Meet Georgina Elizabeth Okon of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Georgina Elizabeth Okon.

Hi Georgina Elizabeth, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I distinctly remember my father telling me at the age of three, “Georgina, you were born in the UK, and you are going to go back.” THAT sentence stayed with me. As a child growing up in Nigeria, I knew that one day I would return to the UK.

I studied Fashion Design, believing it was my calling—my mission and the primary way I expressed my creativity. The plan was clear: return to the UK, establish myself as a fashion designer, create a fashion empire with my sister Ziba—and, naturally, achieve world domination. I was convinced this was the path my life would take.

Then came an unexpected shift. I was randomly invited to fill in for an actress who had dropped out of a play at the National Stadium in Lagos. I told them there had clearly been a mistake—I was not an actress—but the director insisted he saw something in me. To my surprise, I stepped into the role and fell in love with performing. I didn’t realize it at the time, but a spark had been lit—one that would eventually lead me to acting, voiceover, and filmmaking.

I later left Nigeria for the UK and pursued fashion professionally, but when the company I was working for began losing money and staff started getting laid off, I was forced to take stock. Deep down, I knew I wasn’t happy or fulfilled. I resigned and tried to find another fashion job, but doors were slamming shut in my face. Around that time, a friend and mentor from my church in the UK, Steve Levy, said something that changed everything: “You should be an actor.”

He saw clearly what I couldn’t. Storytelling had been calling me all along. Once I finally accepted that acting was my true path, I left the UK for the US to study drama and pursue an acting career.

As an actor and voiceover artist, I’ve worked across film, television, theatre, and voiceover.
I was blessed to be cast in Fugitive Zero, written and directed by Joe Lam, which earned me ten Best Supporting Actress nominations and seven wins.
More recently, I landed a lead role in the feature film Not Every Woman, directed by Dara Frazier, which is now available to rent/buy on Amazon Prime and Apple TV. Not Every Woman will be released on more AVOD platforms soon

I just wrapped shooting the short dance film Repercussions—a first for me, and one that really stretched me, as dance/movement isn’t a creative language I normally speak.
In addition, I play Axado, a terrifying, hair-trigger killer, in the audio drama The Invenios Expeditions, directed by Christof Laputka, creator and founder of Leviathan Audio Productions and the award-winning series The Leviathan Chronicles.

Along the way, I was repeatedly challenged to write my own stories. I tried—but fear would always creep in and shut me down. That changed when a friend from church challenged me to enter an iPhone Film Festival. That single challenge shifted everything.

It led me to co-write, direct, and act in my first short film, Etched, shot entirely on my iPhone XR with no crew and no budget. The film was driven by faith and an idea to explore marriage, forgiveness, and grace. By God’s grace, Etched went on to win a Showcase Prize at the Reimagine iPhone Film Festival ’25.
For me, it marked the moment fear finally loosened its grip—and I stepped fully into the storyteller I was always meant to be.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, it has definitely not been a smooth road. Let me take you back to the very first thing I shared earlier. I distinctly remember my father telling me at the age of three, “Georgina, you were born in the UK, and you are going to go back.” That sentence stayed with me. Growing up in Nigeria, I knew without a shadow of doubt that one day I would return to the UK.

After graduating in Fashion Design, I felt I had fulfilled my obligation to my parents and was ready to take that next step.
I approached my father with excitement, reminding him of what he had told me years earlier, and asked for his blessing and my documents so I could apply for my British passport. His response shocked me. He told me his unmarried daughter would only leave his house for her husband’s house.

I felt stunned, heartbroken, and deeply betrayed. I truly believe he never thought I would act on it—but for me, my decision was made. I was leaving. Period.

I knew then that I had to make a difficult and painful choice. I left for the UK without his knowledge. Years later, I asked him to forgive me for how I handled it, and by God’s grace, he did—and he gave me his blessing.
But that was only the beginning of the struggle.

Leaving the UK for the US was an even greater challenge.
Only my brother George and my sister-in-law Anna knew my plans. My family in Nigeria had no idea. I knew that telling them I was leaving a stable life as a British citizen—selling a mortgage-free home to finance an acting career in the US at this stage of my life—would result in World War Three.
I decided to give it a miss.

Financially and emotionally, the journey was brutal. The proceeds from selling my UK property ran out just one month before my work experience authorization expired, and I needed to apply for an O-1 visa—the visa required for non-US actors to work professionally.

I applied for a total of four O-1 visas over the years before finally securing my green card in 2022. Each O-1 application cost thousands of dollars, and the green card process took nearly four years.
Living on an O-1 visa comes with enormous pressure. You are only allowed to work as an actor—nothing else to supplement my nonexistent income—and any violation could result in deportation.

Many employers are reluctant to hire O-1 visa holders due to the temporary nature of the visa, and countless auditions explicitly stated that only U.S. citizens or green card holders should apply. The journey was not for the faint of heart, and the fear was very real.

