Chimezie Imo

EARLY LIFE

Chimezie Imo was born on 7 January 1992 in Lagos State, Nigeria. He hails from Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State in southeastern Nigeria. He spent part of his childhood in Northern Nigeria and was raised in both Lagos and Abuja. At the age of about 7 or 8, he joined his church’s choir and theatre groups (His Majesty Drama Group / His Majesty Drama Ministry) in Abuja. He has described feeling a strong connection and satisfaction from making the congregation emotional during performances, which sparked his lifelong passion for acting. He played roles such as a house help in early church plays. He attended Jabi Primary School in Abuja and completed secondary education at Government Science Secondary School, Pyakasa, Abuja. He later studied Applied Ecology at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) in Bauchi State. While at university, he frequently took overnight buses from Bauchi to Lagos for auditions, balancing academics with early career pursuits despite challenges such as missing tests and assignments.

CAREER

Chimezie Imo’s professional journey began in church drama as a child. In 2014/2015 he emerged as a runner-up on the Nigerian talent reality show The Next Movie Star. His on-screen debut came in the film Learning Curves. He also appeared in early television projects such as Origin and the comedy 90 Gogoro. His breakthrough came in 2018 with MTV Shuga Naija, where he played a young man dealing with peer pressure, and the critically acclaimed comedy Kasala! (as Abraham), in which he portrayed one of four friends navigating life in the trenches. In 2019 he delivered a widely praised performance as a drug-addled teenager in the title role of Nimbe. The role earned him nominations for Best Actor at The Future Awards Africa 2020 and Most Promising Young Actor at the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) 2020. In 2022 he took on the demanding role of a sickle cell patient in the psychological thriller Choke, a performance he has called his most challenging. It brought further acclaim and a 2023 nomination for Best Actor in a Drama at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA). He continued with strong supporting and leading roles, including Elijah in BB Sasore’s Breath of Life (2023), which significantly raised his profile. Other notable credits include The Wait (2021, as Somto), One Too Many (2022, as Otas), Over the Bridge (2023/2025), Everybody Loves Jenifa (2024), Alakada: Bad and Boujee (2024), A Ghetto Love Story, Adam Bol (2024 – Nollywood/Kazakhstan joint production in which he starred and produced), Strawberry Chinny (2024, as Ifeanyi; also producer/executive producer), and more recent projects such as Stitches, Nini, Makemation, Njem (The Journey), Hours Before Dawn, and others. He has worked as a producer on several projects, including Adam Bol, Strawberry Chinny, Choke (associate producer), and short films. In 2024 he won the Trailblazer Award at the AMVCA. He has also served as a brand ambassador (including for Nescafé) and continues to take on a high volume of work, sometimes juggling multiple productions simultaneously while focusing on character immersion.

PERSONAL LIFE

Chimezie Imo is single and has no publicly known spouse or children. He keeps his private life largely out of the media spotlight. In interviews he has described himself as married to his craft or faith in a light-hearted way when asked about relationships, and he has stated he is not married. His parents (referred to as Mr. and Mrs. Imo) initially preferred a more conventional career path for him (his mother wanted him to become a medical doctor), but they later supported his acting ambitions. He has spoken about the financial struggles of early acting life, including difficulty paying rent, and periods when he considered moving abroad. He remains based in Lagos and is known for his grounded, hardworking approach.

Chimezie Imo is recognised as one of Nollywood’s rising and hardworking talents of his generation. He has spoken about the importance of consistency, perseverance, and faith in his journey, as well as the challenges of stereotyping emotional or youthful roles while expressing a desire for broader characters. He values great stories regardless of role size and has noted the industry’s commercial pressures that sometimes limit experimental storytelling.He remains active in promoting his projects, engages with fans (often called IMOtals), and balances acting with producing. His career trajectory reflects steady growth from church stages and reality television to critically noted performances, major nominations, and an AMVCA Trailblazer honour.