Top actor africa… Who steps into altovise’s shoes?

For the past two weeks pan-African reality series Top Actor Africa has had acting fans on their edge of their seats when Season Two recently premiered on BET. Packed with nail-biting moments, and tense eliminations, the new series will keep the viewers guessing as 12 wannabe actors strive over 13 weeks to prove their acting chops and score a career-boosting prize.

Host and South African movie star Zikhona Sodlaka is back to front the second season. Best known for her roles in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and the national soapie Generations, Zikhona has played leading roles in many South Africa productions including Tsha Tsha and Montana and others.

Aspiring thespians from across the continent underwent a jaw-dropping audition phase in the race to see who will win the coveted title of Top Actor Africa. The six gals and guys who made the final cut are: Shamilla Miller (South Africa), Simhle Belinda Plaatjies (South Africa), Farrell Drew (South Africa), Marilyn Sekgapane (South Africa), Jesse Suntele (South Africa), Hendrik Lombard (South Africa) and Sabelo Sibeko (South Africa). Flying the flag for East Africa are Kenyans Lorreine Wangui Gakuo and Alex Khayo, while Nigerian actors Tobechi Nneji, Uriel Oputa and Ifeanyi Dike are representing for West Africa.

Each week, Top Actor Africa takes audiences on a journey through various challenges showcasing their talents and proving if they have what it takes. The pressure’s on as the aspiring actors try their hand at a wide range of acting genres from the crime drama to soapies, comedy, improv, theatre and music.

Season 1 of Top Actor was won by Altovise Lawrence. Altovise, who hails from Boksburg, Johannesburg, won the title aged 23, just a year after graduating from the University of Witwatersrand with a Bachelor’s degree in Dramatic Arts. Now signed to Restless Talent Management, Altovise has subsequently gone on to present BET celebrity news strand, BET Buzz, and recently wrapped her first Hollywood movie, The Other Side in the USA opposite Brad James and Erica Hubbard. The film is due for theatrical release later this year.

Ifeanyi Dike

Born October 28, 1990, Nigeria’s Ifeanyi Dike Jnr is an actor and writer. He started his career on Nigeria’s most popular soapy M-Net’s Tinsel as Tokunbo ‘Titan’ Akinjobi and has since appeared as Leo De Souza on Desperate Housewives Africa, as Michael on Shuga and as Fred on Gidi Up. In 2013, he graduated from Igbinedion University Okada where he achieved a Bachelors degree in Medicine and Surgery.

Tobechi Nneji, more commonly known in entertainment circles as TobeDaDiva, is an award-winning Nigerian Media Personality, Content developer and Voice Actor. Her career as a radio jockey began after she graduated from Madonna University in 2007 with an honours degree in Economics. She went for an audition and began working with Vision FM in Abuja. In 2009, she moved to Kiss FM also in Abuja, and rose through the ranks to become the News Editor in 2011.

In 2012, she was offered the position of Programs Manager with Dream FM Enugu and became one of the youngest female Radio Programs Managers in Nigeria. She held that position until September 2014, when she took a break to work as an external consultant with a contractual engagement to start up, run and train staff for a radio station for a private university in Enugu.

She has had stints on TV as a contestant on the entrepreneurship-themed reality TV show, The Next Titan and as the host of Channel O’s Top 10 Most, a special edition of the music show, broadcast in December 2013. In 2013, she was also one of the six finalists in the top 6 in the MTV VJ Search competition.

On her part, Uriel Ngozika Oputa was born and raised in London to Nigerian parents. She did drama at school and has always loved being on stage. She has spent most of her life singing, though she has no professional training as an actor, she grew up with a passion for films and the art of acting and performing for her family and friends. She now lives in Nigeria pursing her music career, and also wants venture into TV presenting.