Early life and Childhood
Osita Iheme is one of the most famous and best Nigerian actor. He also goes popularly by the name of Pawpaw. Osita Iheme’s net worth is also by far one of the largest in the Nollywood industry.
He was born to Herbert and Augustine Iheme on the 20th of February in 1982.
Osita came from a family of five children.
He comes from Mbaitoli, Imo State in the southeastern part of Nigeria.
Iheme finished his grade school and high school in Abia State.
Then he went to Enugu State University for his degree in Mass Communication.
He was also able to attend a Film Academy in America, not a small feat for an Nigerian actor.
Career
Osita Iheme was a member of a drama group in his church.
He started his career from there and drew inspiration from the celebrities he watched on television.
When a friend introduced him to the acting industry, he auditioned.
He was chosen, and from there he began to star in various movies.
It was in 2001 that he joined Nollywood.
Two years later, he rose to fame when a producer chose him to star in the blockbuster movie ‘Aki na Ukwa’.
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It was in this movie that he became known as Pawpaw.
Together with Chinedu Ikedieze, his on-screen brother, they made their mark in the Nollywood limelight.
Due to their similar physique, they are sometimes called the midget duo.
Iheme has a rare condition that gives him a child’s appearance.
However, his rise to stardom was due to his condition.
Standing at a meager height of 4’4, Iheme had the uniqueness which gave him an advantage from other famous actors in the Nigerian movie industry.
Furthermore, some would say he is a unique advantage to actors all over the world.
As a result of this condition, he can take on both child roles and adult roles.
He is also able to meet the physical criteria for both roles.
He starred in more than a hundred movies.
His films include famed pieces such as ‘Jadon’, ‘Stubborn Flies’, and ‘Mirror Boy’.
From his past work as a comedian, Osita Iheme evolved his career.
He became a truly multi-faceted actor in just less than a decade of hard work.
He was able to earn the respect of the Nigerian movie industry and his fans.
It was because of his unwavering resolve to better his craft, and naturally, the results he obtained.
Other Films
Osita Iheme also starred in the following films below.
1. Baby Police, 2003
A mischievous boy named Dada gets himself into some serious shenanigans when he’s sent to live with family in the big city, hoping it teaches him discipline.
However, his mischief leads him to form the “Baby Police Force of Nigeria”.
And this leads to theft all over town.
In this film, Osita plays Akpuruka, a house boy whom after being treated poorly by the daughter of his boss, starts an all-out prank war.
The war keeps escalating with every prank played, much to the dismay of the girl’s father. Hilarity ensues.
2. Colour of Emotion, 2005
This is a somewhat more dramatic film under the actor’s belt.
In this film, Osita plays Spark, who along with his friend Ebony, seeks to find themselves a wife.
Incidentally, they wind up, falling in love with the same woman.
This leads to an all-out feud between the two former friends that results in deception and betrayal.
3. Daddy Must Obey, 2008
The boys of a lecherous father try to get him to take his job as a parent seriously in this two-part film.
4. Markus D Millionaire, 2008
Two boys down on their luck find themselves in possession of great wealth. And hilarity soon follows in this rib-cracking, uplifting feature-length film.
5. Nollywood Babylon, 2008
This is a feature-length documentary about the rise and influence of Nollywood films.
Featuring Osita Iheme, the documentary shines a hopeful light on the future of the industry.
This film is culturally significant to the Nigerian film industry.
It also features music from the countries 1970s period for a refreshing look at what the future holds for Nollywood.
6. Double Mama, 2013
Her son is a terror upon the village, and her man is spineless and lazy.
Double Mama will make her business work even if she has to take matters into her own hands.
In this film, Osita Iheme plays the son, who takes the town by storm while his mother is busy.
Osita Iheme’s net worth
It’s difficult to calculate the net worth of Nigerian celebrities when compared to their contemporaries in wealthier countries.
As for him being one of the richest Nigerian actors, Osita Iheme’s net worth is definitely something to behold.
So how much really is Osita Iheme’s net worth? His net worth is yet unknown, and difficult to pinpoint factually due to the nature of Nigerian wealth.
