Photo: The Prosperous Lives of Kate Henshaw and Mercy Johnson
The stories of our lives are never determined by the beginnings. The starting point only helps us to know where to steer the boat. If our efforts don’t change our live then it is baseless.
A wise man once said that life doesn’t give you what you deserve, but what you demand. In this edition, we view the lives of two celebrities who demanded wealth and fame from life, and today, are living their dreams.
Kate Henshaw
Kate Henshaw is no doubt one of the most popular and richest actresses to have graced the screen in Nigeria. The mother of one, since her debut in When the sun sets, has come a long way and is rated as one of the most successful actresses in Nollywood. She was born July 19, 1971 in Calabar, Cross Rivers State. Kate is the first of four children. She had her primary and secondary education in Lagos and Calabar respectively.
Kate did remedial studies at the University of Calabar and went on to Lagos State University to bag a degree in Medical Microbiology. She later worked at the Bauchi State General Hospital.
The icon ventured into the make-believe world in 1993, after she auditioned and got a lead role in the movie, When the sun sets. She has featured in more than 50 movies including blockbusters movies like Games Men Play, Above Death, and In God We Trust.
She also starred in a new movie titled The Assassin’s Practice, which premiered recently in the United Kingdom and is set to hit Nigerian cinemas.
Awards
Kate Henshaw, in 2008, won the African Movie Academy Awards for the Best Actress in a leading role for her role in the movie titled Stronger than Pain.
Favourite Clothing Items
It is no doubt that Kate Henshaw has one of the best bodies in Nollywood due to her consistent workout culture. It is no wonder, therefore, that she showcases this body of hers in expensive designer clothes, bags and shoes. She was sighted on her mini black and red Kira dress from the Afrolosophy collection at the London premier of the Assassin’s Practice. The dress was designed by a UK-based Nigerian designer label, Asake Oge. Her clothes are worth N100,000 to N250, 000 per design. She completed her red carpet look with a black and red peep-toe shoes, a red clutch and a stunning ruby earrings which must have cost the ‘celeb’ a fortune. She also wears Charlotte Olympian Heels designs; the designer shoes only are worth over N200,000 per piece.
Again, at the recent AMVCA award, Kate stole the show with her red Needlepoint dress. Needlepoint dress are always handmade and handmade clothes are priceless. Kate also has a Fendi designer’s handbag worth over N200,000.
Endorsements
Kate Henshaw was one of Globacom brand ambassadors. The endorsement deal was worth millions of naira. Kate replaced Sasha, the female rapper, as one of the judges on Nigeria’s Got Talent. It is also an endorsement deal worth million of naira. She is still the face of Onga. Kate Henshaw is also one of Samsung’s brand ambassadors, an endorsement worth millions of naira also. She is the face of Blessings Perfume in the United Kingdom.
Projects
Kate has a reputation for being fit as she has maintained the lifestyle of regular exercises over the years. It is no surprise that she is about to launch a fitness regime DVD called “Kate’s Fit for life DVD” in September. She had recently signed a multi- million naira contract to market and distribute the fitness DVD in Nigeria and abroad. ‘Fit for Life’ is going to be sponsored by an International Distribution deal in New York. In 2012 Kate Henshaw Hair Dressing Saloon was nominated for Liverpool Lifestyle Awards in the United Kingdom.
Houses and Cars
Kate Henshaw's Nissan-Armad
Our icon is not so flashy. She is prudent when it comes to buying loud, extremely, expensive cars like most celebrities do. She channels her money into investments. At the moment, she drives an SUV, Nissan Arrmada, worth N16m. Kate Henshaw has a property in Cross Rivers state and lives in her own house worth millions of naira in a choice area on Lagos Island.
Mercy Johnson
Mercy Johnson Okojie is already a force to reckoned with in the Nigerian entertainment industry. She may not have stayed a hundred years, but she is an authority without mincing words. She is blessed with a body every man would kill to have. Mercy has been described many times by her own friends and colleagues as an extremely beautiful African woman, blessed with uncanny intelligence and wisdom. Her debut into the industry was at the time when some actresses were facing suspension and new faces were in desperate need.
Her story was that she seized the opportunity given and made the best of it. Yes, she rose from zero to hero as a true heroine she was born to be. It was not always rosy for the screen sweetheart as she got shot into limelight after spending a part of her life working humbly to feed herself. MJ was born on August 28, 1984. She hails from Okene in Kogi state and is the sixth child of seven children. Her Primary Education commenced in Calabar, and later continued at the Nigerian Navy Primary School, Lagos State. Mercy attended Rivers State Secondary school, but finished from the Nigerian Navy School both in Port-Harcourt. After her Secondary education, situations in life launched the icon into acting and the rest, as they say, became history.
Ratings
Mercy Johnson rakes in more than N7.5m per week and gets to do five movies per week. She is the highest sought-after actress and one of the highest paid actresses in Nollywood. She had starred in over 60 movies and still counting. Her movies are known to have been soldout even in Europe as she attained international recognition. It is no wonder producers stand in queues to give scripts to Mercy and also pay up-front to even get her attention. An example was when Mercy Johnson travelled to the United States to have her baby and had to feature in the movie titled Baby Oku, which was actually written because of the state of her pregnancy. That movie, Baby Oku, indeed sold like wildfire both in Nigeria and abroad.
This screen goddess has carve an amazing niche for herself to then extent that the least she charges as professional fee per movie is N1.5m or N2m, and she does close to five movies per week. Once in an interview, she told the press that she isn’t bothered about not having any endorsements from any telecommunication body or so. She said that her endorsements comes from her fans all over the world applauding her great work of art on screen and the money she rakes in for the jobs.
Project
Mercy Johnson may not be so busy with a lot of projects, but she is busy with her foundation which is dear to her. She calls it The Mercy Johnson Foundation for Children and Widows (TMJFCW). TMJFCW is a Non-Governmental Organisation. Meanwhile, the icon recently travelled to the United Kingdom to have her second baby. That alone is a project of a life time. As a mother and a wife, Mercy has done a fantastic job. It is not a surprise that she was given a welcome-home package by her hubby when she returned from the States after her first baby. Her fans are waiting for the second surprise package!
Her movies
Amongst her movies is the popular Dumebi in School, Sonma the Local Champion, Ebute the Only Girl and more.
Her car and house
Mercy Johnson has so many vehicles, but she said that her best is the car she received as a gift from her husband when she had her first baby. It is a brand new Lexus SUV which is worth N16m. Before her marriage to Prince Okojie, MJ had properties undisclosed, but enjoys her life living with her husband in their beautiful duplex in Lekki, Lagos.
Her designs and perfumes
Although Mercy Johnson is not a strict designers person, she wears what fits her body shape and type. It could be said that MJ is a designer in her own credit because she doesn’t need any particular design to look breathtakingly on the red carpet. According to MJ’s friends, as she is fondly called by her friends, MJ loves good perfumes and spends a lot of money getting them because to her, it is never wrong to smell nice. She goes for expensive designers perfumes.
Her wedding and life today
It would be recalled that MJ married her heartthrob, Prince Odianosen Okojie, in 2011 amidst so much joy and laughter. She is presently in United Kingdom expecting her second baby.
