Life & Work with Georgina Elizabeth Okon of Los Angeles

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

Hi Georgina Elizabeth, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born in the UK to Nigerian parents, and taken back to Nigeria as a baby, where I grew up. Later, I left Nigeria for the UK to pursue a career in Fashion Design, which I studied.

What I didn’t realize at the time was that storytelling had been woven into my life from the very beginning and was calling out to me—but I didn’t initially recognize that voice. When it finally became clear that acting was my calling, I left the UK for the US to pursue it.

As an actor and voiceover artist, I’ve worked in film, television, and theatre. I was blessed to be cast in the short film Fugitive Zero, written and directed by Joe Lam, where I received 10 Best Supporting Actress nominations and was awarded 7 Best Supporting Actress awards. Most recently, I was cast in the play In The Park, written by New York playwright Eric Conger and directed by Emmy Award-winner Cady McClain.

Along the way, I was repeatedly challenged to write and tell my own stories—stories that only I could tell. But I was terrified and convinced I could never do it… until a friend at church challenged me to enter an iPhone Film Festival. That challenge changed everything.

It led me to co-write, direct, and star in my very first short film, Etched. What makes it special to me is that it was shot entirely on my iPhone XR, with no crew and no budget. It was driven by faith, a fire that wouldn’t quit, and a deep desire to tell a story about marriage, forgiveness, and grace.

By God’s grace, that little film went on to win a Showcase Prize at the Reimagine iPhone Film Festival ’25, which still amazes me. Fear had held me in a merciless prison for too long—until God said, “No more.”

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, it hasn’t been a smooth road—not by a long shot.

Packing up my life in the UK (selling my home, which I had purchased outright—I had no mortgage), leaving behind two decades of roots and citizenship, to come to the US and pursue an acting career, while bracing for the hellish immigration process… it seemed insane on every level.

The immigration journey costs tens of thousands of dollars and comes with constantly shifting goal posts. Just when you think you’ve caught up, everything changes again. Financially, it was devastating. All my resources went into immigration fees while I tried to piece together an acting career and find a place to live. There was a year I moved 15 times. The year after that was only slightly better: I moved 14 times, driving around Los Angeles with all my worldly possessions in the back of my truck.

But I think that’s what makes the journey meaningful. No one who dares to live out a dream has it easy. Obstacles, opposition, hardships, and trials are all part of the course. That’s why you have to trust God.

Like many artists, I’ve faced seasons of uncertainty, disappointment, rejection, devastation, and long stretches of waiting. There were moments when the doors I prayed would open stayed firmly shut. And there were the personal struggles too—balancing life’s demands while pursuing a creative calling that doesn’t always make sense to others. From the outside, it probably looked reckless—a fool’s errand, maybe even suicide.

Making Etched was its own kind of obstacle course. I didn’t have a crew, fancy equipment, or even a budget. At times, I questioned whether the film would come together at all. But I learned that limitations can actually spark creativity. They forced me to think differently and to rely on God in ways I hadn’t before. Every setback became an invitation to dig deeper, to trust more, and to remember why I started telling stories in the first place. That’s what the fire was there for.

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 in post-production), 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 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 Leviathan 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
This year has brought new adventures: I’ll be filming 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 starred in my first short film. It was nothing but faith, prayer, and God’s grace that brought it to life. And by His hand, Etched went on to win a Showcase Prize at the 2025 Reimagine iPhone Film Festival. 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.

What were you like growing up?
Although I was born in Portsmouth, Southsea in the UK, I grew up in Lagos, Nigeria. My parents took me back as a baby, and Lagos became home. I was raised alongside three brothers—George, Ephraim, and Michael—and my sister Ziba, who’s just a year older than me. Sadly, we lost my brother Ephraim in 2002, and to this day, it still doesn’t feel real.

Ziba and I were inseparable growing up. We were so close in age, size, and looks that people often mistook us for twins. We were like two little old souls, greeting each other every morning with, “Good morning, did you sleep well?” We played together, fought sometimes, but I always looked up to her. She was graceful and composed, while I was more of a tomboy. Having her as my sister was one of the greatest gifts of my childhood.

Family life was lively and full of laughter. My dad, who earned his doctorate in music, often turned off the TV and told us kids to “entertain.” We formed a band called The Groovies. I was the lead singer—until I realized my nostrils flared when I sang! Music, humor, and togetherness filled our home.

Sundays after church meant piling into my dad’s Mercedes-Benz (his pride and joy). He’d count us off one by one—“Company 1: Ziba, Company 2: Georgina…”—until all five of us were accounted for. Then we’d head to Bar Beach, Victoria Island, joining other families enjoying the sea, or to the Federal Palace Hotel for lunch. I always ordered a club sandwich, without fail.

School wasn’t always easy—I never quite fit in at secondary school—but the joy of home life, cousins, aunts, uncles, Christmases, and Easters made my childhood feel magical. When I think back, my early years were imperfect, like any family’s, but they were filled with love, laughter, and memories I’ll always cherish.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://georginaelizabethokon.com
• Instagram: @kjarandassociates
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=618801955
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@geegee2012act/featured
• Other: https://youtu.be/Se6–8vQES8?si=GMw84Ty-tcGUXGWb

Image Credits
Personal Photo-Bradford Rogne-https://rognephoto.com

Additional Photos-
1 HPN Oscar Watch Party-
Tamara Sanchez/Redeemed Social Photography -@redeemedsocial
Malena and Don Young/Q-it-up-Entertainment -@qitupentertainment
2 HPN 23rd Anniversary Party-Kendra Harris Photography
3 Georgina Elizabeth Okon
4 Etched-Still-Georgina Elizabeth Okon