Sex: Male
Date of Birth: April 7th, 1973
Place of Birth: Port-Harcourt, Nigeria
Nationality: Nigerian
Profession: Comedian, Musician, Actor Relationship: Married to Ibiere Agwu with a daughter, Zahra
Father: Chief Augustine Amadi Agwu
Mother: Mrs. Mary Agwu
Famous For: Rib cracking jokes
Profile of Julius Agwu:
The rapid growth and development of the comedy business in Nigeria can largely be attributed to the dogged determination of a few individuals one of which is Julius Agwu. He happens to be one of the most successful entertainers in Nigeria today. His talents have afforded him the opportunity to stand before the kings and princes of this world. His success story chronicles the rise of a child born without a spoon let alone a silver or golden spoon! He hails from Choba in Obio /Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
He was born on April 7th, 1973 to Chief Augustine Amadi Agwu and Mrs. Mary Agwu. Being the fifth child of his father’s six children, he was brought up a disciplined child. Julius, the widely acclaimed genius attended Elementary State School in Choba and later went on to UPE also at Choba, while he had his secondary school education at Government Secondary School in Borokini, Port-Harcourt. However, he acquired his ‘O’ Levels at Akpor Grammar School in Ozoba where his social prowess was brought to the fore as a social prefect and President of the Dramatic, Debating and Cultural Society.
Julius who passed in flying colours, later gained admission into the University of Port-Harcourt to study Theater Arts at the Diploma level with specialization in acting. He then followed suit with a degree programme (BA) in Theatre Arts still at the University of Port-Harcourt. Julius was adjudged the best student in the graduating class of the year in 1997.
His combined success in the movie industry, music and comedy in Nigeria is unrivaled by any other artiste till date. He founded a genre of music in Nigeria known as musicomedy being the first comedian to release a comedy album in the country and this earned him different awards and nominations.
Having conquered the home terrain, Julius D’ Genius Agwu has also taken comedy shows to different parts of the world like Atlanta, Maryland, London, among others. Foremost amongst his annual comedy shows are; Crack Ya Ribs and Laff for Christ Sake. Considering that he hasn’t reached the peak of his career, Julius is working on various projects for the very near future including a television show.
THE COMEDIAN
It is now universally accepted that Julius ‘D GENIUS’ Agwu is one of the greatest comedians in the comedy world. He has passed through the litmus test on different occasions and the outcome has shown that he doesn’t have to prepare to reel out rib cracking jokes. The innate talent of making people laugh is inborn and it has taken him to every part of the world.
This act of making people laugh started from his childhood days. It was a usual habit then for him to play pranks whenever he was sent on errands. He would stop on the road to mimic different characters, an act that would send keen watchers then into uncontrollable laughter. One of his frolics of selling as a little salesman was to stop at the market square and other public places he could attract customers to watch as he mimicked Uncle JB, a popular drug vendor. As a result of the daily hawking, Julius became a perpetual late comer in school. His teacher then would ask him to stay in front of the class and entertain them for few minutes before he took his seat. This actually became a routine but little did the teacher know that he was preparing him for the future and today as a stand-up comedian of repute. Julius has excelled in the comedy business exemplarily.
He took his trade professionally during his days at the University of Port-Harcourt. His first major appearance was in 1996 when he featured in the first edition of ‘Night Of A Thousand Laughs’ which held in the University of Lagos. Shortly after that, he started a programme on Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) then called; ‘Laugh Line’ and was later changed to ‘Humour on Ice’. Within these periods, Julius’ fame soared to new heights and he was constantly invited to different events either as the show compare or a comedian.
He started his popular comedy show- ‘Crack Ya Ribs’ in 2001 in Lagos, Nigeria. The clamour to have it outside the shores of Nigeria by his teeming fans prompted him to take the show to different parts of the world. In 2005, he exported the show first to London, then to Atlanta, Maryland and Houston all in America. Till date, Nigerians in the diaspora look forward every year to the London edition of ‘Crack Ya Ribs’.
The success of his first show motivated Julius to come up with another brand of comedy show which he started in 2005 called ‘Laff 4 Christ Sake’. The show is designed to be an evening of gospel rhythm and jokes. Through this show, he has been able to get the undivided attention of lots of Christians because it is the only annual show that gives the Christian community the quality entertainment they always look forward to.
THE PERFORMER
Julius’ musical career started in the church like every other music greats in the world. He joined the choir at a very tender age and ranked amongst the best male vocalists. During his growing up days, he exhibited different unique talents in music but he refused to take it seriously until his success as a comedian cum actor forced him to reconsider his stance.
Julius is credited as the sole originator of the genre of music which is now known in Nigeria as musicomedy. He defines this unique fusion as the eclectic blend of different genres of music. His first album, Okombo which was inspired by Makossa music as performed by Awilo Logomba was released to a loud ovation in the year 2000. It was enjoyed in every part of the country owing to his hilarious style of delivery thus establishing himself as the master of mimicking! It proved to be a distinct sound as compared to the original version of the popular song by Awilo Logomba. The album went ahead to receive lots of awards nominations and established Julius as an artiste to court. As a follow up to the success of the first album, he released his second album titled ‘My Style’ in 2003. The album also recorded tremendous success and increased the number of his fans across the country and other neighboring countries.
Shortly after the release of the second album, he took a break from music to concentrate on other business concerns. Due to pressure from close friends and fans, Julius decided to take another shot at music in 2009 when he released the first single- Hello My Baby from his third album. This he did simultaneously with the video which he shot in London the same year. He held the listening party of same album on Friday May 28th, 2010 in Lagos and released the video of the second lead single same day to a critical acclaim. The third album titled D’ Genius will be released in December 2010.
AS AN ACTOR
As a matter of fact, Julius almost became a victim of career. His father wanted him to become a lawyer while his mother preferred him to be a carpenter. He started his acting career on stage in the city of Port-Harcourt where he grew up. He became a member of a traveling troupe owned by Innocent Ohiri in 1985 and traveled with them on several occasions for different performances. Aside this, Julius also had his own drama group.
In his quest to pursue his acting career, he attended lots of auditions in Lagos seeking for movie roles in what is known today as Nollywood, it wasn’t long before movie producers started reckoning with him. His earlier acting escapades includes a feature in a very popular sitcom on Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) known as Paradise Park where he earned his stripes as a good actor who knows his onions. He has also acted in movies like Rattle Snake, End of the River, Lagos Boy, King Jaja of Opobo, amongst many others. Julius also produced, directed and starred in his movie - ‘The gods Also Cry’.
THE ENTREPRENEUR
Julius Agwu is the MD/CEO of Reellaif Limited, a music and movie production company. He is also an entertainment consultant and motivational speaker. He has addressed the youth in various schools at different times teaching them how to unlock the secrets of success. Julius also has the gift of leadership which informs why he is always invited as a speaker whenever leadership issues are to be discussed at different forums. He has a foundation called Julius Agwu Foundation for Youths. As part of his corporate social responsibilities, Julius enjoys philanthropic ventures such as helping the poor, needy and less privileged.
AS A COMPERE
Julius Agwu is one of the best comperes ever to come out of Nigeria. He has handled so many A-list events in Nigeria and beyond. Some of the events he has anchored are Africa Movie Awards Academy (AMAA), Miss Nigeria Beauty Pageant, Nigeria Entertainment Awards (NEA) in America, Nigeria Re-Union Party in Atlanta, and others too numerous to mention. As far as corporate events and dinners are concerned in Nigeria at the moment, Julius Agwu is still the most sought after.
happy 40th birthday
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