Nollywood actress Blessing Onwukwe has revealed that she earned more than N1 million for her role in the second part of the viral movie Monica, as the actress opened up on how she brought the now-famous “Mama Monica” character to life.
Speaking during an interview with Yanga FM, Onwukwe, whose portrayal of Monica’s manipulative mother has sparked widespread conversations online, said the commercial success of the movie was reflected in her pay.
“Monica passed one million. It passed one million for Monica II. I don’t want to call any other amount, but it’s more than one million,” she said.
Onwukwe also disclosed that she was contacted unexpectedly for the role and had to carefully study the script while creating a backstory for the character before filming began.
“I started thinking about how I was going to bring the character to life. I had to create a background story for her,” she explained.
According to the actress, the mental preparation she put into the role helped her deliver the emotionally intense performance that has since made “Mama Monica” one of the most talked-about characters in Nollywood this year.
Produced by and starring Uche Montana, Monica has emerged as one of Nollywood’s biggest releases of 2026, attracting millions of views on YouTube and generating widespread reactions across social media.
The film tells the story of Monica, the eldest daughter who sacrifices love, career, and personal happiness to shoulder her family’s financial and emotional burdens. Built around themes of firstborn responsibility, family manipulation, emotional blackmail, betrayal, and self-liberation, the movie has resonated strongly with many viewers.
At the centre of the conversations is Onwukwe’s character, “Mama Monica,” a controlling and emotionally manipulative mother who pressures her daughter to put family obligations above her own dreams, relationships, and future.
Several of the characters’ lines have since gone viral online, including “Who will take care of this family if you leave?”, “Your brother and sister need you,” “A good daughter sacrifices,”, “Marriage can wait—family comes first”, Na me be pepper, na me be salt, na akamu i dey sell ooo, I no get money, who dey drink akama again, everybody now na custard” among others.
Monica’s eventual response — “I am a fool, not a victim” — has also become one of the most quoted moments from the film, symbolising the character’s breaking point and eventual self-realisation.
The movie has sparked debates among Nigerians, with many linking its storyline to issues popularly described as “black tax” and “eldest daughter syndrome,” where one child is expected to carry the family’s financial burden at the expense of personal growth.
Many viewers have praised Onwukwe’s realistic portrayal of the controversial mother figure, with some fans now referring to the actress as “Mama Monica” in real life.