However, there are multiple sources that imply his net worth to about $3.5 million, which seems consistent across the board.
Furthermore, he owns ‘The Resident Hotel’, a large suite in the IMO State.
He also has other sources of income.
Given that sort of property ownership, it’s not surprising then if Osita Iheme’s net worth is that large.
Additionally, being a successful entrepreneur, he ventured into multiple businesses which made Osita Iheme’s net worth grow enormously.
Aki na Ukwa
The family comedy movie ‘Aki na Ukwa’ was what placed Osita Iheme in the acting industry’s spotlight.
In this movie, he and Chinedu Ikedieze starred as brothers Pawpaw and Aki, respectively.
The movie is about these two mischievous brothers who made lots of trouble in school, at home, and in their whole village.
Amayo Uzo Philips directed this famous Nigerian film.
Other celebrities in this movie include Chinedu Ikedieze, Amaechi Muonagor, Oby Kechere, and Frances Nsokwu, who played as Mbakwe, Gladys, and Dorcas, respectively.
Awards and Recognition
Being famous in the industry would definitely earn you a number of awards and recognition.
As for Osita Iheme, he did have a number of them.
In 2006, he received the ‘Best Actor in a Leading Role’ for the movie ‘Secret Adventure’.
This was awarded during the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA). In the following year, the African Movie Academy Awards again garnered him the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’.
Lifetime Achievement Award are given for a whole carrier results.
Furthermore, AMAA presented him with the ‘Best Actor in a Supporting Role’ for his role in ‘The Mirror Boy’ in 2011.
In that same year, he received a national award as ‘Member of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’.
Member of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which is the highest Nigerian reward.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan gave Osita Iheme this award. Three years after, African Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards awarded him the ‘Best Actor in Nigeria’.
In addition, he received an honorary award to be the ‘New Generation Ambassador for Rotary International.
Meanwhile, AMVCAs gave him the ‘Best Actor in a Comedy’ award for his movie ‘The Hero’.
Personal Life
From what is known Osita Iheme is not currently married, but there are some speculation that he just didn’t confirmed his married yet. In his spare time, he plays football and loves to work out.
He also reads books, especially the Holy Bible and he loves watching television, too.
Accomplishments
Because of his fame in the Nollywood industry, Osita Iheme wanted to give back to society for all the things he had achieved.
Thus, he founded a few organizations and wrote a book.
Iheme’s goals for establishing these were to help and inspire the people of Nigeria.
He wanted to inspire the minds of the youth in Nigeria.
Thus, he founded the Inspired Movement Africa.
He also drew inspiration from his and Ikedieze’s roles as Aki and Pawpaw.
Together, they formed their own production outfit, the Aki and Pawpaw Entertainment Nigeria (APEN).
Using the APEN, they were able to produce their own films.
Another inspiration from the ‘Aki and Pawpaw’ roles was the Aki and Paw Child Care Foundation.
This was their pet project. It provides children with medical attention.
Osita Iheme also ventured into the Nigerian music industry. He launched Young Boss Record in 2017, his own music record label.
Young Boss Record’s goal was to help talented youths in Nigeria who have difficulty discovering their creativity.
With his music record label, Osita Iheme signed Barrister Max and Charisma, two artistes who have already released individual singles.
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He was also an author.
In 2014, he released his first book titled ‘Inspired 101’.
The book is a collection of his quotes and gives readers a glimpse of his background and life.
The book is printed and distributed by Africana First Publishers, Plc.
Eventually, Osita Iheme recommended his book to Universal Basic Education Commission or UBEC.
Hence, his book will be part of school libraries and research materials all over the states of Nigeria.
Life Lessons from Osita Iheme
As an entrepreneur, Osita Iheme was able to share valuable life-lessons to others.
To be teachable was one life lesson that he shared in an interview.
He explained that learning from people was what improved his acting career.
He further added that an entrepreneur should stay being teachable in order to improve in his career.
Another life lesson that he shared was to stay in touch with people.
He explained that he always communicated with his producers, even when he was not on set.
It was one of the things that producers and directors loved about him.
