Ini Dima-Okojie
Ini Dima-Okojie | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria |
| Alma mater | Covenant University |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, Fashion Enthusiast |
| Years active | 2014–present |
Ini Dima-Okojie is a Nigerian actress.[1]
Early life
Born on the 24th of June , 1990 into a family of four, Ini Dima-Okojie is the baby of the house. From a background of professionals , Ini was raised by her Medical Doctor father and her mom who was a Banker. They were devoted Catholics.
Growing up, Ini was particularly attached to her mother and really wanted to be like her. She admired her beauty, and as a young girl, loved watching her get ready for work; the meticulous manner in which she applied her makeup and her mode of dressing did it for young Ini.
Consequently, she developed a personal taste for fashion and though naturally shy, Ini became bold and audacious when it came to her style. In an attempt to be like her mom, she would sneak to her make-up table and experiment with whatever her hands could find. To keep her away from messing up her stuff, her mum would set up a makeshift ‘ scarecrow’ - she would put feathers or wigs on her table, knowing those were Ini’s kryptonite… she was terrified of them
Her older sister, on the other hand, was a child star who starred in “Mr. Jack’s Dog”, a popular show in the early 1990s. The show gave her an opportunity to travel around the world early in life. At a time she traveled to Istanbul, Turkey to film a Turkish dance for the show. The Producers once invited Ini to take a part ut she couldn’t get herself to doing it because of her inherent shyness.
For the longest time , Ini lived in her mind. She would watch Awards shows and dream of being there . After ’her extraordinary performances before an imaginary audience, she would be nominated for an Award, attend the ceremonies, and of course, win. She would hear the thunderous applause from her adoring spectators. Ini savoured the smiles, accolades, ambience, and fame this charade brought to her young colourful mind. She was a star before the first spotlight ever shone.
Early in Junior Secondary school, she was finally persuaded to act in a play. Reluctantly, she accepted. It was quite an emotional play, and many people cried. A major high point was when one of the girls walked up to her and expressed such raw emotions about how she was affected by the performance. This young dreamer could not believe that somewhere inside her, she had what it took to touch people in such a personal way through acting.
Education
Ini attended Air Force Comprehensive Secondary School in Ibadan Nigeria, after which she proceeded to Covenant University also in Nigeria.
Her love for fashion remained and in a familiar sort of way, it became the bedrock of her confidence.
After graduation and her service year with the Department of Petroleum Resources she applied to and got hired in an investment Bank.
Professional Acting Career
The Passion Ignites
She had worked as a banker for nearly two years when a friend sent her the Trailer of a series called “THE ISLAND”. The script was fascinating and so different from anything she was familiar with at the time in Nollywood productions.
Reading the biographies of the actors, she realized that most of them had gone to Film schools. From that moment, the passion for acting films settled over her like a heavy cloud that would not go away. Her friend Mimi (who had sent the script), added fuel to the fire already burning in her. She started nursing the idea of leaving her job for good and pursuing her passion in acting.
Quitting Her Job
The desire became so strong that she thought of nothing else. She showed up at work without actually being there. According to Ini, ‘ It took me a while to fully accept the facts of what was going on in my life at that time. I made up in my mind to quit my job’. Unsure of how her mother would react, she describes that she picked the phone and dropped it, picked up the phone again and dropped yet again…over and over
‘Finally, with a lump in my throat, I picked the phone one day and called my mother’. Much to her surprise, her mum was very happy and supportive of her decision, she always knew Ini had a knack for it. Her father on the other hand was skeptical, but with her mother on her side, he eventually accepted and they pledged their support.
Off to Film School!
Ini and her friend Mimi applied to attend the Film Academy in Dubai because it was easier to get a student visa there than New York, which would have been their first choice. They completed the process, made the required payments, and obtained visas, but there was a dramatic turn of events: the Organizers did not have enough applicants for the Academy in Dubai that year so gave three options: make a refund or be transferred to either New York or Los Angeles. New York it was!
The experience in the New York Academy forever changed her life. She describes the people, the ambience, the activities as electrifying. They completed the program and returned to Nigeria.
Back Home – A Star is born
Back in Nigeria, the real challenges began. Her very first work was as a Production Assistant with a Production called “BEFORE THIRTY”, which was being produced by a cousin. She attended as many open auditions as she heard of .
At this critical stage, her mother played a major role in my career. She would tell anybody who had an ear, whether they wanted to listen or not, she would tell them about her daughter’s ‘excellent acting abilities’.
Having attended several of them , she auditioned for the film, “TASTE OF LOVE” and landed the role as one of the Lead Actors in the series. This set the ball rolling and her career picked up and has grown both organically exponentially following that. Ini Dima-Okojie is still on the journey and has absolutely no regrets.
Filmography
- Taste of Love (2014)
- Skinny Girl in Transit (2015 - 2017)
- Desperate Housewives Africa (2015)
- It's Her Day (2016)
- North East (2016)
- The Royal Hibiscus Hotel (2017)
- Death Toll[2]
- Bad Hair Day
- A Bone To Pick
- The Following Day
- Vanity Last Game (by MNet)
- Battleground [3]
- 5ive[4]
- Sylvia (2018)
- Funke! (2018)
- Oga! Pastor (2019)
- Kpali (2019)
Gallery
References
- ^ "Ini Dima-Okojie 'My husband is Chris Hemsworth'".
- ^ Odumade, Omotolani. "10 snazzy photos of Ini Dima-Okojie". Pulse. Retrieved 2017-12-28.
- ^ "Joke Silva, Oga Bello, Ini Dima-Okojie Star In Femi Odugbemi's "Battleground" - 360Nobs.com". www.360nobs.com. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
- ^ "#NEWSERIESALERT – OUR THOUGHTS ON 5IVE THE SERIES".