Funke Akindele

Funke Akindele
Olufunke Ayotunde Akindele-Bello (born 24 August 1977) popularly known as Funke Akindele or Jenifa, is a Nigerian filmmaker, actress, director, producer and politician. Akindele starred in the sitcom I Need to Know from 1998 to 2002, and in 2009, she won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. for her role in Jenifa, which brought her into fame. Akindele reprised the role in a 2015 television series adaption titled Jenifa's Diary, for which she was named the Best Actress in a Comedy at the 2016 and 2017 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards. Akindele won the same award in 2020 and 2022, making it her fifth win for the Best Actress in a Comedy category. Akindele is the most nominated actress/filmmaker at the AMVCA and currently owns six wins which makes her the actress with most wins. She is the second director to gross over a billion naira at the Nigeria box office.
In 2022, she was nominated by the People's Democratic Party gubernatorial candidate, Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran, as the running mate for the 2023 Lagos state governorship election.
Early life and education
Akindele was born on 24 August 1977, in Ikorodu, Lagos State, Nigeria. She is the second of three children (two girls and one boy). Her mother is a medical doctor while her father is a retired school principal. She attended Grace Children's School, Gbagada, Lagos State. She obtained an Ordinary National Diploma (OND) in Mass Communication from the former Ogun State Polytechnic, now known as Moshood Abiola Polytechnic. She earned a Law degree from the University of Lagos.
Career
Akindele came into the limelight after starring in the popular United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)-sponsored sitcom I Need to Know, which ran from 1998 to 2002. Funke Akindele played Bisi, a curious but highly intelligent secondary school student. Funke Akindele's big break came in 2008 when she appeared in the movie Jenifa.
In January 2018, there was a controversy when it was reported that Funke Akindele would get her Hollywood debut in Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War as she was listed as a member of the cast on IMDb. Mainstream Nigerian press reported that Jenifa was set to star in Infinity War as the guard Dora Milaje, citing IMDb. Some weeks later her name was replaced with that of fellow Nigerian actress Genevieve Nnaji, with Funke Akindele's upload shown to have been a hack. In February 2018, it was reported that Senate President and chair of the National Assembly, Dr. Bukola Saraki , had advised Marvel Studios to feature Akindele in Infinity War.
In an interview in July 2016, Funke Akindele stated she was acting less in the Yoruba film industry at that time because of piracy. Akindele plays the lead character in the ongoing hit TV show Jenifa's Diary, alongside Fisayo Ajisola, Falz, Juliana Olayode, and Aderounmu Adejumoke. The show is an adaption of the movie Jenifa. The 2018 comedy film Moms at War stars Funke Akindele and Omoni Oboli. In July 2019, Akindele started a new web series, Aiyetoro Town, a spinoff from her popular TV series, Jenifa's Diary. She is the former CEO of Scene One Film Production.
She made her cinematic directorial debut in the 2019 political drama film, Your Excellency.
Political career
Akindele was nominated as the Lagos deputy governorship candidate under Peoples Democratic Party (Nigeria) in the 2023 elections. In justifying her nomination, Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, noted that the actress will add more value to his candidacy in the 2023 general elections. Confirming her deputy governorship candidacy on Tuesday, the actress stated that her acting career must be “necessarily put on hold”.
Charity initiative
Akindele runs a non-governmental organization known as the Jenifa Foundation, which aims at providing young people with vocational skills.
Endorsements
Akindele has endorsement deals such as her being signed as an Ambassador to Dettol and Irokotv. In 2018, she was signed as a brand ambassador for Keystone Bank. In November 2019, she signed an endorsement deal with WAW Nigeria, a company that manufactures detergent and bar soap.
Personal life
On 26 May 2012, Funke Akindele married Adeola Kehinde Oloyede. The couple divorced in July 2013, citing irreconcilable differences. Funke Akindele married Nigerian rapper JJC Skillz in London in May 2016. Her pregnancy rumours were among the top searched results on Google search engine in August 2017.
JJC Skillz announced the end of the union between him and the popular actress which lasted six years via his official Instagram handle on June 30, 2022. Funke Akindele gave birth to twin boys in December 2018 and has several step-children.
Controversy
In April 2020, Akindele was arrested along with her husband and charged to court for hosting a birthday party in honour of her husband during the period of an imposed lockdown (to tackle coronavirus). She later appeared in a Nigeria Centre for Disease Control video to raise awareness about coronavirus. The actress and her husband were sentenced to a 14-day community service after pleading guilty to violating the lockdown order.
Record holdings
Her movie Battle on Buka Street currently holds the record of becoming the highest-grossing movie of all time in Nigeria, breaking the two-year record of her movie Omo Ghetto: The Saga.
According to a statement, broadcast by the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN), in February 2023, the movie grossed over N640,000,000 after maintaining its number one spot for many consecutive weeks.Funke has the most win at award shows like AMVCA and NEA Awards.
She is the producer and director of two highest grossing Nollywood movies of all time, Battle on Buka Street and Omo Ghetto: The Saga which is fourth and fifth highest-grossing film in West Africa region.
Filmography
The films of Funke Akindele are listed in alphabetical order:
Agbefo
Aje Metta
Akandun
Anointed Liars
Apaadi
Apoti Orogun
Atanpako Meta
Battle on Buka Street
Baye se Nlo
Bolode O'ku
Chief Daddy
Dwindle
Edunjobi
Egun
Emi Abata
Far From Home
Farayola
Ija Ola
Industreet
Isoken
Jenifa
Jenifa's Diary
Kakaki 'leku
Kòséfowórà
Ladies Gang
Love Wahala
Maami
Maku
Married but Living Single
Moms at War
Oba Irawo
Odun Baku
Okun Ife Yi
Omo Ghetto
Omo Ghetto: The Saga
Omo Pupa
Oreke Mulero
Osuwon Eda
The Return of Jenifa
She Must Be Obeyed
My Siblings and I
A Trip to Jamaica
Taiwo Taiwo
Chief Daddy 2: Going for Broke
Your Excellency
Who's the Boss
Awards and nominations
See also
List of Yoruba people
List of Nigerian actresses
References
External links
https://twitter.com/funkeakindele
https://www.bbc.com/pidgin/tori-54481696
Best Actress Africa Movie Academy Award winners
1977 births
Actresses from Lagos State
Yoruba actresses
Living people
University of Lagos alumni
21st-century Nigerian actresses
Nigerian film actresses
Nigerian television actresses
Participants in Nigerian reality television series
Actresses in Yoruba cinema
Moshood Abiola Polytechnic alumni
Nigerian film producers
Nigerian politicians
Nigerian film directors
Nigerian actor-politicians
Nigerian media personalities
Nigerian television personalities
Women in Lagos politics
21st-century Nigerian politicians