Joel Okuyo Atiku

Joel Okuyo Atiku was born in Arua on 4 December 1983 to a Lugbara couple, the late Lt.Colonel Gabriel Francis Atiku and Yema Drakuru Atiku, his debut villain role won him over five international accolades including Best Supporting Actor at the Balafon Film Festival in Bari, Italy (2008) and 2009's Best Actor in Supporting Role at the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) in Lagos, Nigeria. Other awards include Best Actor at both Ubuntu Village, Colorado (USA) in 2010 and the 2011 Zanzibar International Film Festival [ZIFF] in Tanzania. Ugandan newspaper The Observer labelled Okuyo Africa's Brad Pitt.

• Name — Okuyo Joel Atiku Prynce • Birth Name — Joel Okuyo Atiku Prynce • Born — 4 December 1983 • Birthplace — Arua, Uganda • Occupation — Actor, model, photographer and lecturer • Education — Makerere University • Partner — Cindy Sanyu

His mother recalls that Joel started acting by copying his father's walking style at age 4 plus things he watched on TV or saw at school. By Primary Five, he had won his first award and kept acting throughout his school experience. Okuyo also joined MITG (Music & Instrumental Training Group), an Arua-based Drama Group that championed European Union AIDS Intervention Programmes in West Nile. Joel has acted in many films and plays, both local and international plus worked with world class directors such as Michael Landon, Jr., Gabriel Range, Adrian McFarlane, Ruman Kudwai, Yuval Shefferman and fellow countryman Matt Bish (Full name: Matthew Bishanga). Joel played roles in feature films like State Research Bureau (S.R.B.) plus TV Series like Locked Up Abroad, Raised Wild and Lost in Africa. The Maisha Film Lab short films he acted in after training at Mira Nair's annual film academy include On Time (2008) directed by Patricia Olwoch, Looserpool, Live Joseph and Estranged (where he played a lead role) directed by Sandra Kosse. Other shorts he has featured in include Fruits of Love, Journey to Jamaa as Lucky, Haunted Souls and A Good Catholic Girl directed by Matt Bish (which was included in Africa First: Volume Two, an anthology of five short films from new African filmmakers). He was the face of BlackBerry Curve (MTN Uganda) in 2007. Then in 2009, he became a runway model at V.I.P fashion night in Lagos, Nigeria. He has worked as a model at Vanity Models (Verona, Italy) and Uganda's Gorgeous Fashions. Joel's face also appears in SAB Miller Television, Billboard & Print Media advertisements for beer brands such as Stone Lager in Ghana, Safari Lager in Tanzania and Nile Special Lager in his home country, all directed by Mark Lawrie for The Videolounge. Other TV commercials include Warid Telecom (Congo Brazzaville) directed by Steve Jean; Warid (Uganda), Stanbic Bank and Johns Hopkins University directed by Carolyn Kamya plus Bank of Uganda directed by Matt Bish. He was the first male to appear in the African Woman Magazines 'All Lights On' Segment in 2010. Joel appeared in the promo for Love Makanika (TV series), one of the first programmes aired on Pearl Magic that went digital on GOtv beginning Monday 1 October 2018.

Okuyo has lent his talent as a supporting voice to radio productions like Mako Meere directed by Patricia Olwoch (for Mifumi) and Rock Point by Albert Mwesige (Audio Central). He once worked for Bob FM also.

He has acted in theatre performances like Just You Me & the Silence directed by Judith Adong in conjunction with Alfajiri Productions. In 2017, he took part as Lokil in preparing a stage play entitled Strings that will first be performed on 22 November.

Okuyo received negative criticism, even from friends for acting in The River and the Mountain, a play whose parts Uganda's Media Council ruled "implicitly promote homosexual acts". Written by Oxford-educated poet Beau Hopkins in collaboration with David Cecil, a British producer and the manager of Tilapia (Cultural Centre where the play ran for a week until 23 August 2012), it was deemed contrary to the laws, cultural norms and values of Uganda hence Cecil's arrest on 6 September 2012. In the play, Okuyo plays Samson, a homosexual factory owner killed by his own workers after they are incited by fiercely conservative pastors. Okuyo was accused of "being funded by gay lobby groups", but replied, "I am not into gay advocacy. Although with this play, we do want to make people understand that we are all human. We should not judge, segregate, harm or kill others."

