Okawa Shaznay

Okawa Shaznay

Okawa Shaznay in Delilah (the mysterious case of Delilah Ambrose) TV series.
Born (1986-05-29) May 29, 1986
Bamenda, North West Province, Cameroon
Occupation Actress
Years active 2004 - present
Website okawa-shaznay.com

Okawa Shaznay is a Nollywood actress from Cameroon and the first from her country to successfully break into Nollywood with her role in the blockbuster movie Iyore; starring alongside Rita Dominic and Joseph Benjamin. [1] Okawa Shaznay has also gained more prominence with her leading role in the 2016 hit TV series Delilah: The Mysterious Case of Delilah Ambrose. [2] She won the Exquisite Lady of the Year (ELOY) award for TV Actress of the year in 2016 for her role in Delilah. [3][4][5]

Early life and background

Okawa Shaznay was born in Cameroon. she began her secondary school education in Presbyterian Secondary School Mankon, Bamenda, Cameroon. Shaznay later moved to the United States for higher education, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in accounting from Texas Southern University.

Career

Shaznay developed interests in performing arts at an early age taking part in stage plays and small film projects in her home country. With the huge influx of Nigerian movies into Cameroon at the time and ongoing it introduced her to the world of Nollywood in the 90's which she grew to love and admire. Shaznay featured in her very first movie in Cameroon called "Master DJ" in 2004. She later moved to the United States in 2005 for higher education where she later graduated in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in Accounting from Texas Southern University. It was in houston tx she joined the All Africa Theater group with whom she moved on the road with for 2 summers performing an adaptation of Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart" playing Ezinne. After then she went on to do a little over 10 African films in the U.S working alongside some of nollywood's biggest stars.

During this period from 2010 Shaznay began to have a buzz in the African film industry and was cited in Dulce Camer's 2010 top 50 Cameroonians to watch out for. A former miss Cameroon USA; She burst into the Nollywood /Gollywood scene in 2013 with a big-screen role in the movie “Cheaters” [6] directed by the legendary African film director Frank Rajah Arase for which she was nominated as Most Promising Actress in the 2nd annual 2013 Golden Icons Academy Movie Awards. She also starred in the 2016 released movie project "REFUGEES" [7] which was filmed in Ghana in 2012 and completed in Atlanta USA towards the later months of 2013. She starred in her first movie shot in Nigeria in 2014 which is the highly anticipated movie Iyore [8] starring alongside Nollywood screen queen Rita Dominic and Joseph Benjamin. Okawa also gave a mind blowing performance in the 2014 well received movie "Sisters at War" a.k.a (Sister's War/Sister's Apart) [9] starring alongside Jackie Appiah and Yvonne Nelson.

Awards and nominations

Year Event Prize Work Result
2013 2013 Golden Icons Academy Movie Awards Most Promising Actress Cheaters Nominated
2014 2014 Golden Icons Academy Movie Awards Best Supporting Actress Sisters at War Nominated
2015 2015 Nigeria Entertainment Awards Actress of the Year (Africa) Iyore Nominated
2016 ELOY Awards TV Actress of the year Delilah: The Mysterious Case of Delilah Ambrose Won

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2004 Master DJ Sirri Sarabi Pictures Cameroon
2008 8th Commandment Sarabi Pictures Cameroon/USA
2009 Caged Part 2: "Uncaged"
2009 Governor’s gift
2010 The Bet marketed”Husband’s Desire”
2011 The Other Side of Love
2011 This Is Houston
2012 X-class
2013 High Endz
2013 Blind Pursuit
2013 Cheaters 1&2 Clara with Jackie Appiah & Adjetey Anang Ghana
2014 Sisters At War 1&2 Ayah Ampah with Jackie Appiah, Yvonne Nelson & Koffi Ajorlolo Ghana
2014 Cheaters Vacation Tracy with Yvonne Nelson, Eddie Watson Ghana
2014 The Prince of Barmah Rita Nash Venus Films production Ghana
2014 Don't Play that Game Elise with Jackie Appiah , Joselyn Dumas , John Dumelo, Yvonne Nelson Ghana
2015 Scars Gaya with Mike Ezuruonye , Clarion Chuwurah, Zack Orji , Lilian Esoro Nigeria
2015 Iyore Princess Ajoke/Amenze/Onaiwu with Rita Dominic, Joseph Benjamin , Yemi Blaq, Bukky Wright & Paul Obazele Nigeria - Released in cinemas May 8th 2015
2016 Refugees 2016 Ghana/U.S.A
2016 Delilah: The Mysterious Case of Delilah Ambrose (TV series) Delilah Victoria Ambrose Clarion Chukwurah, Micheal Okon, Paul Obazele Nigeria

References

  1. ↑ "Jara: Okawa Shaznay's rising star". africamagic.dstv.com. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
  2. ↑ "Get the Scoop on New TV Series "Delilah" starring Okawa Shaznay, Clarion Chukwurah, Tony Umez & More + the Must Watch Trailer!". bellanaija.com. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
  3. ↑ "Okawa Shaznay, Omoni Oboli, Somkele Idhalama win at the ELOY Awards". trybes.tv. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
  4. ↑ "Okawa Shaznay wins TV Actress of the Year". africancelebs.com. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
  5. ↑ "Eloy Awards 2016:see full list of winners". pulse.ng. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
  6. ↑ "New Movie Trailer: "Cheaters" starring Okawa Shaznay". yenihsworld.com. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
  7. ↑ "Frank Rajah Arase's new movie "Refugees" starring Yvonne Nelson,Belinda Effah,Okawa Shaznay,others". ghanagist.com. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  8. ↑ "Rita Dominic,Joseph Benjamin,Okawa Shaznay in Epic movie "Iyore"". pulse.ng. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  9. ↑ "New Movie Alert: 'Sisters At War' Featuring Yvonne Nelson, Jackie Appiah,Okawa Shaznay". egosentrik.com. Retrieved 24 March 2014.

External links


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