Somkele  Iyamah Idhalama has been included in some of the Nigerian film industry’s most notable productions along with international credits to her name. In 2016, she became a name to reckon with after three films she starred in went to premiere at the Toronto International Film festival (TIFF). In the same year, she was also selected as the first female international TIFF Rising Star. Her most notable works for TV are in the AMVCA nominated and critically acclaimed series, ‘GIDI UP’ by NdaniTv, Amazon Prime’s ‘THE EXPANSE’ and CBC’s ‘CORONER’. Her career  in film has led her to share the screen with Nollywood’s finest directors such as Steve Gukas and Kemi Adetiba. She has also shared screen time with Hollywood veteran, Danny Glover in the biopic, 93 DAYS where she plays one of the surviving doctors who caught Ebola in Nigeria directed by Steve Gukas which went on to win several awards and accolades around the globe. That role won her an ELOY award (best actress of the year), AMVCA nomination for best supporting actress, an AMVCA trailblazer award win, TFAA award, an AMAA nomination and an AFRIFF Jury Award. Her latest movie due out in Dec. 2020 has her with Hollywood veteran, Eric Roberts in A Soldier’s Story: Return From The Dead.

            Somkele holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from McMaster University, Canada. Her interest in the arts was ignited after playing the lead role in an adaptation of The Prodigal Son: The Clown while attending Grange School in Lagos Nigeria. Never looking back, all extra-curricular activities were in drama, dance and sports up to her time in university. She volunteered in several shows for charity at McMaster University during the semester and modeled for pay during the holidays back home in Nigeria some of which included work for Virgin Nigeria, Harp, ETB and Visafone Communications.

            When she is not in front of the camera, she is behind the scenes managing the fashion brand, Andrea Iyamah, which was founded by the head designer, Dumebi Iyamah. Being an active mother, wife, daughter and sister, of all her involvements, family is most important to her. Apart from looking forward to working with the great talents in her industry all over the world, Somkele is really a girl living life the best way she feels how.