Regina Askia-Williams

Regina Askia-Williams is a Nigerian-American actress, model, former beauty queen, and family nurse practitioner. Born Imaobong Regina Askia Usoro on December 16, 1967, in Lagos, Nigeria, she first captured the public's imagination as Queen of the University of Lagos before becoming one of the defining faces of 1990s Nollywood. Her performances in films like Deadly Affair and Rivers of Blood made her a household name across Africa, celebrated for her commanding screen presence and dramatic range.

Today, Askia-Williams lives in the United States, where she has built a second career as a board-certified family nurse practitioner. She runs Regina Medical Services and has worked as a hospitalist nurse practitioner at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center. In 2026, she balances her healthcare practice with selective returns to acting, having appeared in the 2025 film Stitches. Her journey from beauty queen to actress to medical professional has made her an inspirational figure, particularly for women navigating reinvention and resilience. [edit]

Growing up in Lagos, Regina Askia-Williams was raised in a multicultural household, the daughter of a Nigerian father and a Scottish mother. That mix of cultures gave her a unique perspective from the start, one she would later carry into her international career. She attended the University of Lagos, where she was crowned Queen of the University of Lagos, a beauty pageant title that launched her into the public eye in the late 1980s.

The pageant win opened doors to modeling opportunities across Nigeria. Her statuesque frame and striking features made her a sought-after model, and she quickly became one of the most recognizable faces in the country's fashion scene. But she wanted more than a modeling career. She began auditioning for film roles, and by the early 1990s, she had landed parts in the booming Nigerian video film industry, which would later be known as Nollywood.

Her early roles were stepping stones, but it was her work in Deadly Affair and Rivers of Blood that turned her into a star. These films, released in the mid-1990s, showcased her ability to carry intense, dramatic storylines. She became part of a generation of actresses who shaped what is now called OG Nollywood, bringing glamour and gravitas to a nascent industry. [edit]

Regina Askia-Williams's breakthrough in Nollywood came with a string of hit films in the 1990s. Deadly Affair and Rivers of Blood established her as a leading lady, and she followed them with Festival of Fire (1999), further cementing her reputation. Her performances earned her a devoted fan base and critical praise, making her one of the most prominent actresses in African cinema.

In the early 2000s, she made the bold decision to leave Nollywood and move to the United States. The transition was difficult, she has spoken publicly about living in a domestic violence shelter as an undocumented immigrant, calling that period her lowest point. But she channeled that hardship into a new path. She enrolled at the College of Staten Island, graduating in 2010, and by May 2012, she was officially registered as a nurse in the United States.

She later earned certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner and began working at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, specializing in COVID units, transplant care, and telemetry. She founded Regina Medical Services, a healthcare company, and has become an advocate for nursing innovation and space medicine.

In 2021, she announced her return to acting with the forthcoming film WEB. In 2025, she appeared in Stitches, marking her first major screen role in over two decades. That same year, she celebrated a court victory in a disputed equipment contract case, adding another chapter to her remarkable story. [edit]

Regina Askia-Williams's public image has evolved from screen goddess to symbol of reinvention. During her Nollywood years, she was known for her glamour and dramatic intensity, part of a generation of actresses who defined the industry's aesthetic. Today, she is portrayed as a resilient professional who traded fame for a purpose-driven career in healthcare. Her social media voice is professional and aspirational, focusing on healthcare innovation, nursing leadership, and African development. She has no official fandom name, but her Nigerian fan base has followed her journey across continents and decades, celebrating her as an inspiration for women who dare to start over. [edit]

Regina Askia-Williams commands a decentralized community of admirers rather than an organized fan club with a formal title. Her supporters, spanning Nollywood enthusiasts and the Nigerian diaspora, engage primarily through her professional updates on Instagram and media retrospectives that celebrate her transition from screen goddess to healthcare leader. This audience reveres her narrative of resilience, often recounting her journey from domestic violence shelter to nursing practice as a source of inspiration for immigrant women. While there are no fan-funded campaigns or official rituals, the public discourse frequently frames her as a symbol of reinvention, keeping her legacy alive through articles in publications like BellaNaija and Zikoko.

