From child acts to grown up celebs

Many child celebrities warmed the hearts of a lot of people with their acts back in the 80s and 90s. They were television darlings people loved to watch and one would expect that they would be making waves at this time when the entertainment industry is booming. However, just a few are still relevant in the industry.DOYIN ADEOYE profiles these few.

Sharon EzeamakaA familiar face in the TV series, Dear Mother, Sharon Ezeamaka started acting at the age of five, when she featured in the movie Narrow Escape in 1997.
Often playing roles that command emotions, she won the heart of many movie lovers with her mature way of interpreting roles. And to her credit, she featured in the likes of Little Angel, Romantic Attraction, Burning Desire and Broken Marriage.
Now in her early 20s, Sharon worked with FAB Magazine for a year before making a comeback with a feature in MNet’s TV series, The Johnsons, a couple of other gigs and also starring in the  MTV Base TV series, Shuga.
Also a talented singer, Sharon often performs at the Bogo-biri Ho-use, Ikoyi with the house band.


Aderenle Olufemi Edunis undoubtedly an entertainment personality that stirs up mixed feelings from many people with his weird style. But the versatile entertainer has rocked the industry for as long as many can remember.
Denrele’s first shot at fame was when he was just a year old, back in Hamburg, Germany, where he spent his early years. His father had taken a photo shoot of him and few days later, the same pictures were used in a baby milk product advert. That, among other reasons, sparked an interest in him for the media.
Denrele started his career as an actor-cum-presenter in Nigeria at the age of 11, when he used to feature on the kiddies’ programme, Kidivision 101, which aired on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Network. He then later ventured into modeling and other aspects of entertainment.
At 31 and decades after his first gig, Denrele has won many awards and interviewed the likes of Akon, Beyonce, Tyler Perry, Lil’ Kim and Snoop Dogg and still definitely have a lot up his sleeves.
Joseph BenjaminAt the sound of the name Joseph Benjamin, the first thing that comes to the mind of many is the reality show, MTN’s Project Fame.
However, Joseph’s career started way back before then, when he used to act on the television programme, Tales by Moonlight on NTA at a very tender age of 12.
Born in 1976, the Kogi State indigene has grown since then into a top class voice-over artist, actor, model and television presenter. His first feature in a movie was in 1993, in the movie, Crossroads, where he acted alongside the likes of Ramsey Nouah and Sandra Achums.
He has starred in classic movies such as Tango with Me, Mr and Mrs and Murder at Prime Suites. He won the African Actor of the Year award at the 2012 African Film Awards and the Best Actor award for the movie, Married but Living Single at the 2012 Best of Nollywood Awards.
Benita OkojieGospel music artiste, Benita Okojie, released We Ose in 2010, but her fame dates back prior to that time. Benita started singing at the age of eight back in the 90s and her first album was released when she was 10 in 1998.
Just like her most popular song as a child, Osemudiamen, her style of music tilts more towards indigenous songs. Benita, who is from the South Southern part of Nigeria, does most of her songs in Edo language.

Uchemba WilliamsHe was an award-winning actor as a child and when a movie demands the role of a young boy, no other person plays it better than Uchemba Williams.
Uchemba officially started acting at the age of eight, when he featured in a music video with some African-Americans.
His movie debut was in the Journey of the Dead and he also featured in the likes of Beyond Belief and World of Riches. Uchemba is also remembered for acting alongside Aki and Pawpaw as a child and he won an award as the best child actor in Nigeria in 2002.
He, however, took a break off acting to focus on his education, and he had a degree in International Relations from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, before making a comeback into the entertainment scene.
Uchemba is the CEO of Prothesis School of Entertainment, an entertainment outfit that trains young potential entertainers in fields like acting, music, modeling, dance and other segments of entertainment.
He also likes to sing, and in March, he released his first single titled Tingololo, which was widely received by most of his fans.