Regina Askia-Williams facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Regina Askia-Williams
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| Born |
Imaobong Regina Askia Usoro
16 December 1967 Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria
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| Other names | Regina Askia |
| Alma mater | University of Calabar University of Lagos Wagner College |
| Occupation | Nurse practitioner, actress, former model |
| Title | Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria 1989, Miss Unilag 88 |
| Beauty pageant titleholder | |
| Hair colour | Brown |
| Eye colour | Hazel |
| Major competition(s) |
Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria 1989 |
Regina Askia-Williams (born Imaobong Regina Askia Usoro on 16 December 1967) is a Nigerian-born actress, model, and former beauty queen. She was once crowned Miss Unilag at the University of Lagos. Regina is now a certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and works in New York City. She also writes and speaks publicly to support children's health, education, and economic growth in Africa.
Contents
Career Highlights
Beauty Pageant Success
In 1988, Regina Askia-Williams was a medical student who moved from the University of Calabar to the University of Lagos. That year, she won the title of Miss Unilag. She also came in second place in the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN) contest. In 1989, she became the MBGN winner when the original winner, Bianca Onoh, stepped down.
In 1990, Regina represented Nigeria at the Miss Charm International pageant in Russia. She finished in second place. She was also the first Nigerian to compete in the Miss International pageant in Japan. There, she won an award for having the most amazing traditional costume.
Modeling Work
After becoming famous as a beauty queen, Regina Askia-Williams started a modeling career. She appeared in many Nigerian advertisements for print and television. These included ads for international brands like Visine® and Chicken George fast food. She also modeled for Kessingsheen Hair Care and the boutique chain Collectibles.
Regina also worked on several fashion shows. In 2007, she modeled for a face cleansing product called 2000-N-Six. She even modeled alongside her daughter, Stephanie Hornecker. In 2006, Regina hosted a charity fashion show in New York. It showed off clothes from top African designers and her own fashion line, Regine Fashions.
Acting Roles
Regina Askia-Williams started acting in 1993. She played a character named "Tokunbo Johnson" in the Nigerian TV show Fortunes. This role made her a well-known Nigerian actress. After this, Regina starred in many "Nollywood" films in the 1990s and early 2000s. Nollywood is the name for the Nigerian film industry. Most of these movies were released directly to video for many viewers in Nigeria, Tanzania, and Ghana. They were also shown on Nigerian TV channels. She later returned to acting in a Nigerian film called Web. In 2000, she won the "Best Actress in Nigeria" award for her performance.
Personal Life
Regina Askia-Williams lives in America with her family. She studied Biology at the University of Lagos in Nigeria. She later earned her nursing degree at Wagner College in the United States. She now works as a family nurse practitioner in New York City.
In 2001, just three months after moving to New York City, Regina survived the attack on the World Trade Center. She was working in one of the buildings at the time and managed to escape safely.
Regina Askia-Williams is married to Rudolph 'Rudy' Williams. He is the nephew of Ron Everette and grandson of Fess Williams. They have two children together: a daughter named Teesa Olympia and a son named Rudolph Junior. Regina also has another daughter, Stephanie Horneck, from a previous relationship. Stephanie is also a model.
Helping Others
Regina Askia-Williams is very interested in helping with medical care in Nigeria. In 2005, she held a fashion show at the Nigerian Embassy in New York City. This event helped raise awareness about the challenges children face in Nigeria when it comes to social services.
In 2007, Regina was honored by the Celebrating African Motherhood Organization (CAM). She received an award at a special event in Washington, D.C.
Regina continues to encourage teamwork between Africa and Africans living in other parts of the world. She does this through fashion shows and by organizing medical trips to Africa. She also co-hosts an online discussion show called African Health Dialogues. This show talks about important topics like how well mobile medical clinics work in Africa. Her articles have also been published online and in the "Saturday Clinic" series of the Nigerian newspaper This Day.
Filmography
As an actress, Regina Askia-Williams has starred in these films:
- Slave Warrior (2012) as Roslyn
- How We Lived - Slave Warrior (2012) as Present-day Ada
- Slave Warrior: The Beginning (video) (2007)
- Veno (video) (2004)
- Dangerous Babe (2003) as Janet
- Man Snatcher (video) (2003)
- Festival of Fire (2002)
- Vuga (video) (2000)
- Vuga 2 (video) (2000)
- The President's Daughter (2000)
- Highway to the Grave (2000) as Sonia
- Curse from Beyond (2000) as Janet
- Dirty Game (video) (1998)
- Full Moon (1998) as Lucy
- Juliet Must Die
- Maximum Risk
- Mena
- Queen of the Night
- Red Machete
- Most Wanted (1998) as Cleopatra
- Rituals (1997) as Regina Askia Williams
