Meet 6 Nollywood Actors Whose Fathers Are From Asia (Photos)

1. Ben Lugo Touitou (Israel, Western Asia)

Benjamin Abba Nnayelugo popularly known as Ben Lugo Touitou is a Nollywood male actor known for Lagos Cougars and Desperate House Girls.

Ben Lugo was born on January 22, 1988. He was born to an Israeli father and a Nigerian mother from Imo State(Igbo tribe). He is originally from Israel.

Ben Lugo started his career as a model before he ventured into the movie industry. He came to limelight for his role in the movie “Lagos Cougars”. He has also starred in other movies such as; Desperate Housewives, Uneven, One Fine Day, “Oasis 2” and so on.

Ben Lugo won Best Kiss in a movie category at the 2014 Best of Nollywood Awards.

2. Sophie Alakija (Lebanon, Western Asia)

Sophie Rammal Alakija, born 8 February 1993, is a female Actor in Nigerian cinema. She is most notable for the roles in Halita and Assistant Madams.

Alakija was born on 8 February 1993 to a Nigerian mother and Lebanese father.

She featured in the Holla at your boy music video of her ex-boyfriend Wizkid as the lead dancer in the year 2010.

She has acted in several popular films, including Drawing Strands , Getting over him, and Small Chops. In 2017, she acted in the TV series Scandals, which is a collaboration between Ghana and Nigeria. In 2019, she acted in the TV series Halita and then in the TV series Assistant Madams. She also starred in Timini Egbuson's Muslim wife in 2020.

3. Nadia Buari (Lebanon, Western Asia)

Nadia Buari is a very beautiful Ghallywood and Nollywood female actor who lights up the silver screen each time she is featured. She got her major break starring in the Ghanaian TV series Games People Play however, she has gone on to star in numerous high-class movies both in her home country and neighboring country “Nigeria.” Below are more details about her career.

Nadia Buari was born on the 21st of November 1982 in Takoradi, Ghana. Her biological father is from Lebanon and she was born out of wedlock. Her mother is a Ghanaian beautician called Hajia Buari. Nadia’s mother then got married to Alhaji Sidiku Buari, a Ghanaian musician, and producer who in turn adopted her as his child. She literally followed her step father’s footsteps and developed a passion for the entertainment industry at an early stage. The beautiful Ghanaian actress is a popular face in the Nigerian movie industry and Ghanaian movie industry as well.

Nadia Buari’s stepfather held sev

eral important positions like the president of the Ghana musicians Union as well as the Vice president of International Federation of Musicians.

Nadia treasured the idea of becoming an actress a lot and throughout her school life, she was actively involved in school drama and dance clubs. In line with her passion for entertainment, she studied performing arts at the University of Ghana and graduated with a BFA Degree.

Nadia Buari harbors a strong belief that the secret to her success is self-motivation. She also has high hopes of becoming like Hollywood superstars someday as she is often compared to them.

Nadia Buari gave her all in her debut on Ghanaian national television with the TV series Games People Play in late 2005. This was officially the beginning of Nadia’s Movie career and her role on the TV series got her nominated for best actress.

Her first major movie was Mummy’s Daughter, after which she starred in Beyonce – The President’s Daughter. Her “Beyonce” role was her stepping stone to stardom as an actress. She has appeared in several movies both in her birth country Ghana and Neighboring Nigeria since then. In 2013, Buari came out with her own movie called The Diary of Imogen Brown.

After making waves in Ghallywood, the actress moved from Ghanaian movies to Nollywood films around the year 2008. Her role in the movie Beyonce & Rihanna as Beyonce alongside Nigerian actress Omotola Jalade Ekeinde who played Rihanna marked her breakthrough in Nollywood.

The film became very popular among both Ghanaian and Nigerian audience home video freaks. She also starred in some other significant Nollywood movies including Rough Rider, Beauty and the Beast, Holding Hope and Single and Married.

She has co-starred in many TV shows such as the Beyonce & Rihanna film series, Hot Romance and Behind a Smile film series with her then supposed fiancé and Nollywood actor Jim Iyke.

As her career blossomed, Nadia Buari received two nominations for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the African Movie Academy Awards in 2007 and 2009.

She also won the Pan African Actress award at the annual Nigerian Entertainment Awards (NEA Awards) that was held in New York in 2013.

In January 2014, it was rumored that she was dating Nollywood actor Jim Iyke and on 21st March 2014, the wild romance took an interesting turn as her lover Jim Iyke proposed to her. Apparently, Buari couldn’t wait to say yes. However, the relationship eventually hit the rocks like so many other celebrity love affairs.

4. Majid Michel (Lebanon, Western Asia)

Majid Michel is a Ghallywood and Nollywood male actor, producer, television personality, model, Pastor and a philanthropist. He was born on 22ndSeptember 1980 in a military cantonment in Accra, Ghana to a Lebanese father and a Ghanaian mother. He is currently 40 years old. He grew up in Accra with his nine siblings.

Michel entered professional acting by auditioning for a modelling agency; a neighbour had introduced him to that agency. He was invited to join the modelling agency, Super Model Agency, on the behest of his next-door neighbour.