In the broader landscape of global celebrity metrics, Regina Askia-Williams maintains a significant footprint within her industry. According to the iFANN Global Fame Rankings, she is currently the 88th most famous person in Nollywood, a position holding steady from the previous cycle. This placement reflects her enduring recognition across media coverage, search trends, and consumption signals worldwide, solidifying her status as a defining figure of the genre's golden era without requiring active promotion.[edit]

Regina Askia-Williams is a trained family nurse practitioner who served on COVID units during the pandemic and holds a keen interest in space medicine, frequently sharing content regarding Artemis and the International Space Station. In 2017, she led a delegation of Nigerian nurses to partner with diaspora counterparts and has been vocal about her advocacy against online bullying. She has described living in a domestic violence shelter as an undocumented immigrant as her lowest point before achieving stability.

Her cultural mythology includes her verified status as a "Screen Goddess" of OG Nollywood, having won both the Miss Unilag title in 1988 and the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria crown in 1989. A widely retold story details her dramatic rebirth after leaving the entertainment industry, where she earned a Master of Social Work degree while navigating immigration challenges. Recent lore also highlights her 2025 court victory over a disputed equipment contract and her announcement of a return to the screen with the film WEB, reinforcing her reputation as a resilient icon who defies age and retirement.[edit]

Regina Askia-Williams is the daughter of a Nigerian father and a Scottish mother, a heritage she has often credited for her broad worldview. She has two daughters: Telema Okonkwo from her first marriage and another daughter from her second marriage. She has shared multi-generational photos with her mother and daughters, celebrating what she calls three generations of beauty. Her family has been a source of strength throughout her career transitions, and she often posts about them on social media. [edit]

Rudolf Okonkwo, a Nigerian journalist, was her first husband. Rudolph Williams, an American, was her second husband. Fellow Nollywood actor Chidi Mokeme was the subject of relationship rumors. Her daughter Telema Okonkwo has appeared in family photos. She has publicly supported Nollywood figures Baba Tee and Yetunde Oduwole. [edit]

Regina Askia-Williams has been married twice. Her first marriage was to Rudolf Okonkwo, a Nigerian journalist and writer. The couple had a daughter, Telema Okonkwo, before the marriage ended in divorce. This relationship predated her move to the United States.

Her second marriage was to Rudolph Williams, an American. The couple had at least one child together. Their separation, which she discussed publicly in 2024, coincided with the most difficult chapter of her life, including a period living in a domestic violence shelter as an undocumented immigrant. The exact timeline of the marriage and separation has not been fully disclosed, but it appears to have occurred in the mid-to-late 2000s.

During her Nollywood years, there were rumors linking her to actor Chidi Mokeme. In a 2024 interview, she addressed these rumors directly, though the nature of their connection was never officially confirmed as romantic. As of 2026, Askia-Williams appears to be single, focusing on her healthcare career and family. [edit]

iFANN currently estimates Regina Askia-Williams's net worth at $2 Million as of 2026. Her financial profile reflects a dual career trajectory, beginning with earnings from her acting work in the 1990s and early 2000s, including films like Deadly Affair and Rivers of Blood. More recently, she returned to the screen with roles in WEB and Stitches. Her primary income source today derives from her healthcare profession as a board-certified family nurse practitioner. She earns a stable salary from her work as a hospitalist nurse practitioner at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center and manages travel nursing assignments. Additionally, she operates Regina Medical Services and generates fees through public speaking engagements focused on healthcare innovation and African development. A 2025 court victory concerning a disputed equipment contract may have resulted in undisclosed financial compensation. Her wealth has grown steadily over the past decade as she established her medical practice, remaining modest compared to major entertainment figures due to her focus on purpose-driven work.[edit]