Paul Utomi
Nigerian actor and film director (born 1981)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Paul Chibuzo Utomi-Biyang (born 6 October 1981) is a Nigerian actor, film director, producer, writer, voice-over artist and model.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
6 October 1981
- Actor
- film director
- writer
- voice-over artist
- producer
- model
Paul Utomi | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born | Paul Chibuzo Utomi-Biyang 6 October 1981 Madrid, Spain |
| Citizenship | Nigerian, Equatoguinean |
| Alma mater | Lagos State University |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2011-present |
| Known for | Lekki Wives, O-Town, What Lies Within, Country Hard, The Reckoner |
| Website | https://about.me/paulutomi |
Early life and education
Utomi was born to Mr and Mrs Utomi-Biyang in Madrid, Spain. His family moved back to Lagos, Nigeria, when he was one year old. He attended Comfort Nursery and Primary School in Lagos and proceeded to Legacy High School in Akowonjo, Lagos, where he completed his secondary education. He studied economics at Lagos State University, after which he studied acting and directing at the Centre for Film and Video Excellence in 2011.[8]
Career
Acting
Before acting, he wrote for a sports publication called The Game Magazine and presented several episodes of AM Express Sports on NTA Network.[9]
He joined the Nigerian movie industry (Nollywood) professionally and began his professional acting career, making his first appearance playing the lead character in the TV series Tarima, which aired circa 2012. The following year, he starred in the TV series Lekki Wives, in which he played the character, Jude.[10]
Directing and producing
In 2017, he co-produced a drama thriller film titled What Lies Within, which won "Best Feature Film" and "Best Overall Picture" at the Abuja International Zuma Film Festival 2017,[11] along with four accolades won at the Best of Nollywood Awards the same year.[12][13]
His debut feature film as a director, Country Hard, gained recognition when it was selected to showcase at the 10th edition of AFRIFF in 2021.[14]
Utomi's third feature film as a director is the action fantasy film The Reckoner, released in 2021, in which Baaj Adebule plays the lead role.[15]
Filmography
| Title | Genre | Role | Year | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lekki Wives | TV series | Actor | 2013 | [16] |
| Shuga | TV series | Actor | 2013 | [17] |
| Gidi Up | Web series | Actor | 2014 | |
| Apostates | Short film | Actor | 2014 | [18] |
| O-Town | Crime film | Actor | 2015 | [19][20] |
| In My Father's House | Short film | Actor | 2015 | |
| B Negative | Short film | Actor | 2015 | |
| Leeway | Short film | Actor | 2016 | |
| Heaven | Short film | Actor | 2016 | |
| What Lies Within | Short film | Actor, writer, co-producer | 2017 | [21] |
| Dognapped | Comedy | Actor | 2017 | [22] |
| Living Close to You | TV series | Actor | 2018 | |
| Hush | TV series | Actor | 2018 | |
| E.V.E | TV series | Actor | 2018 | [23][24] |
| Crossroads | Short film | Actor | 2020 | [25] |
| This Lady Called Life | Feature film | Actor | 2020 | [26][27] |
| Tinsel | TV series | Actor | 2020 | |
| Juju stories: Yam (Love Portion) | Film | Actor | 2021 | [28][29] |
| Country Hard | Film | Actor | 2021 | [30] |
| Finding Hubby | Drama film | Actor | 2021 | [31] |
| Clinically Speaking | Film | Actor | 2022 | [32] |
| One Too Many | Film | Actor | 2022 | [33] |
| Iyanu: Dawn of Thunder | Animated series | Actor | 2023 | |
| Love and Light | TV series | Actor | 2023 | [34] |
| The Leaders of Tomorrow | TV series | Actor | 2023 | |
| The Two Aishas | Film | Actor | 2023 | [35] |
| Relationshits | Film | Writer, director, producer | 2015 | |
| Country Hard | Crime drama film | Writer, director, producer | 2021 | [36] |
| The Reckoner | Film | Director | 2021 | [37] |
| Mumu MAN | Film | Director | 2023 | |
| Omo Awo | Film | Director | 2023 | |
| Say Who Die | Film | Director | 2025 | [38][39] |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award ceremony | Category | Film | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | The African Film Festival (TAFF) | Best Actor Award | Family | Won | [40] |
| 2017 | Best of Nollywood Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role (English) | What Lies Within | Nominated | [41] |
| 2017 | Best of Nollywood Awards | Movie of the Year Category | What Lies Within | Nominated | [42] |
| 2017 | Best of Nollywood Awards | Best Screenplay Category | What Lies Within | Nominated | [43] |