Nigerians are known to be resilient people that work hard and make a name for themselves wherever they go. In this blog, we have compiled a list of British actors that have Nigerian descent and are smashing it right now!

Jimmy Akingbola

Jimmy Akingbola works in British Television shows and has made a name for himself in a record time. One of his most famous performances was in Long Run where he worked alongside Idris Elba. His latest show was named Kate and Koji which premiered in 2020. 

David Oyelowo

David Oyelowo is a Hollywood actor. He was born to Nigerian parents in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England. His father was from Oyo state and his mother belonged to Edo state. Due to his classical training in acting, producers and directors prefer him to act in many roles. This is why you will see him in famous films like the butler, small island. Recently, he put up a post on his Instagram announcing that his new show “the girl before” will go live on BBC Iplayer from 19tg December. 

John Boyega

John Boyega was Born in Peckham South London to Nigerian Parents ( Samson and Abigail). He started his acting career from the local theater of Peckham and was appreciated by the critics and the local people due to his impeccable performances. Due to his passion for acting, his parents sent him to Thames College to study performing arts in Hackney. After his college, he also joined university at Greenwich University. But, because of so many offers popping up - he left the degree midway and began acting full time. You can see his performances in well known movies like Star Wars and Half a yellow sun. Recently, his movie 892 has been lined up for Sundance Film festival (he announced the news in an Instagram post). 

Deborah Ayorinde

Deborah is a true example of someone who can manage to multitask and be good at it. She started her acting career at the tender age of seven by performing in the local theater at Forest gate. However, when she was eight her family moved to San Jose which led to her being admitted to Howard University. Due to her passion for acting, she participated in many please add her university and won the coveted Paul Robeson award for best actress. However, that is not all - she also runs an online boutique in the time that she’s not acting in any projects. Her boutique is a true reflection of her fashion sense. According to her Instagram, her new project is coming up which is named as “Riches”. 

Wunmi Mosaku 

Wunmi Mosaku was born in Zaria, Nigeria. But her parents decided to move to England when she was about 5 years old. However, her parents could not find suitable jobs there so her father had to move back to Nigeria after a few years. In the meantime, Wunmi attended Trinity college and also sang in a choir at a church. Now, she is an established actor and has worked in many famous movies such as “Fantastic Beasts and where to find them”. And, let’s not forget her trendy fashion sense. You can think of any color and Wunmi can pull it off! 

Ending Note

According to the list on IMDb, 73 British actors have Nigerian descent. It shows how Nigerians have worked hard to make a name for themselves and their love for the craft itself. We covered 5 actors in this list, but there are so many more that we would like to cover in the future!