Stephanie Okereke-Linus

She was born on October 2, 1982, in Ngor Okpala area of Imo state. She has her primary and secondary education in Delta before moving to the University of Calabar, Cross River State where she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Literary Studies.

She first appeared in two movies – Compromise and Waterloo – in 1997 as a teenage actress. Over time, she has appeared in over 100 movies.

In 2007, she went to New York Film Academy, Los Angeles to study movie directing. Upon graduation, Stephanie released her first movie ‘Through the Looking Glass’ in 2007 where she worked as director, scriptwriter, actress and producer. The movie got a nomination at the African Academy Awards in 2009 in Best Screenplay category.

The star actress has acted alongside prominent Nollywood stars like Richard Mofe-Damijo, Ini Edo, Genevieve Nnaji, Rita Dominic, Desmond Elliot and Pete Edochie.

Some of the movies she has appeared in include; Compromise, Waterloo, Pretender, Private Sin, Emotional Crack, Critical Decision, Magic Moment, Guys on the Line, Omalinze, Behind the Plot, Sitanda, Through the Glass, Hidden Treasure, Nnenda, Reloaded, Dry and Boonville Redemption.

She started her own TV reality show ‘Make Me Fabulous’ in 2015. The reality show which was unscripted and love-filled helps revive the spark in marriages of newly-weds and old couples.

As a model, she competed at the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN), a beauty pageant organized by Silverbird, and emerged as the first runner up.

 

 

AWARDS

2018 – Dillard University, Distinguished Leadership Award

2017 – Truth Awards, Best Supporting Actress

2016 – DALA Awards, Face of Nollywood (Female)

2016 – Pan African Film Festival, Programmers’ Award Narrative Feature

2004 – Film Makers of Nigeria, Award for Excellence

2004 – Afro-Dublin Awards, Outstanding Actress

2003 – Reel Awards, Best Actress of the Year

2003 – Reel Awards, Best Actress (English)

2003 – What a Year Awards, Best Actress

2016 – NAFCA, Best Actress in Leading Role

2015 – Bentonville Film Festival, Best Protagonist

2015 – Best of Nollywood Awards, Movie with the Best Social Media

2011 – Member of Order of the Federal Republic

2008 – Beyond the Tears Humanitarian Award

2007 – Miriam Makeba Award for Excellence

2006 – Afro Hollywood Award, Best Actress

 

PERSONAL LIFE

In April 2012, Stephanie had a private wedding ceremony with Linus Idahosa in Paris. The couples are blessed with a son, Maxwell Enosata Linus, born in 2015. Linus Idahosa is an exclusive partner to the New York Film Academy in Nigeria and also the CEO of Del-York International, a full-service media consultancy.