Tinsel Actor Udoka Onyeka Opens Up on how he Switched from Music to Movies

Udoka Onyeka

Tall; talented and tenacious, he exudes a kind of passion that fills the air and makes everyone a believer of what he believes.



He doesn’t do it with force. He does it with a persuasion that appeals to both the head and the heart. Udoka Oyeka, Nollywood’s poster boy for brawn and brain, is an embodiment of a new generation of Nigerian film-makers, directors, actors and scriptwriters. From the United States to Nigeria, he’s come with a fresh breath to redefine, in his own way, Nigeria’s entertainment industry – particularly, the movie sector.

He is a firm believer in the Nigerian movie project. A fascinating man of values and an enduring storyteller, and as he reveals, a lover of dogs, Oyeka in this interview opens up about his creative spark and experience on Tinsel set, why he dropped music for acting and his film production projects.

The US-educated movie star also gives Nollywood an unparalleled ranking among world’s movie hubs; he rates Nollywood above Hollywood – and he’s not joking. As a charming star with a chiselled figure – you call it a man with six packs – he comes across as a man any doting lady will live for. While he’s not in any relationship right now, he hasn’t stopped hoping for the right lady.

Besides that, he also talks about his yet-to-be released suspense-filled, intriguing 16 minutes short film –No Good Turn – on the ongoing infamous Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria’s North-East


And when asked how he copes with the female admirers, he said, “I am not just an actor with a pretty face. I write, I direct and produce films. Most of the time, I am engrossed in my work. At every point in time, I have at least two to three projects I am developing.”

The actor also revealed that he wrote the script for the anticipated short film “No Good Turn” as a result of dissatisfaction with the right stories being told about terrorism in the North. The film is set to be released later this year.

When asked about the state of Nigerian cinema, the actor was quoted saying, “If you put Nollywood side by side Hollywood, I think Nollywood is doing better”, the actor said, comparing Hollywood’s 100 years to Nollywood’s fast- developing 25 years. He went on to say “the only area we are lacking is in the area of how we tell our stories, and that for me is real film-making.” We look forward to the real film-making in “No Good Turn” when it is released.

Read the rest of the interview here