Former National President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Emeka Rollas, has mourned veteran Nollywood actor Francis Duru, urging practitioners to build stronger support systems for colleagues facing personal, financial and professional difficulties.
Rollas made the appeal in a social media tribute titled “Casualty of Warfare: The Untold Pain of Francis Duru,” following Duru’s death at the age of 57 on Friday, October 23, 2026. The actor’s family said he died after a brief illness.
In his tribute, Rollas criticised what he described as the industry’s tendency to celebrate actors after their deaths rather than provide sufficient support while they are alive.
“We are becoming an industry that is quicker to celebrate the dead than to stand with the living,” he wrote, questioning whether colleagues had done enough to support Duru during his lifetime.
Rollas acknowledged the condolences and tributes that followed the actor’s death but said expressions of grief should lead to practical action to improve the welfare of film practitioners.
He recalled the personal losses Duru experienced in recent years, including the deaths of his mother in November 2020, his father in September 2021 and his 15-year-old son, Ifeanyi, in August 2024. Rollas also referred to Duru’s Christian faith and his participation in a prayer service organised after the death of actor Junior Pope.
The former AGN president urged actors to remain prayerful, seek help when facing overwhelming challenges and avoid allowing suspicion and rivalry to weaken relationships within the industry.
He also warned against envy, jealousy and unhealthy competition, calling on practitioners to protect one another and strengthen the bonds that unite them.
“Let us not allow envy, jealousy and unhealthy rivalry to destroy the bond that should unite us as practitioners,” Rollas said, adding that suspicion should not replace evidence or professional solidarity.
Duru’s death has prompted tributes from colleagues, industry organisations and public officials. The current AGN president, Abubakar Sanusi Yakubu, described the actor as an exceptional practitioner whose work inspired generations of performers.
Duru built a career spanning more than three decades. He made his screen debut in Missing Mark in 1989 and gained wider recognition for playing Ahanna in Amaka Igwe’s 1995 film Rattlesnake. He also appeared in productions including Blood Money, One Chance and Merry Men.
Beyond acting, Duru was known for mentoring younger practitioners and supporting initiatives focused on children and education. His death has renewed attention to the welfare of veteran performers and the need for practical support for actors navigating personal hardship.
Rollas urged Nollywood stakeholders to ensure that the outpouring of grief translates into lasting improvements in how practitioners care for one another.
He said Duru’s passing should prompt reflection, compassion, unity and meaningful change rather than leave the industry with only a wave of tributes on social media.
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