Mary Lazarus
{{short description|Nigerian actress and movie producer}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Mary Lazarus
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name = Mary Lazarus
| nationality = Nigerian
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Lagos State, Hails from Abia State Nigeria
| alma_mater = University of Ibadan
| occupation = {{hlist|Actress|Movie producer|}}
| years_active = 2002–Present
| children =
| awards = City People Movie Award for Most Promising Actress of the Year (English) at the City People Entertainment Awards in 2018. City People Movie Awards, 2018 City People Movie Awards
| website =
}}
Mary Lazarus (born 5 May){{Cite web|url=https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/movies/mary-lazarus-5-nollywood-movies-featuring-actress/f0486ex.amp|title=Mary Lazarus 5 Nollywood movies featuring actress|website=www.pulse.ng|access-date=2019-12-23}} is a Nigerian actress {{Cite web |last=Aileru |first=Islamiat |date=2021-10-13 |title=Actress Mary Lazarus laments bitterly on the tradition of burying people in Igbo culture |url=https://www.kemifilani.ng/entertainment/actress-mary-lazarus-laments-bitterly-on-the-tradition-of-burying-people-in-igbo-culture |access-date=2022-03-15 |website=Kemi Filani News |language=en-GB}} and movie producer who won the City People Movie Award for Most Promising Actress of the Year (English) at the City People Entertainment Awards in 2018{{Cite web|url=http://www.citypeopleonline.com/winners-emerge-2018-city-people-movie-awards/|title=Winners Emerge @ 2018 City People Movie Awards|last=People|first=City|date=2018-09-24|website=City People Magazine|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-23}} and was nominated for Best Actress in a leading role in the same year at the Best of Nollywood Awards.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/movies/bon-awards-2018-mercy-aigbe-tana-adelana-shine-at-10th-edition/v9fvvnn|title=BON Awards 2018: Mercy Aigbe, Tana Adelana shine at 10th edition|date=2018-12-09|website=Pulse Nigeria|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-23}} She also won the award for Most Peaceful Actress of the Year.{{Cite web |date=2021-11-15 |title=Peace Awards: Mary Lazarus bags Most Peaceful Actress of the Year |url=https://punchng.com/peace-awards-mary-lazarus-bags-most-peaceful-actress-of-the-year/ |access-date=2022-07-25 |website=Punch Newspapers |language=en-US}}
Early life and education
Lazarus hails from Abia State in Nigeria, a southeastern geographical location of Nigeria predominantly occupied by the Igbo people of Nigeria. Lazarus is specifically from Ukwa East Local Government Area of Abia State and was born into a family of nine consisting of a mother, a father and six siblings of which she is a twin and one of the last born children of the family alongside her twin brother named Joseph.{{Cite web|url=http://nigeria.shafaqna.com/|title=Actress Mary Lazarus And Twin Brother Celebrate Birthday Today (Pictures) – Nairaland|website=Nigeria News (News Reader)|language=EN|access-date=2019-12-23}} Lazarus, upon receiving both primary and secondary education and obtaining her First School Leaving Certificate and the West African Senior School Certificate respectively, applied to University of Ibadan in a bid to obtain a university degree. She was accepted and granted admission to study Geography in the institution where she eventually graduated with a 4.4 cumulative grade point average with a B.Sc. degree in Geography.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/movies/mary-lazarus-8-things-you-should-know-about-the-starlet/g45p9rw|title=8 Things you should know about the starlet|date=2015-08-17|website=Pulse Nigeria|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-23}}{{Cite web|url=https://punchng.com/many-misuse-social-media-mary-lazarus/|title=Many misuse social media –Mary Lazarus|website=Punch Newspapers|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-23}}
Career
Lazarus, who is popularly known for her roles in diverse Nollywood movies debuted first as a model in 2002 before venturing into the Nigerian movie industry in 2009 with a movie titled “Waiting Years”. She secured a role in the movie through the help of Gbenro Ajibade who introduced her to John Njamah, the director of the movie who eventually assigned her a role.{{Cite web|url=https://punchng.com/modelling-prevented-me-from-making-a-first-class-degree-mary-lazarus/|title=Modelling prevented me from making a first-class degree — Mary Lazarus|website=Punch Newspapers|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-23}} Lazarus made her directorial debut with a movie titled “Dance To My Beat” of which she also produced in 2017.
Lazarus as a model has made appearances in commercials by Airtel and MTN.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/06/mary-lazarus-implores-government-build-cinema-houses/|title=Mary Lazarus implores government to build cinema houses|date=2018-06-20|website=Vanguard News|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-23}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.legit.ng/10719.html|title="Every Part Of My Body Is Sexy"- Actress Mary Lazarus|last=Legit.ng|date=2012-10-05|website=www.legit.ng|language=en|access-date=2019-12-23}}
Influence
Lazarus, in an interview with the Vanguard print media, named Nollywood veteran actresses Omotola Jalade Ekeinde and Joke Silva as her role models in the Nigerian movie industry.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/02/dont-try-not-mary-lazarus/|title=I don’t try to be who I am not - Mary Lazarus|date=2018-02-04|website=Vanguard News|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-23}} Lazarus in another interview with The Punch print media named American actress Kimberly Elise as one who she admires because of her extensive body of work.
Award and nomination
| class ="wikitable" |
| Year
!Award ceremony !Prize !Result ! Ref |
|---|
| rowspan="2" |2018
|Most Promising Actress of the Year (English) |{{won}} |
| Best of Nollywood Awards
|Best Actress in a Lead Role - English |{{nom}} |
| 2020
|2020 Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards |Best Supporting Actress in a Movie or TV Series - Size 12 |{{nom}} |
Personal life
Lazarus comes from a family of nine and is one of the lastborn children of her parents alongside her twin brother. In an interview with The Punch print media she described herself as a fun-loving person.
Selected filmography and TV series
- Iron Bar (2024) as Asari
- Saving Onome (2024) as Oreoluwa
- Reversed Game (2023) as Faith
- Bridges of Trust (2023) as Sarah
- Blood Ties (2022) as Karen
- Tainted (2022) as Mara
- Perfect Neighbour (2021) as Amaka
- It takes Two (2021) as Elise
- When Life Happens (2020) as Cindy | with Lota Chukwu, Jimmy Odukoya, Wole Ojo
- My Woman (2019) as Zara | with Seun Akinyele, Ujams C'briel
- Accidental Affair (2019) as Kristen
- Clustered Colours (2019)
- Broken Pieces (2018)
- Homely: What Men Want (2018) as Keji
- Dance To My Beat (2017)
- The Road Not Taken II (2017)
- Love Lost (2017) as Rena
- Girls Are Not Smiling (2016)
- What Makes You Tick (2016) as Ann Okojie
- Okafor's Law (2016) as Kamsi
- Better Than The Beginning (2015)
- Bad Drop (2015)
- Losing Control (2015) as Uche
- Second Chances (2014) as Justina
- Desperate Housegirls (2013)
- Married but Living Single (2012) as Binta
- Waiting Years (2010)
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|7485334}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lazarus, Mary}}
Category:21st-century Nigerian actresses
Category:University of Ibadan alumni
Category:Nigerian film actresses
Category:Actresses from Abia State