Wale Ojo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wale Ojo
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| Nationality | British-Nigerian |
| Citizenship | United Kingdom, Nigeria |
| Alma mater | University of Hull, (Drama, 1986) |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1976–present |
| Known for | Phone Swap (film) |
Wale Ojo is a talented British Nigerian actor. He started acting when he was a child on television. Later, he continued to act in both the UK and Nigeria. He became well-known in 1995 for his role in the film The Hard Case. He won an award for Best Actor at the 2012 Nigeria Entertainment Awards for his main role in Phone Swap. Since then, he has appeared in many movies and TV shows.
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Early Life and Education
Wale Ojo began acting professionally when he was very young. At just 8 years old, he worked with Akin Lewis on a TV show called Why Worry in the 1980s. When he was 12, his family moved to England. He also went to university there.
Wale Ojo says his acting career was inspired by his mother, who was also an actress and always supported him. Other important people who influenced him include Chief Wale Ogunyemi, Tunji Oyelana, playwright Wole Soyinka, and Zulu Sofola.
New Nigeria Cinema
Wale Ojo started an organization called New Nigeria Cinema. Its main goal is to make Nigerian films even better. In 2010, New Nigeria Cinema held a special event at the British Film Institute in London. They showed films and had talks about movies.
Wale Ojo's Acting Roles
Wale Ojo has acted in many TV shows, movies, and plays. He has also directed some projects.
TV Programs
Wale Ojo has appeared in several popular television series.
| Year | TV Program | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Behaving Badly | Jim | A short TV series. |
| 1998 – 2000 | Heartburn Hotel | Chidi Ekechi | A TV comedy series. |
| 2009 | The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (TV series) | Kebone Legodimo | |
| 2012 - 2016 | Meet the Adebanjos | Mr. Bayo Adebanjo | A British-Nigerian comedy show. |
| 2014 | Tinsel (TV series) | Nosa | A long-running Nigerian TV show. |
| 2018 | Black Earth Rising | Dr. Emmanuel Musoni | A BBC Two TV show. |
| 2021 | Foundation | Professor Arren Sorn | An Apple TV science fiction series. |
| 2022 | Blood Sisters | Inspector Joe | A Netflix original series. |
Films
Wale Ojo has been in many films, from short movies to big productions.
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | The Hard Case | The gambler | A short film. |
| 1999 | Rage | Pin | His first full-length movie role. |
| 2011 | Johnny English Reborn | President Chambal | |
| 2011 | The Guard | Doctor Oleyuwo | An Irish comedy film. |
| 2012 | Phone Swap | Akin | His first main role in a Nigerian film. |
| 2012 | Big Man | ||
| 2013 | Half of a Yellow Sun | Chief Okonji | A historical drama film. |
| 2014 | A Letter from Adam | Adam | A romantic film. |
| 2014 | Render to Caesar | Pade | A crime thriller film. |
| 2014 | When Love Happens | Oladele Laguda | A romantic comedy. |
| 2015 | 8 Bars and a Clef | Felix Mensah | About a musician with dyslexia. |
| 2015 | Fifty | Kunle | |
| 2016 | Ayamma: Music in the Forest | Prince Daraima | |
| 2016 | Betrayal | Funbi | |
| 2016 | The CEO | Kola Alabi | |
| 2016 | Ojukokoro | Mad Dog Max | A crime film also known as Ojukokoro: Greed. |
| 2016 | White Colour Black | Monsiour Dabo | |
| 2017 | Alter Ego | Timothy | |
| 2017 | Sand Castle | Ayade | |
| 2018 | Disguise | Theophilus Vaughn | |
| 2018 | Lara and the Beat | Uncle Tunde | |
| 2018 | New Money | Chuka | |
| 2018 | Voiceless Scream | Dr. Joel Azubike | |
| 2019 | Another Father's Day | Femi Daniel | A sequel to Happy Father's Day. |
| 2019 | Coming from Insanity | Mr. Martins | A crime drama. |
| 2019 | Don't Get Mad Get Even | Dr. Badejo | This was Wale Ojo's first time directing a full-length movie. |
| 2019 | Jumbled | Mr Sagoe | |
| 2019 | Kasanova | Femi | |
| 2019 | Ordinary Fellows | Professor Jega | |
| 2019 | Walking with Shadows | Dad | A drama film. |
| 2020 | This Lady Called Life | Daddy | |
| 2021 | Silent Murder | ||
| 2022 | Bloodhound | Azusa | |
| 2022 | Songs of Ubong | Ubong | |
| 2022 | A Place Called Forward | Husband | |
| 2022 | A Song From the Dark | Magnus Williams | |
| 2023 | Breath of Life | Timi Johnson | The first Nigerian film made for Amazon Prime. |
| 2024 | The Man Died | Wole Soyinka |
Theatre Performances
Wale Ojo has also performed on stage in plays.
| Year | Play | Theatre | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | The Sunset Limited | Capital Centre, Warwickshire, England | Black | He acted alongside Michael Gould. |
| 2005 | Who Killed Mr Drum? | Riverside Studios, Hammersmith, London | Henry Nxumalo | The play is about a reporter from a famous South African magazine called Drum. |
As a Director
Wale Ojo has also worked behind the camera as a director.
| Year | Title | Distributor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Ghost of Tarkwa Bay | unknown | This short film was Wale Ojo's first time directing. It's about surfing in Nigeria. |
| 2022 | This, Your Lagos | unknown | This is a documentary film. |
Awards and Nominations
Wale Ojo has been recognized for his acting with several awards and nominations.
| Year | Event | Prize | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Nollywood Movies Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Phone Swap | Nominated |
| 2012 | Nigeria Entertainment Awards | Best Actor in a Film | Phone Swap | Won |
| 2015 | Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards | Best Actor in a Comedy | Meet the Adebanjos | Nominated |
| 2018 | Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Betrayal | Nominated |
| 2018 | Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards | Best Actor in a Drama | Alter Ego | Nominated |
| 2022 | Africa Movie Academy Award | Best Supporting Actor | A Song From the Dark | Nominated |
| 2024 | Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards | Best Lead Actor | Breath of Life (2023 film) | Won |
See also
- List of Nigerian film producers
