Nollywood actress, Funke Akindele is a year older today. The actress, who is just a year shy of 40 years, was born on August 24, 1976 to parents from Ikorodu in Lagos.
Also widely known as Jenifa, Funke became famous after featuring in popular UNDP-sponsored sitcom, ‘I Need To Know’ in which she played the role of Bisi, a curious but highly intelligent secondary school student.
Funke bagged a degree in Law at the University of Lagos and also holds a diploma in Mass Communication from Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (formerly Ogun State Polytechnic) in Abeokuta, Ogun State. She later started appearing in Yoruba movies and has become one of the biggest names in that section of Nollywood. Aside being one of the most high profile cross-over actresses in Nigeria, she is one of those who brilliantly combine producing with acting.
Her biggest break in the area of production came with the release of Jenifa in 2009 produced by her Scene One Productions. The movie went on to become one of the most successful movies in the industry and Funke took advantage of the overwhelming success to release a sequel as well as produce a new television series, ‘Jenifa’s Diary’ currently airing on some TV stations.
Funke, who was briefly married to Almaroof Oloyede between May 2012 and July 2013, also started the Jenifa Foundation to help discover and groom young people who want to make a meaning out of their lives through vocational means. Some of the movies she has starred in include Maami, Married but living single, Compound Fools, Omo Ghetto, Ladies Gang, Taiwo Taiwo and many others.
