Nollywood Stars Who Are Secretly Brilliant Scriptwriters

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Nollywood is teeming with talent both in front of the camera and behind it. While many of Nigeria’s biggest actors are celebrated for their on-screen performances, few know that some of them are also the brains behind compelling scripts that have captured audiences across the country and beyond. 

These stars may be known for their acting first, but they’ve quietly been contributing to the industry’s storytelling renaissance with sharp, engaging, and sometimes revolutionary screenwriting.

Here are seven Nollywood stars who are not just actors but brilliant scriptwriters making magic behind the scenes:

1. Uzor Arukwe

Best known for his intense roles in thrillers and dramas, Uzor Arukwe is also a thoughtful scriptwriter. He has co-written a handful of indie projects and is reportedly working on a personal script dealing with mental health an area rarely explored in mainstream Nollywood. His sharp dialogue and ability to humanize flawed characters is evident in the roles he chooses, and fans are eager to see what stories he will bring to the screen with his pen.

2. Bimbo Ademoye

Everyone loves Bimbo for her comic timing and emotional range, but few know that she has quietly contributed to writing skits and short films. Her input often enhances the realism and rhythm of female-led stories. Bimbo has also revealed in interviews that she hopes to release her own rom-com script, rooted in her lived experience of growing up in Lagos.

3. Blossom Chukwujekwu

Blossom is more than a pretty face with gravitas he’s also a creative writer who enjoys crafting character arcs. He’s helped refine scripts for projects he stars in, especially when it comes to making male characters more emotionally intelligent. Those close to him say he journals character ideas constantly and is working on a slow-burn romantic drama set in Jos.

4. Funke Akindele

While Funke is no longer a "secret" writer due to her massive success with Jenifa's Diary, many still don’t grasp just how central her writing skills are to her dominance. She writes most of her content herself, blending local dialect, cultural quirks, and urban slang with incredible accuracy. Funke’s writing is not just funny it’s sharp social commentary in disguise.

5. Tope Tedela

Tope is known for complex, layered characters in films like The Lost Okoroshi and Slow Country. But the actor is also a writer who takes pride in shaping narratives that reflect Nigeria’s political tension and youth struggles. He’s collaborated in writers' rooms and was a silent contributor to a popular political thriller released in 2023, which was praised for its tight, intelligent dialogue.

6. Zainab Balogun

Zainab may be a screen goddess, but she’s also a writer with a quiet voice for detail. Having co-written a few scripts for short films and Netflix-bound projects, she’s particularly good at dialogue, especially in romantic dramas. Her interest lies in telling urban, cosmopolitan stories that center women navigating career, love, and tradition.

7. Femi Adebayo

Well known in Yoruba cinema, Femi Adebayo is a powerhouse scriptwriter who has penned some of the most iconic Yoruba epics in the past decade. His scripting work on films like King of Thieves (Agesinkole) shows his mastery of rhythm, tradition, and suspense. He combines cultural heritage with accessible storytelling, making him one of Nollywood’s hidden literary assets.

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