Mercy Johnson Okojie

 

Mercy Johnson.

Mercy Johnson Okojie, popularly known as Mercy Johnson, was born in Lagos on August 28, 1984, She is a highly recognised Nigerian actress and has featured in over a 100 movies. Mercy is a native of Okene in Kogi state, and comes from a family of seven children. She had the most difficult times growing up as finances were a huge problem. She at one time had to work as a maid to survive while they lived in an in-completed building. In an interview she once recounted, “Sometimes when I cry in movies, it isn’t the script that makes me cry. When I recall my humble beginning, I give thanks to God. When I remember how we moved into an uncompleted building and had to take cover whenever it rained because of the condition of the house; how my brother did a menial job as a bricklayer to earn a living and those days when we rolled over a stick to cover the windows up till the point when I started acting and raised money to cover the roof… I recall those days we were living with lizards because the floor and the walls of the house were not plastered, or when I had scars as a result of my several falls.” Mercy reveals she got into the Nigerian movie industry (Nollywood) because she failed her University entrance examinations. (JAMB). She was inspired to act after watching Genevieve Nnaji in a movie entitled: Sharon Stone. She approached a friend for assistance to feature in a movie. He told her she had a great body and that she would make a good actress. He later took her to the National Theatre, but a role did not come until a year later, when she had her first lead role in a film entitled: 'The Maid' in which she played the role of a possessed house help. Her performance in the movie shot her into the limelight and she has been a star ever since. 

Her story teaches us to explore, to pick up ourselves and move on despite life's challenges, to never poverty or a low level in life. TO DREAM... I DARE YOU TO BE.