Nikki finds her rhythm on screen

Saturday, September 4, 2010 (The Mirror Pg 3)

By Rebecca Kwei
Nikoletta Samonas (popularly called Nikki) ‘accidentally’ landed in the movie industry, and she seems to be loving every bit of her new found passion.
So far she has featured in more than 10 movies having had her break in Pretty Queen in 2008, which featured Jackie Appiah and Majid Mitchel.
“I would say the movies found me because I had gone to see a friend whose house was been used to shoot a movie and I was recruited to be part of that film ” she recalled in an interview with The Mirror.
Although that movie “Don Caritas” did not make waves it did serve as a spring board for Nikki to get noticed in the movie industry.
She later got roles in Beyonce 1 & 2, War of Roses, Desperate Measure, Red Label, Love and Bullets, Wrong Line, DNA Test.
Her latest flick, Deadly Obsession featuring Yvonne Nelson and Jim Iyke is set to be released next month in which she plays a psychopath.
Although being an actress was not on the cards for Nikki initially, her entry into the make believe world also sprung from her involvement in modelling and television advertisements.
According to Nikki she met one Ekow Daniel who heard her sing in church who took her to OM Studios for her to feature in a music video clip of Tinny’s song “Mamle” featuring Adane Best in 2004.
That video clip propelled her to get an advertising contract with Tigo, a Telecommunications company for two years from 2007 to 2008. She was Face of Tigo in 2007.
Nikki also appeared in the Septrin Soap, Éclat Gel and Wisdom toothbrush and mouthwash advertisements on television and was also a freelance model.
Presently, she has just secured a contract with Charterhouse to present Rhythmz, a music video show on TV with Chris Attoh.
Although acting is not a full time profession for Nikki, she says “I love it. It’s fun. You get to express yourself in so many ways that is not the natural you,” she said with a broad smile.
The free spirited Nikki who is in her early 20s is the only child of her dad Stephanus Samonas, a Greek (deceased) and Felicia Adjei.
Born in Tema, she attended Deks Preparatory School also in Tema for her basic education and then continued at Holy Child Senior High School in Cape Coast where she offered Graphic Design because she loved arts — drawing and painting and completed in 2003.
No wonder she received the best Graphic Designer awards in 2002 and 2003 and outstanding award for combining sports effectively with academic work in the same years at Holy Child School.
She was a member of the Entertainment Committee and the Sports Prefect of the school.
After Holy Child, Nikki continued at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) graduating with a BA in Communication Design in 2009.
In the near future Nikki hopes to open her own company that will engage in showbiz productions, continue modelling as well as groom aspiring models.
Nikki is in a relationship with a lovely man whose name she would not mention. When not acting, modelling or presenting Rhythmz she loves to swim, play basketball, watch movies, which she says is an inspiration to her to offer her best in the movies in which she acts.
Do you love salsa? Then you have something in common with Nikki. She is a salsa dancing freak!