"Birth of a Nation" actor talks exposure to Nigerian culture, Nollywood

Speaking on his exposure to the Nigerian culture, the "Birth of a Nation" actor said, "One thing I have realized recently is that a Nigerian house is a Nigerian house. whether you're in Lagos or in a village in Onitsha where I am from, every home is the same."

"They feel the same, they look the same, the food is the same, the pictures on the wall is the same. The answer is I grew up in Lagos even though I grew up in London," Okonkwo added.

Advising upcoming actors, the filmmaker said, "a few things. First of all, perseverance is important. If I know anything about Nigerian people, it's that we persevere."

"You're gonna find that they are many more Nos than yeses. You have to just keep going because you know in your heart that the yes is there."

"The community is important. When I moved to Los Angeles, I had friends who were from the UK, who worked the same part as I did. And then I also had peers, people I looked up to, like , who is Nigerian and British like me. It was important that I was able to connect with those people."

Okonkwo further encouraged upcoming actors to connect with him on social media, "So, I may be shooting myself in the foot by saying this, but if you're an actor or filmmaker and you want to connect, I will try and connect with you on Instagram," he said.

"It's the only social media I have, I can't handle Twitter or anything. Chike1 is my handle." he shared.

Okonkwo is popular for his role as Will in the 2016 Oscars contender, "Birth of a Nation."

His other movies include "The Last Jazzman," "Shoot the Messenger," "Derailed," "Knock-off" among others.