Nollywood actor Osita Iheme, popularly known as Pawpaw, has received an unusual new recognition after being included on a global list of personalities who became internet legends through viral moments.
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The recognition has attracted attention because of one important twist: unlike most of the personalities on the list, Iheme was already an adult when he became famous.
Iheme was 25 when he rose to prominence alongside Chinedu Ikedieze in the 2002 Nollywood blockbuster Aki na Ukwa.
While Ikedieze played Aki, Iheme portrayed the mischievous Pawpaw character. Their performances as childlike characters quickly made them household names and helped establish the pair as one of Nollywood’s most recognisable comedy duos.
Years later, scenes and facial expressions from their films found an entirely new audience on social media.
Images and clips featuring Iheme became popular reaction memes, allowing the Pawpaw character to communicate emotions such as confusion, frustration, excitement and disbelief to internet users around the world.
His inclusion on the viral list places him alongside figures such as Success Kid, Bad Luck Brian and Side Eyeing Chloe, whose childhood photographs or videos became internet sensations.
Pawpaw’s journey, however, is different. His viral fame came not from an ordinary childhood moment but from an acting character he portrayed as an adult.
The resurgence of his old movie scenes demonstrates how Nollywood content can acquire a second life in the digital age.
More than two decades after Aki na Ukwa, Iheme remains a recognisable figure in Nigerian popular culture. His latest appearance on a global internet list shows that the Pawpaw character has travelled far beyond the films that first made him famous.
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