Osita Iheme

Osita Iheme, MFR (born 20 February 1982) is a Nigerian actor. He is widely known for playing the role of Pawpaw in the film Aki na Ukwa alongside Chinedu Ikedieze. He is the founder of Inspired Movement Africa which he founded to inspire, motivate and stimulate the minds of young Nigerians and Africans. In 2007, Iheme received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the African Movie Academy Awards.[1] He is considered to be one of Nigeria's most famous actors.[2] In 2011, he was honored as a Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) by President Goodluck Jonathan.[3]

Osita Iheme

MFR
Born (1982-02-20) 20 February 1982
Mbaitoli, Imo, Nigeria
OccupationActor, Producer, Comedian
Spouse(s)Noma

Early life

[4][5] He hails from Mbaitoli, Imo State, Nigeria. Iheme grew up in Abia State and has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Lagos State University.[6]

Career
Aki and Paw Paw

Early in his career, Osita Iheme was often typecast in the role of a child. In 2003 he rose to fame when he starred together with Chinedu Ikedieze in the comedy film Aki na Ukwa in which he played the role of Pawpaw. In this role, Iheme played a mischievous child. He has played the role of a child in many of his films but later has adopted more mature roles. Subsequently, the duo became, what many consider, one of the funniest Nollywood comedian pairings of all time.[7]

He is the New Generation Ambassador for Rotary International District 9110 and the author of the book INSPIRED 101. Iheme has starred in over a hundred movies and is one of the most popular faces in Nollywood.[8] Like his onscreen partner Chinedu Ikedieze, Iheme has a small physique. Iheme's stature gave him the advantage of being different from other actors in the Nigerian movie industry.[9][10]

He has evolved in his career from a comedic actor to a multifaceted established actor. This has gained him respect throughout the Nigerian movie industry and with its fans alike.[6]

Honour

To reward his contribution towards the growth of the Nigerian Film Industry, in 2011 he was awarded the Nigerian National Honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) by President Goodluck Jonathan.[11]

Influence

His performance alongside fellow little person actor Chinedu Ikedieze in the 2002 film Aki na Ukwa is still widely spoken about and the duo, especially Osita's character, has been trending through memes since 2019 on Twitter and other social media platforms.[12][8] This eventually earned him a large global fanbase. [13]

Filmography

References
  1. Coker, Onikepo (4 May 2007). "Africa Celebrates Film Industry at AMAA 2007". Mshale Newspaper. Minneapolis, USA: Mshale Communications. Archived from the original on 3 March 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
  2. Muchimba, Helen (23 September 2004). "Nigerian film lights Zambia's screens". BBC News. London, UK: BBC. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
  3. "BN Bytes: Genevieve Nnaji, Stephanie Okereke, Amaka Igwe, Aliko Dangote & Jim Ovia receive National Honours – Photos from the Ceremony". bellanaija.com. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  4. M'bwana, Lloyd. "Who is older between Aki and Paw Paw?? As Aki celebrates his 41st birthday". www.maravipost.com. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  5. Adikwu, Marris (14 August 2019). "The Nigerian Film Stars Behind Some of Twitter's Greatest Memes". Vulture. Retrieved 13 September 2019. Don’t be fooled by Iheme and Ikedieze’s size — they’re both grown men (Iheme is 37 and Ikedieze is 41).
  6. Cornel-Best, Onyekaba (6 May 2005). ".DYNAMITES. That's what we are". Daily Sun. Lagos, Nigeria. Archived from the original on 10 May 2005. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
  7. "The 10 most iconic characters in Nollywood". Pulse Nigeria. 20 February 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  8. "Is Osita Iheme's meme used by Fenty Beauty and 50 Cent a win for Nollywood?". This is africa. 10 July 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  9. "Chinedu Ikedieze writes to Osita Iheme as he turns 38". OYO Gist. 21 February 2020. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  10. "Read why actor and Chinedu Ikedieze are friendship goals!". Pulse Nigeria. 3 October 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  11. "In Pictures: Jonathan Decorates Dangote, Others at National Awards in Abuja". PM News Nigeria. 15 November 2011. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  12. "Why dis Osita Iheme meme dey burst pipo brain?". BBC News Pidgin. 2 July 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  13. Adikwu, Marris (14 August 2019). "The Nigerian Film Stars Behind Some of Twitter's Greatest Memes". Vulture. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
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