10 Nollywood Celebrities Who Left Their Acting Career To Become Pastors

Many people are called but only few are chosen. How does it feel for someone to quit a career that is fetching him or her millions of naira to become pastors? Nigerians and movie lovers have grown accustomed to some Nollywood entertainers and celebrities who built the foundation of the movie industry and all of a sudden, these stars actors just disappeared from the movie scene and the next thing we started seeing them in churches, ministering the word of God.

Honestly, these famous Nollywood actors and actresses known for their notorious role in movies have forfeited their careers to answer the divine call. However, some of them are still into acting and combine both their acting and ministerial duties together while others are full time into ministerial work. Ladies and gentlemen after a careful study and research I present to you 10 notorious Nollywood actors and actresses who left their acting career to become pastors.

1. Sylvester Madu

Nollywood actor Sylvester Madu might not be as popular as his colleagues in the industry, but movie lovers all over the world remember him for playing tough characters on screen in the past 15 years. The then Nollywood bad boy is now a full time Pastor at Christ Embassy Church, Eric Moore Branch in Surulere Lagos. Sylvester Madu has been playing the bad boy role for over a decade till he decides to accept the divine call. Anambra state born actor is known as one of the most rugged actor in Nigeria because of the criminal and hit man role he plays in movies.

2. Eucharia Anunobi

Who doesn’t know Eucharia Anunobi the queen of Nollywood. 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. Few years ago she shocked everyone when she announced that she had given her life to Christ. After the lost of her precious son, Eucharia Anunobi weeps bitterly and later consoles herself. She mourns her beloved son for many 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 in Egbeda, Lagos State by Pastor Psalm Okpe.

3. 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. He features mostly in occultic movies and sometimes features as a native doctor in several Nollywood movies. Uncle Larry as he is fondly called has also jumped boat, abandoning Nollywood with all its glitz and glamour to win souls for Christ. He is now an ordain pastor ministering the word of God to many.

4. Patience Ozokwor

Patience Ozokwor popularly known as Mama G is a veteran Nollywood actress known for her wicked and devilish role 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 together. 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. She is currently wining souls for Christ.

5. Kanayo O Kanayo

Anayo Modestus Onyekwere popularly known as Kanayo O Kanayo is a veteran Nollywood actor known for his occultic role in movies. He is known in movies as the man who always like using his wife or mother for sacrifice and money ritual. Kanayo O Kanayo has been in the Nigerian movie industry for almost three decades. His first role was in the 1992 Nollywood blockbuster movie “Living in Bondage” where he played the role of Chief Omego which brought him to limelight. However, things have changed since he became a minister. According to several sources, he has been spotted preaching the word of God at Christ Mission Worldwide Church in Egbeda, Lagos State, Nigeria.

6. Liz Benson

Elizabeth Benson popularly known as Liz Benson is a veteran Nollywood actress we all grew up watching on TV. She is known for her wicked roles in movies. She is known for always playing the role of a wicked mother in-law and a wicked step mother. 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 actress 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.

7. Charles Okafor

Charles Okafor is a veteran Nollywood actor. He has been in the Nigerian movie industry for almost three decades and hasn’t appeared 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 for many years is also one of the actors that are now winning souls for Christ. He is now an ordained pastor preaching the word of God and converting souls for Christ. He used to act in occultic films and known for his role in Billionaires Club a movie he starred alongside with Pete Edochie before disappearing from the movie scene. Charles Okafor who is a graduate from the 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. Zack Orji

Zack Orji is one of Nollywood veteran actor known for playing the role of pastor and prophet in several Nollywood movies so it was never a surprise that he could turn to pastor later in real life. He has been in the Nigerian movie industry for almost three decades. After he was ordained as a reverend in 2012 by Bishop Lawrence Osagie of Power Line Bible Church, the talented 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 in the Diaspora.

9. Pat Attah

Who doesn’t remember this handsome Nollywood actor Pat Attah 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 where he is ministering the word of God. 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. Pat Attah was known for his loverboy role in movies in the early 2000s where he starred alongside with Genevieve Nnaji, Omotola, Ramsey Noah and host of other veteran Nollywood actors and actresses.

10. 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 left 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 preaches the good news of God to people, gives inspirational speeches and has written numerous motivational books on personal development.

Austine Ikeru
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