Actress says the role redefined her cultural identity and offered a new vision of African womanhood.
“Osamede Built Me”: Ivie Okujaye on Playing Nollywood’s Superhero
Actress Ivie Okujaye has described her lead role in James Omokwe’s forthcoming epic Osamede as a personal and professional turning point, saying the experience “built” her in ways no other project has.
Speaking exclusively to The Nollywood Reporter, Okujaye explained that the role of Osamede—a young orphan who becomes the chosen protector of a sacred stone during the British invasion of Benin—fulfilled a lifelong dream of playing a superhero while also grounding her more deeply in cultural identity.
“Subconsciously, I had been preparing for this role since childhood with my athleticism, sports, and martial arts,” she said. “But beyond the physicality, Osamede gave me something different. Kanani broke me emotionally, Tokunbo pushed me physically, but Osamede built me.”
Unlike typical Western superhero portrayals, Okujaye noted that Osamede presents a heroine whose greatest strength comes from within. “They allowed her innate strength; the strength she had from within to be her main power, while her supernatural abilities were like her sidekick. That’s what made her unique.”
The actress revealed that filming in Edo State, where she spent part of her childhood, felt like a homecoming. Surrounded by locals who gathered daily on set, she said the production reconnected her to heritage and inspired reflection on the gradual loss of cultural nuances across generations.
But the impact extended beyond the screen. After filming, Okujaye began community projects in Abuja supporting women in underserved areas, linking the initiative directly to the role. “You can’t deliver those kinds of lines, experience those kinds of scenes, and walk away untouched. Playing Osamede gave me the push to act in real life.”
As Nollywood experiments with mythological storytelling on a larger scale, Okujaye believes Osamede will resonate far beyond its release. “Movies like this don’t just come, break the box office, and go. They stay. They linger. They become reference points. That’s why this one is special.”
Osamede premiered at the Cannes Film Market earlier this year and is scheduled to open in Nigerian cinemas on October 17.