In this article I will be sharing with you 10 notorious Nollywood actors and actresses who left acting and became pastors. Nigerians have grown accustomed to some Nollywood entertainers who built the foundation of the movie industry. All of a sudden, these stars actors just disappear from the movie scene and the next thing we started seeing them in churches, ministering the word of God.
Although, being a pastor isn’t a bad thing but the Nigerian society has made it look like the religious houses are meant for profit-making so we aren’t sure if these Nollywood celebrities went into ministering to win more souls for God or if they are there to make money instead. These Nollywood stars actors have given up their celebrity lifestyle to focus on the work of God. So therefore after a careful study and research I bring to you 10 notorious Nollywood actors and actresses who left acting and became pastors.
1. Zack Orji
Zack Orji is one of Nollywood prolific and veteran actor. He has been in the Nigerian movie industry for over two decades. Zack Orji is known for his role as pastor in several Nollywood movies so it was never a surprise that he could turn to pastor later in real life. After he was ordained as a reverend in 2012 by Bishop Lawrence Osagie of Power Line Bible Church, the handsome actor has not looked back in his quest to work in the vineyard of God. Since then, Zack Orji has functioned more as a minister of God, and he is no longer active in movies again. In fact, every now and then, the actor moves from one church to the other within and outside the shores of the country, preaching the gospel of salvation. He had preaching engagement in various churches such as Shepherd House Assembly in Makurdi, Lafia, Abuja, and the Diaspora.
2. Patience Ozokwor
Patience Ozokwor popularly known as Mama G is a veteran Nollywood actress known for her role as wicked step-mother, wicked mother in-law and evil role in several Nollywood movies. She has been in the Nigerian movie industry popularly known as Nollywood for over two decades. However, it is not clear if veteran Nollywood actress Patience Ozokwor aka Mama G has totally abandoned acting for evangelism or she does both acting and evangelism simultaneously. Since 2016, Patience Ozokwor has been seen preaching the gospel to the people both on social media and in churches. Earlier this year she was seen ministering at a church in Lagos. She was ministering to a congregation at St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Alaba, Lagos State, Nigeria and she spoke about her life and her personal encounter with Jesus Christ.
3. Eucharia Anunobi
Eucharia Anunobi is a veteran Nollywood actress and a television personality known for her role in Glamour Girls which was produced in 1995 and Abuja Connection which was produced in 2005. For years we saw her take some pretty and provocative roles. She shocked everyone when she announced that she had given her life to Christ. After the lost of her precious son, Eucharia Anunobi weep bitterly and later console herself. She mourn her beloved son for years and later moved on with life. She took things a step further by becoming an ordained evangelist on 5th February 2012. The ordination was done at the Fresh Oil Ministry Church, Egbeda, Lagos State in the south western part of Nigeria by Pastor Psalm Okpe.
4. Majid Michel
Majid Michel is a Ghanaian actor who features mostly in Nollywood and Ghallywood movies. He is known for his seductive and bad boy roles in movies. However, unlike the above mentioned Nollywood celebrities who abandoned acting, Majid Michel said he will still be seen in movies but he will no longer be seen in romantic movies any more.
According to him; “You will not see my buttocks, you will not see sexually explicit scenes, you won’t hear bad language but you will identify things that will propel your spirit to somewhere great. Basically we will reduce all the explicit scenes you used to see. I’m going to regulate whatever provokes the emotions of man, be it sexually or any negative way. I won’t stop being bad in movies but I will regulate the kind of bad scenes you will see” he said this during an interview.
5. Okey Ogunjiofor
Okey Ogunjiofor is believed to be the man behind the movie that brought Nollywood to the limelight. He released the movie “Living in Bondage” in 1992 which paved way for the birth of Nollywood so I guess you could say that he pioneered the Nigerian movie industry. Even though he no longer acts, he is into television and film production, so you could say he did not fully leaving the entertainment industry. He is now a pastor; in addition to that, he calls himself an actor and a preacher of the gospel. He quit acting because he believed it to be a hobby. Presently, he spreads the good news of God, gives inspirational speeches and has written numerous motivational books.
6. Larry Koldsweat
Larry Koldsweat is a Nollywood actor who made waves in the early 2000 with blockbuster movies like Oganigwe, Oracle, Onye Eze, Igodo, Izaga, and other historical Nollywood movies back then in the early 2000s. Uncle Larry as he is fondly called has also jumped boat, abandoning Nollywood with all its glitz and glamour for the life of the cross as a shepherd of the lord’s pasture.
7. Charles Okafor
Charles Okafor is a veteran Nollywood actor. He has been in the Nigerian movie industry for over two decades and hasn’t appeared in movies for many years. However, Charles Okafor who staged a comeback to Nollywood recently in Uche Jombo’s film “Misplaced” after disappearing from the movie scene is also one of the actors that are winning souls for Christ. He is now an ordained pastor preaching the word of God and converting souls for Christ. He used to act alongside Saint Obi, Zack Orji and Richard Mofe Damijo and has made a name for himself before disappearing from the scene. Charles Okafor who is a graduate of University of Port Harcourt has starred in films like Forest of Promises, Ocean Deep, Across the River, Between Love, Boiling Point, Executive Connection, amongst others.
8. Pat Attah
Pat Attah is a famous Nollywood actor known for his romantic roles in movies. Aside from acting he is also a musician and a guitarist. Pat Attah is one of the finest actors in the good old days of Nollywood. Now, he is allegedly based in Hamburg, Germany. Although he is an evangelist now, he does not preach in churches like the rest of his peers do. Rather, he takes advantage of social network sites like Instagram, Twitter and Facebook where he posts his sermon for the world to see.
9. Liz Benson
Elizabeth Benson popularly known as Liz Benson is a veteran Nollywood actress we all grew up watching on TV. After starting her acting career on the set of the popular television soap opera, Fortunes which was produced in 1993, she has succeeded in becoming one of the most popular actresses of all time. She gave up acting when she got ordained as an evangelist at the Rainbow Christian Assembly Church in Warri, Delta State in the south southern part of Nigeria. She currently runs the church with her husband, Bishop Great Emeya, whom she married in 2009.
