Nollywood actress and skit maker Bukunmi Adeaga-Ilori, popularly known as KieKie, has reflected on her journey in the Nigerian movie industry. This comes after she was named the third highest-grossing lead actress of 2025 by FilmOne.
Reacting, KieKie revealed that growing from featuring as a supporting actor to earning lead roles has been magnificent, especially because she was very reluctant to take acting seriously.
The entertainer then thanked God for making it happen, stressing that she is a successful actress because He wills it.
Her words, “The growth! From support Lead to LEAD!! So reluctant to take acting seriously cause I wasn’t sure of how much of myself I could give.
But one thing was certain! I knew I love and enjoy it so much each time I do it. Eventually I gave in to my dreams and now look at us 🥹🥹
2024 it was 3rd highest grossing supporting LEAD ACTRESS. 2025 it’s 3rd HIGHEST GROSSING LEAD ACTRESS!
I see what you’re doing sweet Jesus  I rise because my GOD WILLS IT #! Thank you for making my today better than my yesterday ”
WOW.
Nollywood is a sobriquet that originally referred to the Nigerian film industry. The origin of the term dates back to the early 2000s, traced to an article in The New York Times. Due to the history of evolving meanings and contexts, there is no clear or agreed-upon definition for the term, which has made it a subject to several controversies.
The origin of the term “Nollywood” remains unclear; Jonathan Haynes traced the earliest usage of the word to a 2002 article by Matt Steinglass in the New York Times, where it was used to describe Nigerian cinema.
Charles Igwe noted that Norimitsu Onishi also used the name in a September 2002 article he wrote for the New York Times. The term continues to be used in the media to refer to the Nigerian film industry, with its definition later assumed to be a portmanteau of the words “Nigeria” and “Hollywood”, the American major film hub.
Film-making in Nigeria is divided largely along regional, and marginally ethnic and religious lines. Thus, there are distinct film industries – each seeking to portray the concern of the particular section and ethnicity it represents. However, there is the English-language film industry which is a melting pot for filmmaking and filmmakers from most of the regional industries.
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