At the 2025 Nollywood in Hollywood Q&A session, Nigerian actress Uzoamaka Aniunoh revealed that she has been developing new projects as a screenwriter, marking a new phase in her career.
“I’ve written my first feature and have been commissioned to develop a series,” she said. “They’ve approved my first draft, and we’re working on it. It’s in a good place, and I’m so happy. When it’s ready, I’ll share it on social media—I’ll be so loud about it.”
This new creative pursuit follows her success in The Weekend, a film that earned multiple nominations at the Africa Movie Academy Awards, including a Best Actress nod for Aniunoh.
Reflecting on the pressure of headlining such a production, Aniunoh admitted she was initially overwhelmed. “I spoke to the director [Daniel Oriahi] a lot, and I worried a lot when I was cast because it was my first leading role,” she said.
“The director was very kind and always reassured me. I was constantly checking in with him to make sure I was doing the right things, and he just told me not to worry too much—just process what my character was going through.”
Aniunoh also shared that she approaches acting by drawing personal connections with her characters. “For me, I try to find similarities between myself and the character. It’s about connecting with the human aspect of the role.”
In 2022, Aniunoh starred in the Nigerian thriller Diiche, Showmax’s first Nigerian original limited series, which received seven nominations at the 2023 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards. Her performance in the thriller Mami Wata, written and directed by C.J. Obasi, for which she earned her a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the 2023 Africa Movie Academy Awards.
In addition to her acting career, Aniunoh has also ventured into directing, making her debut with the short film Love Language in 2023, which she also wrote and starred in.
Looking ahead, the actress expressed interest in exploring different genres. “I really want to do everything, but right now, I want to do a romantic comedy. I want to have fun on screen, so I’m working towards being a happy girl.”
As Nollywood continues to grow, Aniunoh said she is hopeful for the industry’s future. “There are a lot of films coming out and a lot of people doing great work. No matter the genre, the hope is that we keep telling good stories and improving production value.”
