Omotola Jalade Ekeinde (born 7 February 1978) is a Nigerian actress, singer, philanthropist, TV personality, and former model is known for many of her roles in movies such as Blood Sisters, Games Women Play, and The Woman in Me among others. Omotola Jalade Ekeinde is a talented and prominent Nigerian actress. She is one of the leading actresses in Nollywood and one of the most followed and respected across Africa. The 44-year-old actress was notably honored in Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2013.
EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION
Omotola Jalade, who is of Ondo descent, was born in Lagos State. She grew up with her parents and two younger brothers, Tayo and Bolaji Jalade. Her mother, Oluwatoyin Jalade née Amori Oguntade, worked at J.T Chanrai Nigeria, and her father, Oluwashola Jalade, worked at the YMCA and the Lagos Country Club. She attended Chrisland School, Opebi (1981–1987), Oxford Children School (1987), Santos Layout, and Command Secondary School, Kaduna (1988–1993). She had a brief stint at Obafemi Awolowo University and completed her studies at Yaba College of Technology (1996–2004), where she studied Estate Management.[10] She originally wanted a career in business management. However, while awaiting her results from university, she began modeling to earn a living
CAREER
Omotola Jalade Ekeinde was introduced to acting by accompanying a friend to an audition. Her first acting role was in the 1995 movie Venom of Justice, directed by Reginald Ebere. Reginald Ebere has been cited as launching her career. She was given the lead role in the movie, which set the stage for a flourishing career in the Nollywood film industry. Omotola Jalade Ekeinde got her first significant role in the critically acclaimed film Mortal Inheritance (1995). In the movie, she played a sickle-cell patient who fought for her life despite the odds of survival. Her character overcame the disease, and she had a baby.
After a career-defining role in Mortal Inheritance, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde‘s portrayal won her “Best Actress in an English Speaking Movie” and “Best Actress Overall” at the (1997) Movie Awards. She was the youngest Actress in Nigeria at that time to achieve this feat. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the increasingly known actress starred in several sequel films, including Lost Kingdom II, Kosorogun II, and Blood Sister II, leading to a grand achiever award on behalf of the Global Excellence Recognition Awards in the year (2004). By the mid-year (2000), Omotola Jalade Ekeinde had catapulted into “A” list status. She was awarded Best Actress in a supporting role during the African Movie Academy Awards (2005).
In 2015, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde celebrated her 20th anniversary in the entertainment industry. She has appeared in about two hundred (200) movies. In June 2018, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, alongside Femi Odugbemi, received invitations to join the Oscars in the year (2018) voting members.
Omotola Started Her Musical Career At Age 27
Being much of a free spirit, Omotola has ventured into various things. She tried her hand in the music industry when movie producers were restricted from producing for some reason. She released a couple of albums with the recent ones featuring international stars like Bobby Valentino.
Speaking about her interest in music, Omotola said she has always loved singing but becoming an activist and working with the U.N. World Food Programme motivated her to launch her music career. She launched her music career with the release of her first album Gba in 2005. Her second album Me, Myself and Eyes was launched in 2013 and featured songs like “Feel Alright”, “Barren Land”, “Get Busy”, “Missing You”, etc.
Omotola started working on her third album towards the end of 2012. The singer sought the help of The Bridge Entertainment for this album. She worked with a few notable producers in Atlanta to create a unique sound that would go well with the American audience.
Later on, the singer went on a long break from singing. She said she decided to face other things after she was discouraged from releasing more music. Years later, in 2021, Omotola revealed her intention of going back to her music career. This time around, she will be more serious about it and not take any discouragement from anyone.
List of Some of Her Songs
- Dance ft. Ruggedman
- Don’t Flip
- Grass to Grace
- Life or Death
- Thing You Do to Me
- Gba ft. Six O
- Honey Boy Show Me Love
PERSONAL LIFE
Omotola Jalade Ekeinde married Captain Matthew Ekeinde in 1996. The couple later held a white ceremony on board a Dash 7 aircraft while flying from Lagos to Benin (2001), with close family and friends present. Omotola Jalade Ekeinde gave birth to her first daughter on 30 March 1997. They have four children, Princess Ekeinde, Captain E, Meraiah Ekeinde, and Micheal Ekeinde. She lost her father, Shola Jalade in 1991.
Net Worth
Omotola is one of the highest earning and influential African actresses, the beautiful actress Omotola Jalade Ekeinde has an estimated net worth of US$7.2 million.
Add Comment