Owoh had his first major break in acting when he landed a role in the screen adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. The 1987 series had fifty episodes each spanning about 50 minutes and was aired on the Nigerian Television Authority. As Nollywood picked pace, he landed a supporting role in both Ukwa 1 and 2 in 1995 alongside other big names such as Sam Loco and Patience Ozokwor.
Today, Nkem Owoh is credited in over 200 films and TV productions. Most Nigerian producers prefer to have sequels to almost every other film thus benefitting actors like Owoh who have to feature in movies that they have played as lead acts or major supporting casts. His biggest act so far is Osuofia in London which received worldwide acclaim in 2003.
Sometimes, what Nkem Owoh depicts in the movies sometimes follow him in real life. In 2007, the actor found himself behind the bars after being arrested in Amsterdam when police stormed the venue of a musical performance in which he was taking part. The Dutch law keepers had been investigating his infringement on immigration laws and fraud in lotteries for about seven months before Owoh was caught in the middle of Operation Apollo which targeted 419 scam architect. The actor was however released.
Recording Artist
Nkem Owoh is also a recording artist. He recorded and performed I Go Chop Your Dollar, a song that speaks about scamming people in the name of an advance fee charged in various industries. It later became an anthem for real life scammers who labelled themselves as 419ers. The song went on to feature in The Master, a movie in which Owoh acted as a scam architect. However, Nigerian anti-graft watchdog known as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission banned the song following in the footsteps of Nigeria Broadcasting Commission.
Owoh was also banned for fronting unattainable demands. He was accused severally by producers of charging exorbitant appearance fees. The Association of Movie Makers and Producers banned him for making unreasonable demands in 2004. He was among a list of several Nigerian artists who were barred from acting in the country due to their high fees and difficult contract demands.
Nkem Owoh knows exactly what being kidnapped in Nigeria means. November 2009 perhaps remains to be his worst moment when he was taken hostage by kidnappers while travelling in eastern Nigeria. A ransom of 15 million naira was placed on his head but his family only managed 1.4 million to secure his release.
Finally, Nkem Owoh’s hard work and resilience paid off when he was awarded the top honours for Best Actor during the 2008 African Movie Academy Awards.
Death Rumour: Is He Dead?
Nkem Owoh disappeared from the public limelight for a while in December 2008. Then rumours picked up that he had passed on after a drug overdose just a month after his movie award win. Another version had it that the actor had been convicted somewhere in the Arabian desert for drug trafficking while still others said that he was kidnapped and beheaded in Russia. Just like other stars that have been killed ‘on the internet,’ Owoh had to make a public appearance before the press to dispel the rumours.
