Monalisa Chinda is a multiple award-winning Nollywood actress, producer, TV host, UN Ambassador, and philanthropist. She is the founder of The Arise Monalisa Foundation (AMF) where she carries out her philanthropic activities.
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Monalisa Chinda Background
Monalisa Chinda was born on the 13th of September 1974, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, as the first child of six children. Chinda attended Army Children’s School GRA, Port Harcourt for her primary education. After that, she went on to Archdeacon Crowther Memorial Girls’ School, Elelenwo, Port Harcourt, Nigeria, for her secondary education.
On concluding her secondary education, Chinda went on to obtain a degree in Theatre Arts from the University of Port Harcourt. Monalisa Chinda is currently married to Victor Tonye Coker and she is blessed with a daughter – Tamar Chinda.
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Monalisa Chinda Career
Chinda commenced her acting career with the movie – Pregnant Virgin in 1996, while she was still a student of Uniport. Her next movie – Above the Law was after she graduated from the university.
She rose to limelight in her acting career when she featured in Heaven’s Gate – a television soap in 2000. Since then, she has featured in over 200 movies. Her first movie as an executive producer was a Royal Arts Academy movie titled Kiss and Tell, in 2011 produced by Emem Isong and directed by Desmond Elliot.
Monalisa Chinda was one of the first of four Nollywood actors featured on the cover of Hollywood Weekly Magazine in 2012.
Asides acting, she is also a consultant of the Royal Arts Academy, a media school known for breeding new talents in acting, directing, and screenwriting.
In addition, Chinda runs a talk show You and I with Monalisa which she started in 2014.
Film Workshops And Festivals
Thus far in her career, Monalisa has participated in several film workshops and festivals including:
- The Sithengi Television and Film Festival, a market for content and ideas, in Cape Town, South Africa.
- Georgia Tech Film Festival and workshop in broadcasting (CNN Tour) – 2011
- Export of film- Nollywood roadshow in collaboration with Nigerian Export Promotion Council Kenya – 2011
- BOBTV Festival, where she presented a thesis on When Talent is not enough – 2011
- Zuma Film Festival Abuja (Women in the media) – 2012
Monalisa Chinda’s Movies
1996 – 2010
- Open Marriage
- Spellbound
- Next door Neighbor
- Hidden Price
- Salt and Pepper
- Dark
- Pregnant Virgin – 1996
- Above the Law – 2000
- Sting 2 – 2006
- Games Men Play – 2006
- The Devil in Her – 2006
- Royal Grandmother – 2007
- Scorpion – 2007
- Critical Truth – 2008
- Evil Project – 2008
- Anointed Liars – 2009
- Hot Island – 2009
- Memories of the Heart – 2010
- Nollywood Hustlers – 2010
2011 – 2019
- Kiss and Tell – 2011
- Weekend Getaway – 2012
- Gossip Nation – 2012
- Torn – 2013
- Lagos Cougars – 2013
- Keeping my Man – 2013
- Itoro – 2014
- The Unthinkable – 2014
- One Night Stand – 2014
- Enslaved – 2015
- The Therapist – 2015
- Return of the Don – 2016
- Passionate Heart – 2016
- The Biggest Game – 2017
- Deep Fever – 2017
- Okon Lagos – 2018
- The Good Husband – 2018
- Night Bus to Lagos – 2019
- The Bling Lagosians – 2019
Monalisa’s Endorsements
- Brand ambassador of Globacom.
- Vita500 endorsed Monalisa Chinda as a brand ambassador.
- Brand Ambassador of the United Nations.
Arise Monalisa Foundation (AMF)
The Arise Monalisa Foundation (AMF) founded by Monalisa Chinda Coker, is an Africa based not-for-profit organisation devoted to inspiring hope, promoting creativity, and creating opportunities for less privileged Africans.
The foundation also seeks to safeguard lives by promoting health awareness. It also serves as a voice to the voiceless and a medium to empower young Africans to discover their potentials.
To achieve its mission, the NGO works with several organizations, schools, and churches to gain access to young people. They support them with needed resources and mentor them so they have a better chance at having a bright future.
They also work with various orphanage homes across Lagos to help ease the burden of caring for the children by providing them with supplies and every necessary assistance. The NGO also has a network outreach system that support women, widows and women in prison.
You And I With Monalisa
You and I with Monalisa is a talk show by Monalisa Chinda that addresses pressing and trending social issues. The talk show is widely acclaimed as Africa’s most innovative television production. The show is of international standard therefore, attracts millions of viewers. It currently airs every Sunday at 10:00 pm on African Independent Television (AIT).
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Quotes Of Monalisa Chinda
“Don’t forget your vision and your mission, no matter your challenges! Know who you are…”
“Confidence stems from within! Let no one tell you otherwise. You are beautiful just the way you are.”
“Your lane is unique! Own it! Love it! Enjoy it.”
“Attention paid to small things has huge rewards! The truth is in the detail, hidden in its intricate design! Pause and think deep!!!”
“One day, honesty will pay off.”
“No storm can last forever. It will never rain 365days consecutively. Keep in mind that trouble comes to pass, and not to stay…”
“The best part of life is the ability to learn something new every day. Just when you think you know it all, you realize you don’t know a thing.”
Awards And Nominations of Monalisa Chinda
- Best Actress at the Afro Hollywood Award – 2009
- African Film Awards UK – 2009
- Nominee for best actress in a drama series at the Terracotta TV and Film Awards – 2010
- Afro-Australian Music and Movie Award for most outstanding actress – 2010
- Monalisa was crowned the face of Port Harcourt – Carnival Queen – 2011
- Nominated for Nigeria Model Achievers’ Awards – 2011
- Nollywood@20 E-Golden Award (NEGA) for outstanding character actress – 2012
- Africa Movie Academy Award for best actress in leading role – 2014
- Nominated at the City People Movie Award for face of Nollywood (English) – 2015
Net Worth Of Monalisa Chinda
According to austinemedia.com, Monalisa Chinda has an estimated net worth of $500,000.
Life Lesson From Monalisa Chinda
In life, challenges are bound to come. When they come, do not shy away; face it head-on, and it would pass in no time. Challenges make us better and stronger. Monalisa has had her own share of challenges, from her divorce to her tax evasion scandal, but she scaled through and is a more successful entrepreneur and actress.
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Image Credit: @monalisacode (Instagram)
