Stephanie Okereke Linus is a multi-talented Nigerian actress, director, and model who has made a name for herself in the entertainment industry. Born on October 2, 1982, in Ngor Okpala, Imo, Nigeria, Okereke is the sixth child in a family of eight. She completed her primary and secondary education in Delta State, and later obtained a degree in English and Literary Studies from the University of Calabar in Cross River State.
As a teenager, Okereke made her debut in Nollywood in 1997 in the movies Compromise 2 and Waterloo. Her career as an actress quickly took off, and she received several nominations and awards for her performances in various movies. She won two awards at the 2003 Reel Awards for Best Actress in English and Best Actress of the year 2003, respectively. Okereke was also the runner up in the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria beauty pageant of 2002.
In addition to acting, Okereke is also an accomplished director, writer, and producer. In 2007, she released the movie Through the Glass, which she directed, wrote, produced, and acted in. The film received an Africa Movie Academy Award nomination for Best Screenplay in 2009. Okereke’s second film, Dry, was released in 2014 and won many awards, including the 12th Africa Movie Academy Awards and the 2016 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards for Best Overall Movie.
Outside of her career in entertainment, Okereke is also a philanthropist and advocate for gender-based violence. In March 2021, she produced two short films titled The Student and Bad Police as part of her campaign against gender-based violence on women.
In April 2012, Okereke married Linus Idahosa in a private ceremony in Paris, France, and they have two sons together. She was honored by the Nigerian government with a national honor of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic, MFR, in 2011, and has received several awards and nominations throughout her career.
Stephanie Okereke Linus is a true icon in the Nigerian entertainment industry, and her work as an actress, director, writer, and producer has made her a household name in Nigeria and beyond.