |
| 2005 | Princess of Wealth | | with Saint Obi |
| 2005 | Royal Battle | | with Laide Bakare, Amaechi Muonagor, Saint Obi |
| 2005 | Street Fame | | with Nnamdi Eze, Tony Goodman, Saint Obi |
| 2005 | Windfall | | with Pete Eneh, Emeka Ike |
| 2005 | Woman on Top | | with Uche Elendu, Andy Chukwu, Ifeoma Anyiam |
| 2006 | Behind the Plot | | with Desmond Elliot |
| 2006 | Daytime Lovers | Binta | with Tony Umez |
| 2006 | Efficacy | | with Desmond Elliot |
| 2006 | Shut In | | |
| 2006 | Sitanda | Ann | directed by Izu Ojukwu, this film received 9 nominations and won 5 awards at the 3rd Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2007, including Best Picture & Best Nigerian Film. |
| 2006 | The Law Students | | |
| 2006 | The Preacher | | |
| 2006 | Upside Down | Nneka | with Patience Ozokwor and Tony Umez |
| 2007 | A Time to Love | Hope | with Desmond Elliot |
| 2007 | Governor's Wife | | with Ramsey Nouah |
| 2008 | Mission to Nowhere | Pamela | |
| 2008 | Hidden Treasure | Nadine | with Ramsey Nouah, Nadia Buari & Olu Jacobs |
| 2008 | Through the Glass | Ada | with Garrett McKechnie, Christy Williams, Pascal Atuma |
| 2009 | Nnenda | | this film, directed Izu Ojukwu, received 3 nominations at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2010, including the nomination for Heart of Africa |
| 2009 | Reloaded | Weyinmi | with Ramsey Nouah, Desmond Elliot, Rita Dominic & Nse Ikpe Etim |
| 2013 | Doctor Bello | Bola Ayodeji | with Tony Abulu, Tina Amuzian, Hakeem Abdulrahman |
| 2014 | Dry | Dr Zara | with Liz Benson |
| 2015 | Make Me Fabulous |
| 2016 | Boonville Redemption | Doris | with Pat Boone, Ed Asner, Diane Ladd and Richard Tyson |
| 2019 | Miracle in the Valley | Doris | with Emily Hoffman, Pat Boone, Edward Asner |
| 2021 | Clash | Lolo Chinyere | with Oscar Atuma, Michelle Akanbi |