Joel enjoys drawing (Art), fashion, film acting, modelling, meeting new friends, humanitarianism, playing basketball, guitar, swimming, fishing, reading, cooking, writing and travelling. In March 2020, he got engaged to dancehall artiste Cindy Sanyu with whom he had worked on two films November Tear and Bella.

• Music videos Okuyo features in Priscilla Kalibala's "Boo", the original soundtrack to Battle of the Souls plus "Free People" written and performed by Terry De Vos as the original soundtrack to State Research Bureau. He also features in Winnie Nwagi's "Kibulamu" music video as her lover. The singer tells him that their relationship lacks certain romantic things, so they need to go their separate ways. Winnie even packs her bag to leave. In the end, they reconcile but while sitting at a table, two packs of condoms fall from Okuyo's coat and the video fades. He also features in "Ready To Leave" by Abasa. Prynce through his production company has made music videos for artistes like Cindy including "Whine Yo Waist", "Sunset" and "Kiki", etc. • Films • Year — Title — Role — Production company — Director • 2007 — Battle of the Souls — The Devil — Bish Films — Matt Bish • 2008 — On Time — Otim — Maisha Film Lab — Patricia Olwoch • 2009 — Hearts in Pieces — Supporting actor — Trends Studios — Mariam Ndagire • 2010 — I am Slave — Shopkeeper — Altered Image — Gabriel Range • 2010 — Imani — Featured — iVAD Production — Carolyn Kamya • 2010 — A Good Catholic Girl — Lead — Matt Bish • 2011 — State Research Bureau — (Prisoner) James — Bish Films — Matt Bish • 2013 — Imbabazi (The Pardon) — Manzi — Karekezi Films — Joel Karekezi • 2013 — Wekeza Inalipa — Featured — Jasons Production — Baba Hadji • 2014 — Situka — Alvin — Fun Factory — Kwezi Kaganda • 2014 — In Reality — Doctor — Wristhouse — Douglas Benda Kasule • 2015 — King of Darkness — Lead: Detective Lewis — Machine Gun Preacher Productions • 2015 — The Black Belgian — Supporting actor — Jean Luc Habyarimana • 2016 — Jinxed — Supporting actor — Kampala Film School, Maisha Film Lab — Gary Mugisha • 2016 — New Intentions — Counsel Douglas — Kihiray Pictures — Kihire Kennedy • 2016 — Mr. Ability — DOP — Prynce Pictures — Joel Okuyo Atiku • 2016 — Rain — DJ Daddy — Daniel Mugerwa • 2016 — Queen of Katwe — Ggaba Merchant — Walt Disney Pictures, ESPN Films — Mira Nair • 2017 — Black and White — Lead — Stone Age Productions • 2017 — Kony: Order from Above — Kony, Omona, first AD — Atonga Media/Entertainment & Quad-A Records — T. Steve Ayeny • 2017 — Bella — Supporting actor, DOP — Bish Films — Matt Bish • 2017 — Kyenvu — MAN — Kemiyondo Coutinho • 2017 — The Bad Mexican — Moses — Loukout Films — Loukman Ali • 2018 — The Mercy of the Jungle — Kibindankoyi — Imbabazi Productions — Joel Karekezi • 2019 — November Tear — Mwene — Jephin/ Prynce Pictures — Richard Nondo • 2019 — Splash — Prynce Pictures — Joel Okuyo Atiku • 2022 — Pieces of Me — Naava's father — Savannah Moon/ Maisha Magic Movies — Nicholas Nsubuga • 2022 — The Test — Tito — Limit Production — Richard Mulindwa • 2022 — Love is Blind (short film) • Television • Year — Title — Role — Broadcaster — Director • 2008 — Locked Up Abroad — Supporting actor — National Geographic — Paul Berczeller • 2009 — Lost in Africa — Supporting actor — Kuperman TV — Yuval Shefferman • 2012 — Raised Wild — Featured — Discovery World — Adrian McFarlane • 2013 — Kona — Guest — Multichoice — Wanjiru Kairu, Natasha Likimani, Damaris Irungu • 2017 — Reflections (series) — Lead — Savannah Moon — Nana Kagga • 2017 — Brothers (series) — Lead: Keith, Producer, DOP — Jephin Films • 2017 — Taste of Times, Season 2 — Executive Producer, DOP — Jephin Films • 2021 — Okalyadda — Top TV (Premiered 1 March 2021) • 2021 — What If (TV Series) — William — NTV (Premiered 1 August 2024) — Richard Mulindwa