Biography of Osas Ighodaro, Model, Actress, TV Presenter

Osas Ighodaro

Osariemen Martha Elizabeth Ighodaro popularly known as Osas Ighodaro was born on 26 October, 1990. She is an Indigene of Edo State, Nigeria. She is from a family of Four Children, an elder sister and two younger brothers. Although, her elder sister is

late.

Osas Ighodaro  is a Nigerian American Actress, Model and TV Presenter.

She grew up in Bronx, New York. She has a degree in broadcast journalism and dual minor degrees in entrepreneurship and theatre from the Pennsylvania State University. She obtained her masters of fine arts in acting from the Actor’s Studio Drama School at Pace University.

Her interest in the industry started when she was about 12 or 13 years. Due to the fact that she had very low self- esteem because she was not proud of who she was and where she came from, growing up in Bronx, New Yoirk was tough. Then she was skinny and did not feel beautiful. Her parents then put her in a modelling school with the aim of improving her self-esteem. It was while she was there that she found her love in performing arts. She had a lucky break when she got a postcard to participate in an America co- pageant and out of 147 girls, she was the third runner-up. She earned $60 for that. That was a starting point for her because From there, she got to participate in other pageants where she won. She however took a break from pageants when she went back to school. After her masters, she decided to participate in Miss Black USA pageant in 2010 because she needed to pay for her semester in school. She  participated and became the first Nigerian-American to be crowned Miss Black USA in the pageant’s 26-year history.

One of her goals and aspirations was to be an actress. She  has been in the entertainment industry in America and Nigeria since 2005. She has been on television, hosting, modeling and presenting.

She had been acting abroad. She was in works like the ‘Coloured Museum,’ ‘Revenge of the King,’ ‘Platanos &Collard Greens.’ She has performed in films and TV shows. 

Her aunt encouraged her to make her self relevant in her home country as she was already known in America by virtue of her winning Miss Black USA.  It was also her aunt that told her about auditions for a soap called, Tinsel, she did not know what it was at that time but her aunt made a few contacts and got her to audition for it and the rest is history.

In an interview on what she thinks of Nigerian movies, she has this to say” I am definitely a fan of Nollywood. It is nothing new to me. I was raised in New York but grew up in a Nigerian household. My mother has hundreds of Nollywood films and I watched them. I appreciate the quality work that is coming out from them. Even though Nollywood may not be to some person’s standard, it has been in business for 20 years and I think that is commendable. Will I act in Nollywood? You just have to stay tuned. I cannot be talking about things still in development.”

She played the role of Adanna (Danni) on the soap opera Tinsel and co-hosted the 2014 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards. She won Best TV Actress of the Year at the 2014 ELOY Awards.

She started a foundation that raises funds and awareness for malaria and other issues affecting people in Africa. She decided to put this together during her reign as Miss Black USA. Her elder sister who died from Malaria motivated her into starting the foundation.

Osas Ighodaro’s hobbies includes going to the movies and travelling to experience other cultures.

She got engaged to her Co-Star Gbenro Ajibade in M-Net's soap, Tinsel in August 2014 in the United States of America., haven dated for more than three years. She thereafter had her Traditional wedding in June 2015 in Benin City, Edo State and her white wedding at Newyork on July 4th, 2015.

Osas, who met Gbenro on the set of Tinsel, says his physique and his love for God was an attraction.

“The fact that he is God fearing and his love for the most high, I admire a lot. His physique is attractive. But it was when we got close and started talking that I got to know him as a person. That got me more attracted to him,” she said

According to Osas, the best Valentine’s Day she has ever had was the one with Gbenro

“The first Valentine’s Day I spent with Gbenro was my most memorable. He surprised me, took me to Obudu Ranch (Cross River State). It was very romantic and surprising,” she said.