Francis Duru, the acclaimed Nigerian actor whose journey from bus conductor to Nollywood legend was defined by his belief that “life is about donation, not duration,” died on Friday at the age of 59 following a brief illness. His death left fans, colleagues, and the many young creatives he mentored in shock.
Newsonspot gathered that Duru was born on July 27, 1967 – not 1969, as some reports claimed, making him 59 at the time of his death. In an interview two months ago, he recalled celebrating his 59th birthday on a movie set.
“Yes, I’m 59 years already. What is different about this age is that I celebrated this particular birthday inside the bush while on set, with agidi and pepper soup,” he had said.
“Beyond that, you begin to look at life from a totally different perspective, and I look at life now from the point of gratitude. When I look back at 59 years, I begin to ask questions. Colleagues and friends I was with have passed on. It is not as if I am the most perfect; it is just the grace of God in our lives. So when I look at it, I see grace at work.”
Duru was born in Cameroon, a country he described as “the ultimate” and credited with having “moulded my whole essence, built my physiology and ideology”. His parents were of Nigerian origin from Imo state. He completed his primary education and part of his secondary education in Cameroon before relocating to Nigeria in 1984 to finish secondary school. He later pursued tertiary education.
FROM A BUS CONDUCTOR TO AN ACTOR
Duru had wanted to study mass communication or law in the university, but repeatedly fell short of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) cut-off mark despite posting a good West African Examinations Council (WAEC) score. He sat the examination more than twice but failed to gain admission to one of his dream courses in Rivers state varsities.
While awaiting admission, he lived with his uncle in Obigbo, Rivers, helping run his uncle’s transport business as an administrative assistant and bus conductor. During this waiting period, Duru found acting, a career he described as a “divine process”. A casual visit to a drama rehearsal in Port Harcourt would change his life. Duru had followed a friend to the rehearsal to pass the time when the actor slated to play a Calabar man failed to show. Asked who could speak like an Akwa Ibom man, Duru volunteered and landed his first role on the spot. He went on to feature in several movies across different genres.
“I have a friend who goes for drama rehearsals in Port Harcourt called Willy Willy, so I followed him one day when I was bored after doing WAEC but failing to pass JAMB. When we got there, they were doing drama sketches, but the guy who was supposed to play the Calabar man in the production wasn’t around. So they started asking who could speak like an Akwa Ibom man, and I said I could do it. I stepped in, and that’s how I got into the production. It wasn’t planned at all,” he said in an interview on 3ple E Nolly TV.
As his passion for acting grew, he changed his preferred course of study from law or mass communication to theatre arts, which he studied at the University of Port Harcourt.
After graduating, Duru landed his first lead role in ‘Missing Mask’ in 1989 without an audition, after the director brought the script to his home. Although his performance in ‘Rattlesnake’ later brought him wider recognition, he continued to regard ‘Missing Mask’ as “my first and my best”.
Over the years, the film star featured in several movies across different genres and earned recognition for his work. In 2020, he won the ‘Best Actor in a Leading Role (Igbo)’ award at the Best of Nollywood Awards for his performance in ‘Mboputa’.
A CAREER IN ACTING, A PASSION FOR TEACHING
Duru was also passionate about passing down knowledge to the next generation. He did this whenever he had the opportunity, regardless of his celebrity status, which he described as a “jacket I adorn when I feel like”. For him, making the world a better place was more important than going about claiming to be a celebrity.
“The celebrity tag means nothing to me; it’s like a jacket I adorn when I feel like it. One must step down to do something for somebody if you want to make the world a better place; you empty yourself, and that’s the defining factor of my life,” he said in an interview on The Life Pathfinder TV.
He explained that his passion for sharing knowledge came from the help he had received from others and his belief that life is about “donation, not duration”. He tried to give as much of himself as possible by mentoring younger creative professionals, teaching masterclasses and serving as a Sunday school teacher at the youth church of Family Worship Centre, Abuja, for over two decades.
“I got to where I’m because people were there for me, so I always ask myself a question: how much of myself goes into other people? Life isn’t about duration; it’s about donation. So any opportunity I have, I donate,” he added.
His commitment to mentoring young people also earned him recognition, as he was named a United Nations ambassador of peace for his positive influence on young people.
A MAN HELD BY GOD
Duru was born again in 2000 and said his faith in God and His word had sustained him over the years.
“Something must define a man, and what defines me is spirituality. The core of spirituality is God, and that’s what has sustained me and His word,” he said on Signature TV News.
His faith also played a major role in how he dealt with grief. In 2021, he lost his father, less than a year after losing his mother.
Then, in August 2024, he lost his son, one of the three children he shared with his wife Adokiye. Despite the loss, Duru officiated a church service a day after his son was laid to rest. He explained that he did so to “shut the voice of the devil” and continue praising God despite what he was going through.
“It was a bitter moment, but I had to officiate in church a day after he was laid to rest because the devil was playing with my mind, saying, after all I sowed, all my prayers. So I needed a platform where I could still say God is good and shut the voice of the devil,” he recounted.
RUMOURS BEFORE HIS DEATH
The news of Duru’s death came months after he dismissed rumours that he was critically ill. In June, a purported video showing the actor in a frail state circulated online, but he promptly rejected the claims. He continued to make public appearances and share content, including an interview with his son, which was his last post on September 18.
His cause of death has not been disclosed, and questions remain about whether the June rumours held any truth.
Regardless of this, Duru gave his talent to Nollywood and his wisdom to the next generation, never allowing the celebrity “jacket” to limit how much of himself he gave to others.
