A few weeks ago, social media erupted with news of Things Fall Apart. An adaptation by David Oyelowo’s Yoruba Saxon is coming soon. And the cast will be led by Idris Elba in the role of Okonkwo, a character central to the book and to Nigerian literature. Chaos followed the news. Nigerians wanted Nigerian actors as Okonkwo in the new Things Fall Apart project.
Elba, a Brit (of Sierra Leonean descent) shouldn’t play a role that a Nigerian (and preferably an Igbo) actor should play, many said. This is partly because of the book’s importance. It is also partly because for generations of Nigerians, the character was embodied by Pete Edochie. The actor was Okonkwo in a 1987 series shown by the Nigerian Television Authority.
Well, if Elba shouldn’t be the Okonkwo, which Nigerian actor should?
To answer that question, it is important to remember that at the start of the novel, Achebe’s most famous character is somewhere in his late 30s or early 40s. Okonkwo is a physically robust presence who had battled a well-known champion wrestler and become champion himself. Early in the book Achebe’s narrator says the protagonist of Things Fall Apart “was tall and huge, and his bushy eyebrows and wide nose gave him a very severe look”.
This suggests that the physicality of the actor who plays Okonkwo is important. It is also important that the actor is familiar with the Igbo language and accent—or can convince viewers that he is.
Obviously, the deed is done and the deal has been signed by Achebe’s estate. It is unlikely that the production companies involved with the series, which is currently unattached to any network or streamer, will take the role from Elba. Still, it might be useful to consider Nigerian actors who may have been suitable for the role.
Below, Film Efiko produces a list of 9 Nigerian actors who could (with some minor and some major adjustments) play perhaps the most iconic character in all of Nigerian literature.
9 Nigerian Actors Who Can Replace Idris Elba As Okonkwo In “Things Fall Apart”
9. Daniel K. Daniel
Daniel’s rugged charm and acting experience in Nollywood productions make him a potential fit for Okonkwo. He has already shown he can act at a reasonably high level, given his Best Actor win at the 2016 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) and Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA). He is also one of two Nollywood actors inducted into the 2022 class of the Academy of Motion Pictures and Science.
To fully embody Okonkwo, he might need to bulk up and put on some more muscle to fit the physicality demanded of the role. He would also need to demonstrate (or merely display convincingly) proficiency at speaking the Igbo language.
8. Taye Arimoro (Son of the Soil, Slum King, The House of Secrets)
Arimoro fits the role of Okonkwo physically. Although not quite used in leading roles so far, he does have a commanding presence onscreen. To convince audiences familiar with the novel, Arimoro would need to showcase his range and rage. He hasn’t quite gotten the opportunity to do so in high-profile Nollywood pictures. The Igbo language and accent would be a major challenge. He would also need to be rid of the panache the bulk of his roles have required so far.
7. Kunle Remi (The Prophetess, Aníkúlápó, Muri & Ko)
Remi’s physique is perfect for Okonkwo, given Achebe’s “tall and huge” description of Okonkwo. But his looks are perhaps too soft and his gestures too modern. As a result, he would need some roughening up by a makeup department and careful direction to be convincing as the lead character in Things Fall Apart. It is also quite obvious that Remi would need to learn the Igbo language and accent.
6. Zubby Michael (Omo Ghetto: The Saga, Brotherhood, When Love Strikes)
Michael’s physical features, Igbo language proficiency, and non-urban personality would make him a very compelling Okonkwo. He would, however, need to refine his acting technique, transition to the Nollywood mainstream, and be receptive to precise direction to thrive in the role.
5. Kelechi Udegbe (Mami Wata, The Black Book)
Udegbe was in two vastly significant Nollywood productions last year: in Netflix flick The Black Book and art house Sundance-winner Mami Wata. He has won an Africa Movie Academy Awards for his acting. He is perhaps Nollywood’s most chameleonic actor.
Physically, he makes a plausible Okonkwo, give a take a few weeks at a gym. He does have a bit of goofiness that’s out of place, given the severity of Okonkwo. But he balances this out with a gruffness befitting of a man raised in a West African village. It seems clear that he can figure out the Igbo accent but his proficiciency at the language itself isn’t obvious from his major roles.
4. Chiwetel Ejiofor (The Lion King, Salt, Doctor Strange)
Ejiofor’s Igbo heritage, physique, and international celebrity make him an attractive choice. He is a fantastic actor and familiar to audiences the world over. He does come with the same baggage as Elba in that he is partly British and his Nigerian language skills need work—as was apparent when he played Odenigbo in the cinematic adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Half Of A Yellow Sun.
3. Yul Edochie (Tinsel, Poor Billionaire)
Edochie is the son of Pete Edochie, the first actor to play Okonkwo onscreen. He has a lot of his father’s physical attributes. So, there can be no questioning his physicality and proficiency with the Igbo language. He only requires a director able to rid him of the melodramatic acting his roles in Asaba Nollywood demand.
2. Sambasa Nzeribe (The Wedding Party, A Mile From Home, Slow Country)
One of New Nollywood’s most understated gifts, Sambasa Nzeribe would make a great Okonkwo. He has the onscreen presence, he has the physical attributes, he can produce the required intensity, he can really act.
Only one question needs to be answered. How convincing can he be as an Igbo man speaking Igbo in the time of Okonkwo? Answered well enough, Nzeribe can produce a GOAT performance as Okonkwo in an adaptation of Things Fall Apart.
1. Stan Nze (Rattlesnake, The Trade, Afamefuna)
Nze is the clear favourite if a Nigerian/Nollywood actor was to play Okonkwo today. He is roughly of the same age as Okonkwo at the start of Things Fall Apart. As an Igbo man himself, he has a near tangible familiarity with the language, accent, and gestures. He also has the physicality and wouldn’t require too much to transform into a man of Umofia.
The only thing Nze is missing is offscreen: international fame. In a different timeline, playing a role as globally familiar as Okonkwo is what Nze needs. That is, to become famous enough to attract producers seeking a popular face to lead an expensive project. That’s the Stan Nze/Things Fall Apart catch 22.
