The passing of Nollywood actor John Paul Odonwodo, also referred to as Junior Pope, has been confirmed by Emeka Rollas, National President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN).
According to Mr. Rollas, when little twitches of Junior Pope’s fingers were observed on Wednesday, it was first thought that he had survived the accident.
On Wednesday, the late actor and three of his colleagues plunged into the Anam River in Anambra State while returning on a boat from a filming site.
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Mr. Rollas, who had earlier on Wednesday claimed that Junior Pope had survived the collision, revealed the tragic development on his Instagram page on Thursday, writing, “It is so so sad that our joy was shortlived.”
He added: “My first post was out of excitement when we noticed his tingling fingers. Two notable hospitals tried their best to revive him but to no avail.
“God knows the best. We finally lost him,
Mr Friday’s corpse has been identified but three other corpses are yet to be found.
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Junior Pope reportedly entered the Nollywood industry in 2006, attending film auditions and taking on small roles in films, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
In films, he typically portrayed bodyguards, palace attendants, and servants.
He became well-known in 2007 after starring in Tchidi Chikere’s Nollywood blockbuster film “Secret Adventures.”
Among the more than 150 Nollywood films in which he has appeared are “Secret Adventures,” “Mad sex,” “Bitter Generation,” “Vengeance of Bullet,” “The Cat,” “The Generals,” and “Wrong Initiation.”
He was the 2010 Entertainment Factory Awards’ Nollywood Most Promising Actor in Nigeria winner.
Acclaimed for portraying characters like a hitman, criminal, villain, armed robber, Jim Iyke, Alaso Wariboko, Gentle Jack, Hanks Anuku, and Jerry Amilo in films, he also works with Emma Ehumadu.
Other awards he won include Best Actor in a Supporting Role at the Africa Magic Viewers Choice (AMVC) Awards and Best Actor of the Year at the Africa Movie Academy (AMA) Awards among others. (NAN)