One of the hardest moments came when I booked what would have been my first network television role.
I received the contracts just over two weeks before filming was set to begin, signed everything, and told everyone—believing this was it, the breakthrough moment I had worked so hard for.

Then everything fell apart. A critical document required to work in television was missing from my immigration paperwork, and the role was given to someone else. At the same time, my visa was close to expiring, I had no income, no savings—and to top it all off, my car broke down catastrophically on the freeway.

Those are the kinds of moments designed to crush a dream.
But anyone who dares to pursue a calling will face obstacles, opposition, and trials. The road is never easy. That’s why faith has been essential for me.
When my world was falling apart, trusting God was the only thing that kept me—and encouraged me to stay the course and not give up.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an actor, voiceover artist, host, storyteller, singer (that skill is very much under construction!), and filmmaker. I’ve been blessed to explore and grow in each of these areas, and every experience has stretched me in new ways.

Television
Some of my acting credits include guest-starring roles on CBS’s award-winning comedy Bob Hearts Abishola, Nickelodeon’s live-action comedy The Really Loud House, and Hulu’s Emmy Award–nominated comedy-drama Shrill.

Film
On the film side, I’ve played lead roles in Not Every Woman (a dramatic feature currently streaming on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Tubi), the comedic short The Family Meeting (streaming on HBO Max, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and Sling), and the award-winning dramatic short Etana.
I also had a supporting role in the short film, Fugitive Zero, which earned me 10 Best Supporting Actress nominations and 7 awards.

Voiceover
Voiceover has been another wonderful avenue for my creativity.
I’ve worked on films like Marvel’s three-time Oscar-winning Black Panther, the BAFTA-nominated The Woman King, and Netflix features such as Outlaw (Bandida 2), Street Flow 2, Simply Black, and School Life. On TV, I’ve voiced roles in Netflix’s Mortel (Seasons 1 & 2), The Break, Unit 42, CBS’s Scorpion, and the German comedy series Oh Hell.
I also voiced the lead in the noir-crime drama podcast Hell California: Waiting for Bardot, and most recently in the sci-fi audio drama The Invenios Expedition, a spin-off of the award-winning The Leviathan Chronicles series.

Theatre & Live Performance
On stage, I performed in Nothing, Nothing, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, which won the LA Theatre Bites Award for Best Original Los Angeles Show (2023).
More recently, I performed in In The Park by Eric Conger, directed by Emmy Award–winner Cady McClain.
I also had the joy of co-writing and performing a storytelling piece with Sarah Murphree, founder of Funny People Cry Too, at the Santa Monica Playhouse.

New Ventures
2025 brought new adventures: I filmed my first music video, Repercussion (directed by Alexander King), which explores his adoption journey. It will be my first time dancing on film—an exciting challenge!
I also hosted my first fashion show, the Afrik Regalia Fashion Show & Cultural Event, which stretched me in ways I didn’t expect and left me wanting to do more.

What I’m Known For
I’m most known for two things: my work as a dramatic actor with emotional depth and my language/accent versatility.
As a British-born Nigerian, I’ve been able to bring a wide range of voices and cultural layers to my work—about half of my roles require African, Nigerian, Haitian, or British accents.
Recently, I even discovered I could do a Somali accent for a project, which turned out wonderfully.

What I’m Most Proud Of
Above all, I’m most proud of Etched.
With no crew, no budget, and only my iPhone XR, I co-wrote, directed, and acted in my first short film. It was faith, prayer, and God’s grace that brought it to life.
By His hand, Etched went on to win a Showcase Prize at the 2025 Reimagine iPhone Film Festival, Best Mini-Film, Best Writing, and Best Actor at the Christian Online Film Festival 2025, and Best Experimental Short at the Last Evangelist Film & Music Film Festival 2025.

Additionally, Etched has just been Officially Selected at the Harvard Divinity School Film Festival 2026 and the Christian Film Festival 2026.
I am also deeply proud of my 2026 Ambie Award nomination for Best Performance in Audio Fiction for The Invenios Expeditions. When I went into the studio to record my role as Axado, the terrifying, hair-trigger killer, I had just returned from my cousin Eyo Ita’s funeral in Annapolis.
It was God who saw me through, and I felt incredibly blessed to work with such an amazing director, production team, and cast. I never imagined that experience would lead me to attending the Ambie Awards as a nominee in February.
To me, it’s proof of what God can do when we release fear and choose to trust Him.

What Sets Me Apart

What sets me apart is my cultural background as a British-born Nigerian now based in Los Angeles, my unique perspective at this stage of my life, and my lens of faith.
I’m not 21 anymore—I bring layers of lived experience, cultural depth, and a deep faith that informs every choice I make. If God doesn’t go before me, there’s nowhere for me to go.
My work is about following where He leads and saying yes to the stories only I can tell.

