Stephanie Onyekachi Okereke is her birth name but widely known as Stephanie Okereke Linus. She is a Nigerian actress, film director and model.
Stephanie was born October 2, 1982 in Ngor Okpala, Imo State. She is the sixth child of Mr. Chima and Mary Okereke’s eight children.
Stephanie’s Educational Background
Stephanie had her primary & secondary education in Delta State. She later obtained a Bachelor’s degree in English and Literary Studies at the University of Calabar, in Cross River State.
She also attended New York Film Academy in 2007.
Stephanie’s Acting Career
Stephanie joined Nollywood in 1997 as a teenager and starred in her first two Nollywood movies ‘Compromise’ and ‘Waterloo’. Since then, she has been sailing in the world of entertainment winning several awards and nominations.
During the 2002 Most beautiful girl in Nigeria beauty pageant, Okereke emerged winner in the first runner up hosted by Silver Bird Television.
A year later in 2003, Okereke won two awards, out of the eight nominations she received, at the 2003 Reel Awards for ‘Best Actress – English’ and ‘Best Actress of the year 2003’.
After graduating from the New York Film Academy in 2007, Okereke released the movie Through the Glass in which she served as director, scriptwriter, producer and actress. The movie received nomination for Best Screenplay at the Africa Movie Academy Award in 2009.
Stephanie played the role of Ada, as she featured some foreign actors and actresses such as Garrett McKechnie who played Jeffery, Rainier L. Kenny (Martha), Christy Williams (Nicole), and Brion Rose (Matt).
In 2006, she starred in a thriller movie titled “More Than A Woman” which featured Saint Obi. “More Than A Woman” was regarded as Nollywood’s best-produced movie of all time.
In 2007, Stephanie Okereke graduated from the New York Film Academy, where she honed her movie directing skills. She directed a comedy movie titled “Through the Glass” in 2008.
In 2014, she released another movie, ‘Dry and Again’ in which she served as a director, scriptwriter, producer, and actress. The movie also won many awards including 12th Africa Movie Academy Awards and 2016 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards, Best movie overall movie with the prize of a brand new car.
She played the role of “Dr. Zara”, alongside other top Nollywood actors and actresses such as Liz Benson (Matron), William McNamara (Dr. Brown), Darwin Shaw (Dr. Alex), Paul Sambo, and Olu Jacobs. The movie which was shot in Lagos, Kano, and in the United States of America won many awards at notable award events including the 12th Africa Movie Academy Awards and the 2016 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards for the best movie overall movie with the prize of a brand new car.
In 2016, “Dry” won Best Narrative Feature at the Pan African Film & Arts Festival (PAFF). The movie also earned Stephanie a Special Recognition at the Los Angeles City Council and was recognized at the first-ever Blacks In Cinema presentations and proclamations.
Okereke has since joining Nollywood, starred in over 150 movies, some of which include:
• Waterloo
• Pretender
• Blind justice
• Emotional Crack
• Genesis of Love
• Private Sin
• Beautiful Faces
• Deep Loss
• Magic Moment
• Dream Lover
• Official Romance among many others.
Awards and Nominations
Stephanie Okereke has won several awards as a veteran Nollywood actress, both locally and internationally. They include:
- 2003 Best Actress at Reel Awards
- 2006 Best Actress at Afro Hollywood Awards
- 2015 Best Director at ZAFAA Global Awards
- 2015 Best Protagonist at Bentonville Film Festival.
- 2016 Best Overall Movie at Nollywood and African Film Critics Awards (NAFCA).
- 2017 Best Supporting Actress at Truth Awards.
She has won an award for the Most Promising Actress in Nigeria and the Best New Actress to Watch Out For at the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) and Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA) during her early days of her acting career.
Stephanie also received nominations for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2005, 2009, and 2010.
In 2016, NAFCA nominated her for Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Drama Film awards.
Stephanie Okereke is a humanitarian. She demonstrated this by reaching out to transform the lives of girls who are victims of trafficking.
Setback
Like every other being on earth, Stephanie has had her own share of setback. In April 2005, Okereke on her way to the African Movie Academy Awards held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, was involved in a serious car accident that left her with burns all over and a broken leg.
Her Personal life
Stephanie was married to her ex-husband and Super Eagles player, Chikelue Iloenyosi who she wedded in 2004. Eight years later, a scandal was revealed and Chikelue Iloenyosi was said to have legally married a woman in the United States before. The marriage came to an abrupt end and Stephanie later married Linus Idahosa in April, 2012 in Paris, France at a private wedding ceremony that was attended by members of her family and scores of Nollywood celebrities. Their first son Maxwell Enosata Linus was born in October 2015.
Stephanie’s Net Worth
Stephanie Okereke is one of the pioneers and strong pillar of Nollywood, rated one of the richest and most influential with a net worth of over $2 million dollars.
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