He starred in the television series Things We Do for Love, acquiring his nickname “Shaker” on the set. His role in Things We Do for Love was to be played by a Lebanese boy, and Michel attributes being given the role due to his Lebanese heritage.

In a 2017 interview with Star FM Ghana, Majid explained that he didn’t get the role for the first film he auditioned due to poor acting from him, describing his “passion for acting” as what made him to continue to press forward in the film industry.

Things We Do For Love became a success and propelled him into the mainstream. On the strength of his performance in the series, he was cast in his first movie, Divine Love, as the male lead, alongside Jackie Aygemang as the female lead, with Van Vicker in a supporting role.

All three used their roles in the movie to debut their movie careers. Divine Love was a huge success, turning Majid Michel, Jackie Agyemang and Van Vicker into household names across Ghana.

In late 2010, it was reported that the actor was taking a break from Nigeria after receiving death threats supposedly from his Nigerian colleagues, who thinks that he is getting too many jobs. During this time, he went back to act in Ghana, where he featured in films such as 4 Play (2010) and its sequel 4 Play Reloaded (2011).

Michel is one of the Ghanaian actors who got into the film industry during the period in which Frank Rajah Arase signed a contract with Ghana’s Abdul Salam Mumuni of Venus Films. The contract basically involved introducing Ghanaian actors into the mainstream Nollywood film industry and making them have a star power comparable to Nigerian actors.

Films produced under this contract featured Michel include: Crime to Christ (2007), Agony of Christ (2008), Heart of Men (2009), The Game (2010) and Who Loves Me? (2010) amongst others.

Majid Michel is married and has three children. On 19 November 2015, he revealed that his wife of 10 years was responsible for his success. And he references only God before her. He renewed his marriage vows in the same year.

5. Pearl Shim Mugala (South Korea, Eastern Asia)

Pearl Shim Mugala, fondly called Little Daniella is a fast rising young and pretty Nigerian female actor and soul mate studio star.

She was born on June 27, 2008. Her father is from South Korea, though she revealed she has not met him and mother, Afor Franca Mugala now deceased from Udu Local Government Area of Delta State, in south southern Nigeria.

Shim Pearl is currently doing her secondary education in Warri, Delta State.

Pearl Shim joined Nollywood in 2017 at an early age of 9 and has since made significant impacts in the movie industry.

The beautiful, young, creative and highly talented Nollywood teenage actress has so far in the industry starred in a number of movies, some of which are Hostage, Small Girl Wth Big God, All I Want For Christmas, Lent, My Kids and I, Little Daniella.

Shim Pearl is widely known for her brilliant roles in movies, playing teenage characters.

She revealed that a movie, In Bondage with Little Daniella actually shot her to fame and recognition in Nollywood. She also said in an interview that the movie ‘The Making of Small Girl With Big God’ was quite challenging and fun at the same time.

Shim has acted alongside top Nollywood stars in the likes of Christian Paul, Ebu, Oguike’s family and many others.

Shim Pearl revealed that acting with Oguike family is a good one but stated they are not related by blood. According to the young star, “we are just friends, not really close friends, but we are just colleagues”.

Shim also stated that she has strong passion for acting and hopefully study Theatre Acts. Pearl Shim cites Regina Daniels as her role model because of her brilliant way of acting. She also named actor Ogbonna as her male role model.

6. Ramsey Nouah (Israel, Western Asia)

Ramsey Nouah is one of the most popular male actors in Africa. The award-winning star has played a significant role in the success of most Nollywood films.

The Nigerian actor was born on December 19th, 1970 to an Israeli father and a Yoruba mother in Lagos, Nigeria. He is biracial, and he grew up in Surulere, Lagos State.

Ramsey's mother, on the other hand, is a Yoruba from Owo, Ondo State. She goes by the name Margaret Afolabi. Not much about Ramsey Nouah parents is known to the public.

Having been raised in Surulere, the famous actor went to Atara Primary School and then enrolled at Community Grammar School. Both schools are in Lagos State.

Ramsey later joined the University of Lagos, where he enrolled for a Diploma in Mass Communication. After graduation, he ventured into acting fully.

The Nigerian actor has hundreds of movie credits to his name. His career began in the mid-1990s and got to its peak in the early 2000s. Ramsey was inspired to build a career in acting by a friend. At that time, he was struggling to establish a career in music.

He began showing up for auditions for TV series, and luckily, he was offered the role of Jeff in the television series known as Fortunes. He acted alongside actresses Liz Benson and Regina Askia in the series.

Nouah's career breakthrough came in 1996 in the best-selling movie called Silent Night. His exemplary performance catapulted him into the limelight, and he became a Nollywood sensation. Since then, the legendary actor has made tremendous appearances in various movies.

The name Ramsey Nouah is undoubtedly a household name. This has been as a result of impressive performances in the movies he has acted in.

The legendary Nigerian actor is a happily married man, and he currently lives in Lagos with his family. Ramsey Nouah wife is called Emelia Philips. Unlike most wives of celebrities, Emelia Philips likes to maintain a low profile.

Ramsey Nouah and wife got married in 2004, and they have been blessed with three children, a daughter named Desiree and two sons called Quincy and Camil.