Keppy Ekpenyong

Birthplace: Military Hospital, Yaba, Lagos State, Nigeria
Occupation: Actor, Producer, Filmmaker, Talk-show Host
Spouse: Nyong Bassey-Inyang
Alma Mater: University of Calabar; University of Lagos
AKA: Keppy Ekpenyong Edet Bassey-Inyang, Keppy Ekpenyong-Bassey

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Career Stats

Stable

Movies: 1
Supporting: 1

Career Overview

Keppy Ekpenyong has 1 film credits since 2024 .

Peak: 2024

Role Distribution

Actor ×1

Genre Breakdown

Versatility: LowFav: Thriller

Drama

Thriller

Biography

EARLY LIFE

Keppy Ekpenyong was born on 21 March at the Military Hospital in Yaba, Lagos, to Dr. (Col.) E.E. Bassey-Inyang (a retired Colonel in the Nigerian Army who served as a commanding officer at the hospital) and Mrs. E.E. Bassey-Inyang. He is the third child and second son in a family of six. His father’s military background instilled discipline and a strong work ethic. Although born and raised primarily in Lagos, he hails from Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria’s South-South region (Ibibio heritage). He received his primary education at Corona Schools in Lagos and secondary education at Government College Ojo, where he obtained his West African Senior School Certificate.

CAREER

Ekpenyong began developing his acting skills during his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) year at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Programmes Department. He trained under renowned director Tade Ogidan in drama, script-writing, voice-over, producing, and presenting (around 1987–1988). After NYSC, he landed a prominent role as airline pilot Hassan Suleman in the long-running soap opera Ripples. As the Nigerian home-video industry took off in the early 1990s, he transitioned fully into film. In 1991/1993 he co-produced Unforgiven Sin (an Igbo-language film that won awards and helped launch talents including Zack Orji). He is regarded as one of the foundational actors of the early Nollywood era. Selected film and television credits include: Glamour Girls (1994) Tears for Love (1995) Magic Money (1998) Black Mamba (2002) Schemers: Bad Babes (2004) Anini (2005) Changing Faces (2008) Inale (2010) When Love Happens (2014) 93 Days (2016) – as Patrick Oliver Sawyer Hire A Man (2017) Nneka the Pretty Serpent (2020) Blood Sisters (2022) – as Ifeanyi Ije Awele (2022) King of Boys: The Return of the King (2021) – as President Mumusa The House of Secrets (2023) Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti (2024) The Weekend (2024) Ms. Kanyin (2025) Recent titles including Nini, Cordelia, Recall, At Ease, and others He has also worked as a producer and occasional talk-show host and has remained active across decades of Nigerian cinema. Keppy Ekpenyong is widely respected as a versatile, enduring veteran who helped shape Nollywood from its formative years into a major global industry. He continues to appear in high-profile films and series while maintaining a relatively private personal life focused on family.

PERSONAL LIFE

Ekpenyong has been married to Nyong Bassey-Inyang for more than three decades. In interviews, he has spoken openly and affectionately about their relationship, describing her in playful terms and acknowledging frequent daily quarrels while emphasizing that she remains his best friend and that their playfulness strengthens the marriage. The couple has two children. He has also referenced an earlier marriage that ended before he met his current wife, who came into his life during a formative period and helped ground him.