Sharon Ooja is a 33-year-old Nigerian actress who started her acting career at 22 in 2013 and became famous in 2016 when she featured in Skinny Girl in Transit. She is also known for movies and series such as Glamour Girls (2022), Still Falling (2021), Oloture (2019), and The Men’s Club (2018).
Sharon is undoubtedly one of the leading women in the Nigerian entertainment industry. Her contribution in to modelling, being a host, and an actress remain a fire that keeps burning right through the nooks and crannies of Nigeria and her works have landed her several accolades, including Best of Nollywood Awards and Net Honours nomination. While she continues to thrive in her career, she also has an interesting private life with her supportive parents and 3 sisters.
How Old is Sharon Ooja and What Tribe is She?
Sharon Ooja Egwurube is 33 years old. She belongs to the Idoma tribe and hails from Benue State in North Central Nigeria. However, she was born in Kaduna in the north west region of the country on 6 April 1991.
She then relocated to Jos in Plateau State. There, she was raised and attended Kings and Queens School for her primary education.
The actress also lived in Abuja where she went to an all-girls secondary school, Regina Pacis Secondary School. She also attended another all-girls Catholic school in Jos, St. Louis College – the same school actress Nse Ikpe-Etim attended.
Despite being from the North and living her foremost life in the region, the actress later relocated to Cotonou in Benin Republic where she attended Houdegbe North American University Benin. Subsequently, she moved to South-West Nigeria where she settled in Lagos at the age of 22 in 2013.
Meet the Actress’ Parents and Siblings
Sharon Ooja was born into a Christian home by parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ooja Egwurube. While her parents have been out of publicity, some sources claim that her mother was in the entertainment industry.
While this claim has not been verified, her parents are supportive of her career. She has even mentioned that her father tells his friends about her works and he even records her TV interviews.
With respect to her siblings, Sharon has 3 sisters. One of her sisters is Ene Egwurube. Also, the actress has identified a woman named Ubi Aretha as her sister. Ubi also lives a private life but is a chef. She is also married to a man named Tony and the couple became parents in 2022.
How She Started Her Acting Career at 22 in 2013
Ooja revealed in an interview that she did not dream of becoming an actress but her relationship with Jesus led her to the career.
In 2013, she moved to Lagos, one of the most beautiful cities in Nigeria. It was there that she was involved in a photo session for a store and NdaniTV was covering the behind-the-scenes activities of the shoot.
She was then later invited for an interview for a TV show that did not come to reality, However, she did receive a call that landed her the role of Jola in the series Gidi Up which was released in February 20, 2013 and produced by Ndani Communications.
She was featured in the series with leading Nigerian women such as Adesua Etomi-Wllington, O.C. Ukeje, Daniel Etim Effiong, and Iretiola Doyle.
This marked the beginning of her long journey into the movie industry.
She Had Her Breakthrough Role in 2015
When Sharon was about the age of 24 she featured as Shalewa in Skinny Girl in Transit in 2015. This series is a story of a plus-sized woman who’s on a journey to lose weight and also find love.
Afterward, the actress has gone to appear in films and series such as Lara and the Beat (2018), Moms at War (2018), From Lagos with Love (2018), and The Men’s Club (2018).
So far, the Benue State native has described her career has been filled with great experience and fun, she described one of her most memorable roles as Oloture in a movie of the same title. According to her, it was a role she was not stereotyped.
Her Films and Series
List of Sharon Ooja’s Films
- Glamour Girls (as Emma, 2022)
- The Perfect Arrangement (as Omotade Kalejaiye, 2022)
- Still Falling (as Bono Kuku, 2021)
- Bad Comments (as Tasha, 2020)
- Kambili: The Whole 30 Yards (as Linda, 2020)
- Who’s the Boss (as Liah, 2020)
- Oloture (as Oloture, 2019)
- The Bling Lagosians (as Tokunboh, 2019)
- Coming From Insanity (as Sonia, 2019)
- King of Boys (as Amaka, 2018)
- From Lagos with Love (as Kelechi Pedro, 2018)
- Moms at War (as Asibi Pedro, 2018)
- Lara and the Beat (as Ngozi, 2018)
List of Sharon Ooja’s Series
- Flawsome (as Ivie, 2022)
- Tough Love (2021)
- Assistant Madams (2020)
- The Men’s Club (as Jasmine, 2018-)
- Skinny Girl in Transit (as Shalewa, 2015)
- Gidi Up (as Jola, 2014-)
She has Received Awards Nominations
Sharon remains one of the most celebrated actors and it did not take very long for her to gain attention as well as receive award nominations. Here is a list of her nomination:
- Special Recognition Awards at Eko Star Film & TV Awards (2021)
- She was named one of the Nollywood actresses to watch out for in 2021
- In 2021, the Benue State-born received a nomination for Most Popular Actress by Net Honours
- Sharon Ooja received a nomination for Best Nollywood Awards in the category of Best Supporting Actress – English (2020), Best Kiss in a Movie (2020), and Revelation of the Year – Female (2019)
- The Future Awards Africa Prize for Acting (2019)
- Best New Actress of the Year (English) at the City People Movie Award (2018)
- Most Featured Actress in Cinema Movies at the City People Movie Award
What to Know About Her Career as a Model, Event Host, and Humanitarian
33 years old Sharon Ooja has explored different angles in terms of career and towards societal growth. As a model, she has modeled for several clothing brands and mostly shares them on Instagram.
Apart from this, she is also an event host. One of the events is co-hostig the 2017 GTBank Fashion Weekend Red Carpet Show alongside actor Timini Egbuson.
While at it, Ooja has also not forgotten to give service to humanity. She is keen about helping people, especially uneducated girls. As much as possible, she enlightens the public about the need to educate a girl child.
Is Sharon Ooja in a Relationship?
The actress has not revealed her relationship status. However, she has been linked to a number of men in the entertainment industry.
She has been linked to actor Timini Egbuson. The news rallied around when she and the actor featured in Skinny Girl in Transit in 2018.
Their chemistry seemed to have stirred the rumor. However, the actress revealed that she and Timini never dated.
More so, it was revealed that actor Kunle Remi has a crush on her. At the time of this writing, there is nothing known if they developed a romantic relationship.
