Maynard Eziashi facts for kids

Maynard Eziashi (born in 1965 in London, England) is an actor with Nigerian-English heritage. He is well-known for his acting roles in many international movies. In 1991, he won a major award, the Silver Bear for Best Actor, at the 41st Berlin International Film Festival. He received this award for his main role in the film Mister Johnson (1990).

Early Life

Maynard Eziashi was born in London, England. He went to The Sacred Heart RC Secondary school in Camberwell New Green, London.

Acting Career

Maynard Eziashi has been working in movies around the world since 1986.

Early Success

In 1991, he won the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the 41st Berlin International Film Festival. This was for his starring role in the movie Mister Johnson (1990). In this film, he acted alongside famous actor Pierce Brosnan. Critics praised Eziashi's performance, calling it "witty and persuasive." They also noted his ability to show a character with "great loyalty and deep love."

Working with Big Stars

Eziashi has worked with many well-known actors and directors.

• In 1993, he played Zweli in Bopha!. This movie was the first film directed by the famous actor Morgan Freeman. Maynard's character, Zweli, was the son of Danny Glover's character.
• He also acted with Jim Carrey in the movie Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995).
• Eziashi starred in Twenty-One (1991) and A Good Man in Africa (1994). The latter film also starred Sean Connery.
• He played Edgar in the 2001 film When Brendan Met Trudy.
• In 2006, Eziashi worked again with Morgan Freeman and Mister Johnson director Bruce Beresford in the film The Contract.

Eziashi has said that working with these top Hollywood stars was "pleasurable." He added that some of them have become good friends, and he still keeps in touch with them.

Recent Projects

Maynard Eziashi continues to work on exciting projects in film and theater.

Film Work

In 2012, Eziashi took part in a film called Streets of Calabar. This movie was filmed in Calabar, Cross River State, in Nigeria. He played "Chief Detective Okoro" in the film. Eziashi mentioned that Streets of Calabar was his second movie filmed in Nigeria. The first was Mister Johnson, which was shot in Jos. He really enjoyed his time in Calabar, saying he discovered "something new" every day.

Eziashi also shared that he plans to produce two movies himself. These upcoming films are titled Incomparable Worlds and The Seven Crossroads.

Stage Performances

From November to December 2013, Eziashi performed in a play called The Dead Wait. This play by Paul Herzberg was shown at The Park Theatre in Finsbury Park. In the play, he took on the role of George. Eziashi compared his experience in this play to his work in Bopha!. This is because both stories are set in South Africa. He described Paul Herzberg, who also acted in the play, as "a very generous man."

Beyond Acting

Maynard Eziashi is well-known in Hollywood, but less so in Nollywood. Nollywood is the name for the Nigerian movie industry. Eziashi believes that Nollywood is doing very well. He thinks that if you compare its first 10-20 years to Hollywood's early years, Nollywood is doing "fabulously well."

Besides acting, Eziashi is also a restaurateur. This means he owns or manages a restaurant. His restaurant is called The Lounge bar and eatery, and it is located in Brixton, London.

Filmography