Call him Nigeria’s version of popular Hollywood actor George Clooney and you won’t be far from an accurate comparison. Nollywood actor Richard Mofe-Damijo is an example of how to age and yet maintain relevance in your chosen career path. Incidentally, both actors are age mates, born in the same year with George older by exactly a month apart.
Popularly known as RMD, Richard was born 6 July 1961 in the little community of Aladja in Udu Kingdom, near Warri, Delta State. He attended Midwest College, Warri and Anglican Grammar School, before going to study Theatre Arts in the Ekenhuan Campus of the University of Benin.
After graduating from the university, RMD worked briefly as a reporter with Concord Newspapers and Metro Magazine. He took part in a television soap opera in the late 80’s called Ripples but his big-screen break came when he stared as Segun Kadiri in the popular early 90s TV series Checkmate with actors like Bob Manuel Udoku, Ego Boyo, Norbert Young, Late Francis Agu amongst others.
RMD and Ego Boyo On the Set of Checkmate
In 1996, he started alongside Ego Boyo on the Late Amaka Igwe’s production Violated. Violated was the highest grossing film for the year. In 1997, he stared in the movie Out of Bounds with Bimbo Akintola & Racheal Onigawas and it was also the first film for which he received a writer/producer credit. The actor has been in over 100 movies in his very successful career.
RMD in Violated
RMD has also had a Political career, joining the Delta State government as Commissioner for Culture and Tourism. That meant that he had to take a break from acting. However, RMD made a comeback to acting after serving in the Delta state government and he wasn’t the same actor we used to know.
Career Transition:
RMD from his early days as an actor was the perfect fit for a ‘playboy’ cast with A-list performances in his roles in Checkmate, Violated, Passions, and many more. But his return from political appointment saw him transition from everybody’s favourite playboy to everyone’s favourite ‘sugar zaddy’.
RMD has conveniently dumped the boyish role for more fatherly roles and has equally killed it with his impeccable interpretation of his scripts. His feature as Chief Felix Onwuka in the 2016 box office success ‘The Wedding Party’ fully endorsed him into this new profile.
Fashion & Style Icon
Richard Mofe-Damijo has also been a stylish man from his youthful days and growing older hasn’t made him lose that sense of awareness to retain and maintain his charming look.
RMD works hard to stay in vogue with his fashion sense and is a perfect style inspiration for other men his age. His Instagram page currently has over 1.1million followers, making him the only Nigerian Celebrity above 50 with such huge following.
Personal life
Richard Mofe-Damijo is a father, grandfather and mentors a lot of young Nigerians, especially young actors who look up to him as a father in the industry. He was first was married to Nigerian journalist/publisher, May Ellen-Ezekiel (MEE). After Mee’s death in 1996, RMD married TV personality, Jumobi Adegbesan, and together they have two children. He also had two children from his first marriage with Mee.
RMD and His Son Tega
Going Back To The Beginning:
RMD has a new show on TV titled ‘The Mr X Family Show’. It was a moment of nostalgia for him when he made an announcement on his Instagram that he will be starting in the new family TV series with his on-screen sweetheart Ego Boyo. Both actors share such a professional bond and chemistry that Nollywood may never see again. This is how he described their return to being TV couples: “Over 25 years later Tega and Peggy are back together again on my new TV “DramCom” The Mr X Family Show. I can only hope that getting back together again on TV will tickle fans of Ann Hathrope and Segun Kadiri and the fans of Tega and Peggy who have been craving to have them grace their TV screens again.
At 57 and for a man who has enjoyed tremendous success in Nollywood, RMD seems like someone who is starting to live the best of his life, and with his good looks, boyish charm and inexhaustible talent, there is still a lot RMD is yet to bring to us. We’re here for it all Zaddy!
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