O. C. Ukeje: All You Need To Know About Him
O. C. UkejeOkechukwu Ukeje, known as OC Ukeje is Nigerian actor, model and musician. He came into prominence after winning the Amstel Malta Box Office (AMBO) reality show. He has received several awards including Africa Movie Academy Awards, Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards, Nollywood Movies Awards, Best of Nollywood Awards, Nigeria Entertainment Awards and Golden Icons Academy Movie Awards. He has featured in several award-winning films including Two Brides and a Baby, Hoodrush, Alan Poza, Confusion Na Wa and Half of a Yellow Sun.
Early life
Okechukwu Ukeje, a native of Umuahia was born and bred in Lagos State, Nigeria. He is the second child of a family of three.
Career
He attended Federal Government College Ijanikin, Ojo, Lagos. He began his career in acting from his first year at the University of Lagos, Yaba, with a lead role in a stage play. He went on to pursue both music and acting, focusing mainly on acting in stage plays for the first four years of his career before attempting and winning a reality TV show, Amstel Malta Box Office (AMBO). His first screen appearance was in White Waters (2008) with Joke Silva and Rita Dominic. The film was directed by Izu Ojukwu. He won the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) for the Best Upcoming Actor (2008) and the City People’s Award for Best New Act (2010).
He continued to write music, collaborating with a few Nigerian musical artists and producers and working on radio jingles for corporate organizations. He has worked in movies and television between 2008 and 2012.
He has been a member of the cast of the TV series that was presented at the International Emmy World Television Festival, Wetin Dey (2007) produced by the BBC World Service Trust and played lead and supporting lead roles in films like Comrade, Confusion Na Wa and Awakening. He also featured in Black November (2012) by Jeta Amata with cast members such as Mickey Rourke, Kim Basinger, Sarah Wayne-Callies, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Vivica Fox and a host of others. He was also on the film adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun (2013) with Chiwetel Ejiofor and Thandie Newton as lead cast, directed by Biyi Bandele. He was on the repertory team that showcased 3 stage plays for the Nigeria House at the London Cultural Olympiad (2012). He also acted in the BFI sponsored film, Gone Too Far. He was in NdaniTV’s series Gidi Up with Titilope Sonuga, Deyemi Okanlawon, Somkele Iyamah and Ikechukwu Onunakuhttps. In January 2015, he was listed by Nigerian Cinema Exhibition Coalition as one of the highest box office grosser of 2014.
In 2016 he was invited with Somkele Iyamah to attend the Toronto International Film Festival as “rising stars”.
Personal life
Ukeje lives in Lagos, Nigeria. He got married to Senami Ibukunoluwa Togonu-Bickersteth on 8 November 2014.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | White Waters | Actor |
| 2008 | Comrade | Hakeem |
| 2011 | Black Gold | Peter Gadibia |
| 2011 | Two Brides and a Baby | Badmus |
| 2012 | Black November | Peter Gadibia |
| 2012 | Hoodrush | Shez Jabari |
| 2012 | Till Death Do Us Part (Short) | John |
| 2013 | Confusion Na Wa | Charles Duka |
| 2013 | Alan Poza | Alan Poza |
| 2013 | Half of a Yellow Sun | Aniekwena |
| 2013 | Awakening | Nicholas |
| 2013 | Gone Too Far | Iku |
| 2013 | The Rubicon | David |
| 2014 | When Love Happens | Dare |
| 2014 | Gidi Up (TV Series) | Obi (2014 – ) |
| 2014 | A Play Called a Temple Made of Clay (Short) | Hakeem |
| 2015 | The Department | Segun |
| 2015 | Heaven’s Hell | |
| 2015 | Before 30 | Ayo (2015-) |
| 2017 | Catch.er | Detective Komolafe |
Awards and nominations
- 4th Africa Movie Academy Awards for Most Promising Actor in White Waters
- 2013 Nigeria Entertainment Awards for Best Lead Actor in a Film in Alan Poza
- 2013 Best of Nollywood Awards for Best Lead Actor in an English Movie in Alan Poza
- 2013 Nollywood Movies Awards for Best Actor in a Lead Role in Hoodrush
- 2013 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards for Best Actor in a Drama in Two Brides and a Baby
- 9th Africa Movie Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role in Confusion Na Wa (nominated)