“I couldn’t even pay rent as an actor, and I wanted to move abroad” — Chimezie Imo |#WithChude

Everyone loves Chimezie Imo. A love cemented after Breath of Life and the

AMVCA Trailblazer of 2024 prize that everyone was rooting for him for … after he wasn’t nominated for any of the prizes at all.

But Chimezie tells me he doesn’t care about these accolades—he just wants to act and make money. He recalls how his first acting role as a child left an entire room in tears at his RCCG parish in Abuja. He ran to his mom and declared, “I want to be an actor.”

From that moment on, he never looked back— even through the many times he almost gave up, and the many times industry has disrespected him,

He opens up about the years squatting with a family member in FESTAC because he couldn’t afford rent, the directors who have tried to black list him, the insecurities that have tormented him, and the movie crew member who told him to bleach his skin.

I have known Chimezie from his first tentative days in this industry - I have witnessed the pain and the doubt, the push and the climb, and to see his sweet success today is to see a man who has earned everything accolade he has received.

Today, he finally shares that story in public with me. And it’s a story that will inspire you deeply.

Watch the full conversation right now on WithChude.

Then tell me what you think in the comments. ❤

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