Osita Iheme ‘Pawpaw’ Celebrates His 39th Birthday Today (Photo)

Osita Iheme, MFR (born 20 February 1982) is a Nigerian actor.

He is widely known for playing the role of Pawpaw in the film Aki na Ukwa alongside Chinedu Ikedieze. He is the founder of Inspired Movement Africa which he founded to inspire, motivate and stimulate the minds of young Nigerians and Africans. In 2007, Iheme received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the African Movie Academy Awards. He is considered to be one of Nigeria’s most famous actors. In 2011, he was honored as a Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Early life:
He hails from Mbaitoli, Imo State, Nigeria. Iheme grew up in Abia State and has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Lagos State University.
Career:
Early in his career, Osita Iheme was often typecast in the role of a child. In 2003 he rose to fame when he starred together with Chinedu Ikedieze in the comedy film Aki na Ukwa in which he played the role of Pawpaw. In this role, Iheme played a mischievous child. He has played the role of a child in many of his films but later has adopted more mature roles. Subsequently, the duo became, what many consider, one of the funniest Nollywood comedian pairings of all time.

He is the New Generation Ambassador for Rotary International District 9110 and the author of the book INSPIRED 101. Iheme has starred in over a hundred movies and is one of the most popular faces in Nollywood. Like his onscreen partner Chinedu Ikedieze, Iheme has a small physique. Iheme’s stature gave him the advantage of being different from other actors in the Nigerian movie industry.

He has evolved in his career from a comedic actor to a multifaceted established actor. This has gained him respect throughout the Nigerian movie industry and with its fans alike.

Honour:
To reward his contribution towards the growth of the Nigerian Film Industry, in 2011 he was awarded the Nigerian National Honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Influence:
His performance alongside fellow little person actor Chinedu Ikedieze in the 2002 film Aki na Ukwa is still widely spoken about and the duo, especially Osita’s character, has been trending through memes since 2019 on Twitter and other social media platforms. This eventually earned him a large global fanbase.