Ashley Okili is one of those rare exceptions to Nigeria’s tall-tale. At an average height of 158 cm, she stands firmly above the rest of the female Nigerian crowd, but is this really Okili’s finest feature? What does it mean to be tall? To answer these questions, one must look at her professional career as an actress in her native Nigeria, which spanned both her childhood and adulthood.
The tall woman of the African continent is often cast as the token tall woman with a huge bosom who appears regal and powerful in the films – a far cry from the norm. It was only later when she decided to pursue acting as a career that such image problems she faced were not going to stop her from becoming what she wanted to be – a leading lady. Today, Okili is best known for her popular TV sitcom “Ashley Zero”, which has been running since 2001. The show follows the daily lives of the heroine Ashley (played by Idris Elba) and her husband Nigerian businessman Niki (Efren Ramirez) – and the complicated relationship that has played out between them over the years.
Ashley’s height has given her the opportunity to explore different characters and genres, but more importantly, to showcase her own talents. After her stint on television, Okili then decided to try her hand at acting, playing various characters in both Africa and America, before finding herself cast as a love interest in the award winning film Finding Fanny. This role ultimately led to a role in the critically acclaimed Walking Dead TV series, which showcased Okili’s strength of character and ability to survive in the worst situations. In the end, the most important attribute that helped define Ashley Okili is the woman that she is – a woman who is not threatened by men, and who has a strong will to prove herself. That is the essence of what a great actress should represent – strength of character, and an unrivaled determination to excel. It also helped that her first big break in the States came in a show that has been running since its inception and in that time proved her abilities as an actress, and a true performer.