In a push by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science to boost diversity, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has been invited to join the Oscars award body.
The Academy, popularly known as the Oscars, made visibly improved racial and gender considerations in the 2018 list. This list, with about 49 percent of female invitees and 38 percent being people of colour, tops 2017 list of 774 people, 2016 list of 683 and 2015’s 322, according to Variety Magazine.
Among the diverse invitees are Nigerian actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, film producer Wunmi Mosaku, and directors Femi Odugbemi and Ngozi Onwurah.
Including a 14-year-old actress Quvenzhané Wallis, 86-year-old Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina, and new members from 59 different countries, this year’s invitees marks the academy’s largest and most diverse class ever, topping last year’s 774 new members, which itself was a jump over the previous year’s 684 invitees.
Other new members from different countries include South Korean actress Doona Bae, Algerian actress Sofia Boutella, and Indian actor Ali Fazal.
Some of the names invited alongside Ekeinde and Odugbemi include Daniel Kaluuya, Mindy Kaling, Tiffany Haddish, Kumail Nanjiani, Blake Lively, Amy Schumer, Olivia Munn, Kal Penn, Pedro Pascal, Amber Tamblyn, Damon Wayans, Gina Rodriguez, Sarah Silverman, Jada Pinkett Smith and Evan Rachel Wood.
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Brief about Omotola.
In 1995, at the age of 16, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde started the journey to becoming a Nollywood legend with the movie, “Venom of Justice.”
But it was her portrayal of a sickle-cell patient in the 1995 movie “Mortal Inheritance” that placed her as a potential star. A widely acknowledged classic, “Mortal Inheritance” has remained relatable over time and is arguably one of the actress’ best works yet.
She followed up her remarkable breakout role with the 1998 movie “Scores to Settle,” which starred her as the demon-possessed Sade, alongside Richard Mofe Damijo and Liz Benson.
Ever since then, her career has been nothing but diverse with household movies such as “Blood Sister,” “Lost Kingdom,” “Games Women Play,” “The Tribunal,” “Alter Ego” and “I Belong.”
Congratulations to the actress.
