Zack Orji
Birth nameZachee Ama Orji
Birth date1960 (age 66–67)
Birth placeLibreville, Gabon
Alma materUniversity of Nigeria Nsukka
OccupationActor, director, producer
Years active1991—present
SpouseNgozi Orji

Zachee Ama Orji (born 1960) is a Nigerian actor, filmmaker, director, producer, theatre critic and preacher.[1][2][3]

Early life

Orji[4] was born in Libreville, Gabon, where his father worked.[5] He is an indigene of Amata Mgbowo in Agwu Local Government Area of Enugu State.[6] He grew up in Cameroon, Benin and Togo, where he became fluent in English and French.[7] He is the eldest of seven children, comprising five girls and two boys.[8]

Education

Orji graduated from University of Nigeria, Nsukka, with a bachelor's degree in estate management.

Career

In 1991, Orji made his film debut in Unforgiven Sin. In an interview with Nollywood Post, he shared how he got the lead role in the film without auditioning.[9] He gained wider recognition following the success of Glamour Girls and has since appeared in over 250 Nollywood films.[10] He is also a singer and preacher.[2]

In 2000, Orji made his directorial debut with WEB, starring alongside Ghanaian actress Kalsoume Sinare. The film won Best Collaborative Film at the Ghana awards in 2001.

In 2022, Orji endorsed Bola Tinubu for president ahead of the 2023 presidential election.[11][12]

Personal life

Orji is married to Ngozi Orji and has three children.[13] He established a charity organisation that supports people living with disabilities and other disadvantaged groups. He is a former president of the Actor's Guild of Nigeria. He has also been involved in businesses including real estate.[14]

In a 2024 interview with Punch Nigeria, Orji stated that he had undergone two brain surgeries in Nigeria, an experience that taught him to have faith in the country's healthcare system.[15]

Filmography

  • Unforgiven Sin (1991)
  • Living in Bondage (1992)
  • Iva (1993)
  • Living in Bondage 2 (1993)
  • Glamour Girls[16] (1994) as Fred
  • Nneka the Pretty Serpent (1994)
  • Rattle Snake (1995)
  • True Confession (1995)
  • Brotherhood of the Darkness (1995) as Pastor Josiah
  • Blood on My Hands (1996)[17]
  • Deadly Passion (1996)
  • Glamour Girls 2 (1996)
  • Silent Night (1996)
  • Love in Vendetta (1996)
  • Abandon (1997)
  • Blood Money (1997) as Mike Mouka
  • Blood Vapour (1997)
  • Desperate & Dangerous (1997)
  • Dead End (1997?)
  • Deadly Affair II (1997)
  • Garbage (1997)
  • Golden Fleece (1997)
  • Diamond Ring 2 (1998)
  • Evil Men (1998)
  • Karishika (1998)
  • Sakobi 2: The Final Battle (1998)
  • Witches (1998) as Desmond
  • Day of Reckoning (1999)
  • Endtime (1999)
  • The Bastard (1999)
  • Asimo (1999) as Pastor Tito
  • The Visitor (1999) as Frank
  • Lost Hope (2000) as Maxwell
  • Fire Dancer (2001) as Daniel
  • Hatred (2001) as Gideon
  • Late Arrival (2001)
  • Mothering Sunday (2001) as Humphrey
  • Mothers Cry (2001)
  • Fire Dancer (2001) as Daniel
  • Last Warning (2002) as Obidike
  • Submission (2002)
  • Days of Glory (2002?)
  • Endtime 2 (2003)
  • Oga and His Boys (2003) as Ejike
  • Bonds of Tradition (2004) (also director)
  • Games Women Play (2005) as Damian
  • Women's Cot (2005)
  • Chameleon (2006)
  • Light Out (2006)
  • The Blues Kingdom (2007) (director only)
  • Land of Shadow (2010) (also director)
  • Tongue (2014) as Pastor Michael
  • Head Gone (2015?)
  • Brothers of Faith (2016)
  • Three Wise Men (2017)
  • Descent (2017) as Kalu Achebe
  • Payday (2018) as Mr. Afolayan
  • Just One Blood (2018) as Chief Odogwu
  • The Williams (2018) as Mr. Williams
  • Code Wilo (2019)
  • Our Jesus Story (2020)
  • Sweet Face[18] (2020) as Old Tobi
  • Big Town[18] (2021)
  • Love Castle (2021) as Chizutere's Father
  • Blood Sisters (2022) as David
  • Half Of a Yellow Sun (2013) as Chief Ozobia
  • The Other Man (2022)[19]
  • The Other Wife (2022)[19]
  • Inside Life (2022)
  • Violet (2023) as Mr. Chris
  • Black Harvest (2023)
  • Flip Side (2023) as Chief Uzoma
  • Terror Muda in Courier Justice (2024) as Chief Abidja
  • Something About the Briggs (2025)[20][21]

References

  1. ^ Adebayo, Tireni (21 October 2017). "Veteran actor, Zack Orji reveals his battle with cigarettes and Indian hemp". Kemi Filani News. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  2. ^ "Zack Orji: My life as an actor, singer and preacher of God's word". Vanguard. 29 February 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  3. ^ "Zack Orji: My life as an actor, singer and preacher of God's word". Vanguard. 29 February 2020. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  4. ^ "Igbo Names". www.myigboname.com. Retrieved 2025-12-14.
  5. ^ Thandiubani (2024-05-21). "I Am From Gabon, Not Nigeria - Zack Orji Reveals Real Identity (Video)". Tori.ng. Retrieved 2025-12-14.
  6. ^ "Zack Orji: Profile of Ace Nollywood Actor". P.M. News. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  7. ^ "FALED PRODUCTION LIMITED Zack Orji". www.faledproductionlimited.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  8. ^ olukomaiya, funmilola (March 10, 2020). "Zack Orji: profile of ace nollywood actor". P.M. News
  9. ^ "Streaming is the next level for Nollywood – Zack Orji". Nollywood Post. Archived from the original on 19 October 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  10. ^ Idowu, Hannah (2021-10-14). "Everything to know about actor Zack Orji's marriage, wife and children". DNB Stories Africa. Retrieved 2025-12-14.
  11. ^ Oyero, Ezekiel (31 July 2022). "2023: Zack Orji declares support for Tinubu". Premium Times. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  12. ^ "2023: Zack Orji, wife divided along political lines as she declares support for Peter Obi". Vanguard. 1 August 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  13. ^ Orji, Sunday (30 October 2016). "I prefer singing to acting –Ngozi, Zack Orji's wife". The Sun. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  14. ^ olukomaiya, funmilola (March 10, 2020). "zack orji: profile of ace nollywood actor". P.M. News
  15. ^ Chima, Naomi (2024-04-26). "What my sickness taught me — Zack Orji". The Punch. Retrieved 2025-12-14.
  16. ^ "Character I Played In Blood Sisters A Dream Role – Genoveva Umeh". Independent. 21 May 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  17. ^ "Blood on my hands". WorldCat. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
  18. ^ "Zack Orji". IMDb. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  19. ^ "Zack Orji | Actor, Director, Writer". IMDb. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  20. ^ Something About the Briggs (2025) - Full cast & crew - IMDb. Retrieved 2025-12-14. – via www.imdb.com.
  21. ^ Dufe, Sahndra Fon (2025-01-23). "Something About the Briggs (2025): A Love, Marriage, and Family Drama You Can't Miss!!". Black Film Wire. Retrieved 2025-12-14.