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Not Every Woman, a feature film directed by Dara Frazier- Available to rent or buy- Amazon:

Apple TV:
https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/not-every-woman/umc.cmc.6nk1e43jemnwczaxbgsns4jrj

https://pro.imdb.com/title/tt35889949/?ref_=nm_filmo_pastfilmvid_25

SOCIAL:

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/1642studioproduction?igsh=aDM0bmpqc21tc2t0

TikTok:

@1642.production

RECENT PRESS:

SwagHer Magazine

Dara Frazier’s Not Every Woman Brings Black Womanhood, Humor, and Hard Truths to the Screen

BLK News

The Emotional Power of Not Every Woman: Dara Frazier’s Fierce Ode to Sisterhood and Self-Preservation

Vocal Media
https://vocal.media/interview/dara-frazier-s-not-every-woman-confronts-the-weight-black-women-carry-and-the-freedom-of-letting-go

Sheen Magazine

Dara Frazier’s “Not Every Woman” Captures the Real Lives and Voices of Black Women

Entertainment Post

Looking for a New Film to Start the Year? Dara Frazier’s Not Every Woman Speaks to the Moment

Los Angeles Wire

1642 Productions LLC: A Story Studio Redefining Independent Film Through Bold Vision

Repercussions Short Dance Film by Alexander Michael King

https://repercussionsmusicvideo.com/the-creatives

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-bring-the-repercussion-music-video-to-life?attribution_id=sl:a60a3bfb-7cab-4dd2-9a6d-e6cd9bdde701&lang=en_US&ts=1749741149&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_content=amp13_t1-amp14_t2-amp15_t2&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link&v=amp14_t2

https://pro.imdb.com/title/tt39096181/?ref_=nm_filmo_filminprod_2

https://www.pasadenaweekly.com/feature_stories/repercussions-the-fabric-of-unanswered-questions/article_acd633d5-6811-4f06-a434-d09c25b7535b.html

https://www.ladowntownnews.com/arts_and_entertainment/repercussions-the-fabric-of-unanswered-questions/article_c0e34091-bb47-437f-8324-269acd65ee13.html

Industry Interview with 119 Production Designer Alexander King & Actress Georgina Okon
https://tinyurl.com/bdezxt8z

The Invenios Expeditions created/directed/written by Christof Laputka

https://www.patreon.com/cw/leviathanchronicles/home

https://pro.imdb.com/title/tt39622738/?ref_=nm_filmo_other_1

The Invenios Expeditions Behind The Scenes-Introducing Axado
https://tinyurl.com/437kta73

• The Hollywood Reporter
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/2026-ambies-awards-nominations-best-podcast-1236479403/

• Variety
https://variety.com/2026/digital/news/ambies-2026-podcast-awards-nominations-full-list-1236637055/

• Billboard
https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/ambies-2026-nominations-list-1236158468/

Ambies
https://www.ambies.com/2026-ambies-nominees

Etched written by Georgina Elizabeth Okon/Shannon Mitchell

https://filmfreeway.com/projects/3944113

https://pro.imdb.com/title/tt36997549/?ref_=nm_ovrvw_cr_kf_2

• VoyageLA — Filmmaker Interview
https://voyagela.com/interview/rising-stars-meet-georgina-elizabeth-okon-of-los-angeles/

• MaXIT Magazine — Feature Interview
https://www.maxitmagazine.com/article/etched-a-short-film-about-faith-and-forgiveness

• ShoutOutLA — Artist Profile
https://shoutoutla.com/meet-georgina-elizabeth-okon-actorvoiceover-artistsingerstorytellerhostwriterfilmmaker/

• Actors Becoming Filmmakers — The Cinema Gym Podcast with Alex D’Lerma (YouTube)

A Conversation with Alex D’Lerma-The Cinema Gym
https://tinyurl.com/476azncs

Substack Blog-The Story Behind Etched
https://substack.com/@ogggbetwinner/the-story-behind-etched

Medium Blog-The Story Behind Etched
https://medium.com/@ogggbetwinner/the-story-behind-etched

A Grieving Man feature film written by Waide Aaron Riddle

https://pro.imdb.com/title/tt13061580/images

The Caffeinated Cooper Show Ep 318 Georgina Okon
https://tinyurl.com/ms33eutp

A Grieving Man: A screenplay by Waide Aaron Riddle

A Grieving Man” is a Fiscally Sponsored Project of From The Heart Productions. Where each Donation helps to produce the film, gives the Donor credit and rewards the Donor with tax advantages.

Fiscally Sponsored Indie Films and Projects

Contact Info:

• Website: www.georginaelizabethokon.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kjarandassociates/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Kjar-Associates-Talent-Management-100068749472601/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriafisherbriggs/, https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-kjar-5386319/
• Twitter: https://x.com/georgina_okon
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@geegee2012act
• Other: https://filmfreeway.com/projects/3944113

Image Credits
Photo 1 & 2 – Shutter Stock – The Podcast Academy
Photo 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 – Georgina Elizabeth Okon
Photo 7 – Waide Aaron Riddle
Photo 10, 11, 12, 13 – Alexander Michael King