Tolulope Adesua Etomi-Wellington (born 22 February 1988), professionally known as Adesua Etomi is a

Nigerian Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jo ...

actress. In 2014, she starred in her first feature film '' Knocking On Heaven's Door''. She won the Best Actress in a Drama award at the

2016 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards The 2016 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA) was held on March 5, 2016 at the Eko Hotels and Suites in Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria. It was hosted by Ikponmwosa Osakioduwa and Minnie Dlamini. Nominees were revealed on December 11, 20 ...

for her role in the 2015 romantic drama film '' Falling''.

Early life and education

Tolulope Adesua Etomi was born in

Owerri Owerri ( , ) is the capital city of Imo State in Nigeria, set in the heart of Igboland. It is also the state's largest city, followed by Orlu, Okigwe and Ohaji/Egbema. Owerri consists of three Local Government Areas including Owerri Municipal, ...

Imo State Imo State ( ig, Ȯra Imo) is a state in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north by Anambra State, Rivers State to the west and south, and Abia State to the east. It takes its name from the Imo River which flows al ...

, several major sources claims her birthdate is 22 February 1988. However, in an interview published in January 2016, Etomi told ''Pulse Nigeria'' she was 29 years old. Furthermore, ''Answers Africa'' published an article in March 2016 stating that she was 30 years old. Her father is a soldier of Esan descent and her mother is an engineer of

Yoruba The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...

descent. She is the youngest of three siblings. Etomi attended Corona School in Victoria Island, Lagos, where she joined the drama club at the age of seven. Thereafter, she attended

Queen's College, Lagos Queen's College, Lagos, is a government-owned girl's secondary (high) school with boarding facilities, situated in Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria. Often referred to as the "sister college" of King's College, Lagos, it was founded on October 10, 1927, when ...

before moving to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

at the age of 13. Etomi later obtained a

diploma A diploma is a document awarded by an educational institution (such as a college or university) testifying the recipient has graduated by successfully completing their courses of studies. Historically, it has also referred to a charter or offici ...

in "physical theatre, musical theatre and

performing arts The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which are the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. Perfo ...

" from City College Coventry in 2004. After completing these courses in 2006 with triple distinctions, she studied drama and performance at the

University of Wolverhampton The University of Wolverhampton is a public university located on four campuses across the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, Shropshire and Staffordshire in England. The roots of the university lie in the Wolverhampton Tradesmen's and Mech ...

, graduating with

first-class honours The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading structure for undergraduate degrees or bachelor's degrees and integrated master's degrees in the United Kingdom. The system has been applied (sometimes with significant variati ...

Career

Etomi's film credits include ''

The Arbitration ''The Arbitration'' is a 2016 Nigerian romantic drama film, written by Chinaza Onuzo, directed by Niyi Akinmolayan, and produced by Chinaza Onuzo, Omotayo Adeola, and Zulu Oyibo. The film stars OC Ukeje, Adesua Etomi, Iretiola Doyle and Somk ...

'', '' The Wedding Party'', and '' Falling''. Her performance in ''Falling'' earned her the 2016 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Award for Best Actress in a Drama. Other notable films she has appeared in include ''

A Soldier's Story ''A Soldier's Story'' is a 1984 American mystery drama film directed and produced by Norman Jewison, adapted by Charles Fuller from his Pulitzer Prize-winning '' A Soldier's Play'', an adaptation of Herman Melville's novella ''Billy Budd''. It ...

'' (2015), '' Out of Luck'' (20,15), and ''Couple of Days'' (2016). Etomi played Shiela in the fourth and fifth seasons of '' Shuga'', a television soap opera about

HIV/AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...

prevention. Etomi began starring as Amaka Obiora, an undercover police officer, in Yemisi Wada's crime series ''LasGidi Cops'', which debuted in June 2016 on television. She was also featured on

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...

's list of 14 global superstars. In February 2022, she released her first single titled ‘So Natural’.

Personal life

Etomi got engaged to Banky W in February 2017. The couple held their traditional marriage on 19 November, court wedding on 20 November and white wedding on 25 November 2017; the latter ceremony was held in

Cape Town, South Africa Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

. In early January 2021, Adesua and Banky W had a son named Hazaiah Wellington. On 5 April 2021, Adesua and Banky W shared the story of their marriage and their struggles with conception and child hearing titled 'Final Say Faith'. This story was shared in the Waterbrook church. Adesua was credited for saving the daughter of Nollywood actress

Iretiola Doyle Iretiola Olusola Doyle (born 5 May 1967) is a Nigerian actress, entertainer, TV presenter, writer and a public speaker. Early life and education Doyle was born on 3 May 1967 in Ondo State but spent her early years with her family in Boston, ...

from bullies.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Voice over

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Etomi, Adesua Living people 21st-century Nigerian actresses Actresses from Imo State Alumni of the University of Wolverhampton Yoruba actresses Esan actresses Nigerian film actresses Nigerian television actresses Nigerian expatriates in the United Kingdom Queen's College, Lagos alumni Age controversies 1988 births Nigerian film producers