Deyemi Okulawon, having starred in three high grossing movies in 2021, maintained the top spot as the highest-grossing actor in the year, with a gross amount of N308 million.
The Nigerian movie industry is growing to great heights and is quickly remodelling itself to suit the advancement in society. The success of movies can easily be detected from how much they made in ticket sales at the cinema.
These sales run into hundreds of millions. At this rate, Nollywood is fast becoming a million-dollar industry and at the forefront are actors who deserve the credit that they get for not only bringing the scripts to life but turning it into a moneymaker.
In the past year, a number of hit movies were released, grossing heavily on the Nigerian box office. Here is a list of actors with highest-grossing actors for the year 2021, according to the Nigerian Box Office Year 2021.
Deyemi Okunlawon – N308 million
Deyemi Okunlawon was the highest-grossing actor of 2021. He played a role in three very high grossing movies, namely Lockdown, The Ghost and the Tout too, and the Prophetess, which grossed a collective amount of N308 million.
His role in these movies made him the highest-grossing actor in 2021, representing the second year in a row as he won the highest-grossing actor in 2020.
Osita Iheme – N227 million
Osita Iheme, popularly known as Pawpaw and notably the biggest meme face in the country, ranks second on this list with a gross amount of N227 million.
He appeared in two high-grossing movies, Aki and Pawpaw, a remake of one of his old movies, and A Christmas in Miami which grossed N135 million in 2021.
Ayo Makun – N135 million
Ayo Makun, also known as AY. Comedian, a standup comedian turned movie producer and actor come third on this list after his movie which was premiered at the later end of the year grossed a sum of N135 million.
He starred in A Christmas in Miami, a movie which was produced by him and went on to gross N135 million.
Richard Mofe Damijo – N135 million
Mr Mofe Damijo a veteran Nollywood actor comes fourth in this list.
He was in A Christmas in Miami and earned himself a place in this list after the movie grossed N135 million
Kunle Remi – N134 million
Kunle Remi earns his place at the fifth spot on our list by starting in the comedy blockbuster Prophetess, a movie that grossed N134 million.
He is best known for his roles in Falling, Family Forever and Tinsel. He came to prominence after winning the 7th edition of Gulder Ultimate Search in 2010. He is a graduate of the New York Film Academy.
Others on the list include Lateef Adedimeji (N131 million), Bovi Ugboma (N100 million), Chinedu Ikedieze (N92 million), and Debo Adebayo (N91 million).
Criteria: Lead actor, first or second supporting-lead actor in one or more films, released in 2021, and grossed over N40million each as of 31st December 2021.
