Kanayo O. Kanayo — KOK — has been a Nollywood villain, hero and elder for over three decades. He starred in the 1992 classic Living in Bondage, returned for its 2019 sequel, and in his late fifties qualified as a lawyer.
Quick facts
| Real name | Anayo Modestus Onyekwere |
|---|---|
| Born | 1 March 1962, Mbaise, Imo State |
| Education | Philosophy (University of Lagos); master’s in political science; law degree, University of Abuja (2018); called to the Bar (2020) |
| Breakthrough | Living in Bondage (1992) |
| Awards | AMAA Best Actor (2006); MFR (national honour) |
| Spouse | Nneka Onyekwere (married 1999); four children |
Early career
KOK started acting in Nigerian Television Authority productions in the 1980s. In 1992 he played Chief Omego in Living in Bondage, the film widely credited with launching the home-video boom that became Nollywood.
The villain everyone remembers
In the 1990s and 2000s he became famous for powerful, often wicked characters in money-ritual and occult dramas, appearing in well over 100 films. He also starred in the sitcom Professor Johnbull and in films such as Across the Niger, Lionheart and Up North. In 2019 he returned as Chief Omego in Living in Bondage: Breaking Free.
Lawyer at 58
KOK kept studying throughout his career and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2020, inspiring many people who think it is too late to go back to school.
Politics
He contested for the House of Representatives in his Mbaise constituency on the APGA platform in 2011 and 2019 without success, and later said he would not run again.
