Rita Dominic at 50: Celebrating a Nollywood legend and her unforgettable roles

She’s gone from inspiring characters in over 350 films to shaping the industry behind the scenes. Rita has emerged as a trailblazer. Let’s take a deep dive into her life, her craft, and the versatility that sets her apart.

A Glimpse into Rita’s Beginnings and Legacy

Born July 12, 1975, in Mbaise, Imo State, into a distinguished family (her father was a doctor, her mother a nurse), Rita Dominic blossomed early into performance. 

With theatre arts studied at the University of Port Harcourt (class of 1999), she dove into Nollywood full-force after her debut in 1998’s A Time to Kill.

Dubbed a “silver screen icon” by CNN, she has earned numerous accolades, from the AMVCA (in both drama and comedy) to Kenya’s Kalasha Award. 

Beyond acting, Rita co-founded The Audrey Silva Company (TASC) with Mildred Okwo, producing hits like The Meeting and working on Nigeria’s famed Miss Nigeria pageant.

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’76 (2016) 

Role: Suzie Dewa, a pregnant army wife caught in a storm of political intrigue.

Set six years after Nigeria’s civil war, ’76 traces the harrowing ordeal of Captain Joseph Dewa (Ramsey Nouah), falsely accused of involvement in the failed 1976 coup. 

Rita Dominic’s Suzie embodies emotional resilience. She’s gentle yet resolute as she fights to prove her husband’s innocence and protect their unborn child.

Her performance earned widespread acclaim, including the AMVCA Best Actress in a Drama (Movie/TV Series). 

Critics praised her nuanced portrayal of a woman under strain, small gestures like a quivering hand or a steely glare spoke louder than words. Kemi Filani News described her turn as “refreshing… bringing the plight of a soldier’s wife to life on screen.”

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The Meeting (2012)

Role: Clara Ikemba, the formidable gatekeeper in Abuja’s bureaucracy.

In this award-winning (AMAA & Audience Choice in Paris) romantic comedy, Rita stars opposite Femi Jacobs, playing a no‑nonsense receptionist whose brash exterior conceals vulnerability. 

Damian Okwo’s script uses Clara to spotlight bureaucracy, but Rita’s performance elevates it: she’s prickly, sarcastic, and unexpectedly human.

Her demand for bribes, comic dominance, and begrudging soft spots turn Clara into one of Nollywood’s most iconic comedic characters.

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Light in the Dark (2019)

Role: Jumoke, a survivor navigating trauma and hope.

In this intense drama/thriller, Rita stars as Jumoke, a married mother of one attacked during a break-in . 

The film explores the horrifying aftermath of gender violence and its impact on family dynamics.

With little dialogue, Rita conveys suffering, stoicism, and the fragile rebuilding of trust; she anchors the film’s emotional core.

Critics applauded how her intimate, understated performance elevated the broader narrative into a moving portrait of survival.

The Trade (2023) 

Role: Doris, a sharp, determined enforcement officer.

In Jade Osiberu’s crime thriller, Rita plays Doris, a tactful but fierce character operating within Nigeria’s gritty criminal landscape. 

As a wife, mother, and law enforcer, Doris is moral and multifaceted. Rita’s measured portrayal balances empathy and authority, keeping viewers guessing about loyalties and drive.

Her presence lends gravitas, showing how seamlessly she adapts to genre shifts, from historical drama to urban crime.

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Shattered (2011)

Role: Keziah Njema, a woman grappling with the aftermath of deep childhood trauma

In Shattered, Rita Dominic took a bold leap, crossing not just emotional borders but continental ones. 

This Kenyan-Nigerian psychological drama saw her transform into Keziah Njema, a woman grappling with the aftermath of deep childhood trauma, emotional manipulation, and a complex web of familial betrayal.

Shot in Nairobi, and currently streaming on Showmax. Shattered is a raw, unflinching portrayal of dissociative identity disorder, a subject rarely explored in African cinema at the time. 

Dominic’s portrayal was at once harrowing and dignified, switching between vulnerability and steely resolve, fear and fury, confusion and clarity.

This wasn’t just acting, it was embodiment. The emotional depth she brought to the role forced audiences to confront the stigma surrounding mental health. 

It was so compelling that it earned her the Best Actress Award at Kenya’s prestigious Kalasha Film and Television Awards, marking one of the first times a Nigerian actor would dominate such a regional award space.

Iyore (2014)

Role: Osarugwe, a Benin royal and reincarnated spirit navigating love, war, betrayal, and fate across timelines.

In Iyore, Rita Dominic channels history. Set in the mystical past of the ancient Benin Kingdom, the narrative blends mythology, romance, reincarnation, and tribal lore. 

The film required its lead to ground the surreal with emotional truth, and Dominic rose to the challenge. 

Her performance is commanding yet sensitive, her voice and expressions embodying the dignity of a queen, the longing of a lover, and the weight of destiny.

Iyore gave Rita the platform to explore epic period storytelling, and she seized it with timeless grace, proving she could bring as much authenticity to historical roles as she does to contemporary dramas.

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La Femme Anjola (2021) 

Role: Anjola, a femme fatale

In La Femme Anjola, Rita Dominic gave us something we hadn’t seen before: herself as a full-blown femme fatale. 

She plays Anjola, a sultry, enigmatic jazz singer married to a wealthy gangster and entangled in a dangerous affair with a young stockbroker.

Set in Lagos with a slick noir aesthetic, the film unravels like a slow-burning thriller soaked in deception, danger, and desire. 

Dominic’s performance is magnetic; she whispers through scenes like a shadow, her eyes laced with secrets, her voice dripping with unspoken longing and pain. 

Her singing is hypnotic, her costumes deliberately theatrical, and her presence commands every room she enters.

La Femme Anjola is as much about its brooding cinematography as it is about character psychology, and Rita, again, is at the centre, pulling the strings of a story that blurs the lines between victim and villain. 

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The Therapist (2021) 

Role: Eloho Ojukwu, a woman running a secret support network for victims of abusive marriages.

In The Therapist, Rita Dominic delivered a measured, mature, and emotionally layered performance as Eloho Ojukwu, a woman running a secret support network for victims of abusive marriages. 

Having survived a traumatic marriage herself, Eloho is now determined to help other women find legal and emotional freedom, but at a personal cost.

The film is reflective. And that’s what makes Rita’s performance so impactful. There are no grand outbursts or melodramatic flourishes here. 

Instead, we get a woman quietly battling her own demons while fighting for others in courtrooms, support groups, and deeply emotional confrontations.

She brings a sense of lived experience and gravity to every line, showing the weight of survival and the complicated ethics of revenge and justice. 

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