Meet One of the Greatest of all time, Olufunke Ayotunde Akindele Popularly known as Funke Akindele or Jenifa
Olufunke Ayotunde Akindele born in August 24, 1977 Popularly known as Funke Akindele or Jenifa is a Nigerian filmmaker, actress, director, producer and p0litician.
Akindele starred in the sitc0m I Need to Know from 1998 to 2002, and in 2009, she won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her role in Jenifa, which brought her into fame.
Funke reprised the role in a 2015 television series adaption titled Jenifa’s Diary, for which she was named the Best Actress in a Comedy at the 2016 and 2017 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards.
Akindele won the same award in 2020 and 2022, making it her fifth win for the Best Actress in a Comedy category.
Akindele is the most nominated actress/filmmaker at the AMVCA and currently owns six wins which makes her the actress with most wins.
She is the second director to gross over a billion naira at the Nigeria box office and currently the Highest grossing Nigerian Director in Nigerian Box Office with a total Gross of over ₦2.9 billion
Akindele came into the limelight after starring in the popular United Nations Population Fùnd (UNFPA)-sponsored sitc0m I Need to Know, which ran from 1998 to 2002. Funke Akindele played Bisi, a curi0us but highly intelligent secondary school student.
Funke Akindele’s big break came in 2008 when she appeared in the movie Jenifa.
In January 2018, there was a controversy when it was rep0rted that Funke Akindele would get her Hollywood debut in Marvel’s Ave.ngers: Infinity W.ar as she was listed as a member of the cast on IMDb.
Mainstream Nigerian press rep0rted that Jenifa was set to star in Infinity W.ar as the guard Dora Milaje, citing IMDb
Some weeks later her name was replaced with that of fellow Nigerian actress Genevieve Nnaji, with Funke Akindele’s upload shown to have been a h.ack.
In February 2018, it was rep0rted that Senat.e Pres.ident and chair of the Nati0nal Asse.mbly, Dr. Bukola Saraki , had advised Marvel Studios to feature Akindele in Infinity Wa.r
In an interview in July 2016, Funke Akindele stated she was acting less in the Yoruba film industry at that time because of pi.racy.
Funke Akindele plays the lead character in the ongoing hi.t TV show Jenifa’s Diary, alongside Fisayo Ajisola, Falz, Juliana Olayode, and Aderounmu Adejumoke.
The show is an adaption of the movie Jenifa.
The 2018 comedy film Moms at W.ar stars Funke Akindele and Omoni Oboli.
In July 2019, Akindele started a new wèb series, Aiyetoro Town, a turnover from her popular TV series, Jenifa’s Diary.
She is the former CEO of Scene One Film Production.
Akindele was nominated as the Lagos dep.uty g0vernorship can.didate under Peoples Dem0cratic Pàrty (Nigeria) in the 2023 electi0ns.
In justifying her nomination, Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, noted that the actress will add more value to his can.didacy in the 2023 general electi0ns.
Confirming her depùty g0vernorship candi.dacy on Tuesday, the actress stated that her acting career must be “necessarily put on hold”.
In 2024, Her movie A Tribe Called Judah became the highest grossing Nigerian movie of all time, breaking the record of her movie Battle on Buka Street.
Akindele has the most wins at award shows like AMVCA and NEA Awards.
She is the producer and director of the three highest grossing Nollywood movies of all time👇
A TRIBE CALLED JUDAH
BATTLE ON BUKA STREET
And OMO GHETTO THE SÀGA
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