Emeka Rollas, the National President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), revealed that late Nollywood actor Junior Pope exhibited signs of life upon arrival at the hospital.
Rollas recounted how witnesses observed slight movements in the actor’s fingers, leading them to believe he had survived despite being submerged underwater for over two hours.
Consequently, the Guild made a public announcement celebrating what they believed to be a miraculous survival.
However, despite the medical team’s diligent efforts to revive him, Junior Pope tragically passed away on Wednesday evening, as stated by the AGN President in a social media update.
“It is so so sad that our joy was shortlived. 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 best. We finally lost him. Mr Friday’s corpse has been identified but three other corpses are yet to be found,” Mr Rollas’ post read.
Junior Pope passed away on Wednesday, April 9, while on a filming expedition in Asaba, the capital of Delta State, Nigeria.
According to reports from Vanguard Nigeria, Junior Pope tragically lost his life during a boat excursion that resulted in the capsizing of the vessel, leading to his drowning, along with two other unidentified actors.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) disclosed that Junior Pope began his journey in the Nollywood industry in 2006, initially participating in movie auditions and securing minor roles.
He often portrayed characters such as bodyguards, palace attendants, or servants.
However, his breakthrough came in 2007 when he gained prominence for his role in the acclaimed Nollywood blockbuster “Secret Adventures,” directed by Tchidi Chikere.
He acted in more than 150 Nollywood movies which include: “Secret Adventures”, “Mad sex”, “Bitter Generation”, “Vengeance of Bullet”, “The Cat”, “The Generals”, “Wrong Initiation” among others.
In 2010, he clinched the title of Nollywood Most Promising Actor in Nigeria at the Entertainment Factory Awards.
His versatile acting repertoire also encompasses portraying characters such as criminals, villains, armed robbers, militants, or hitmen in movies, often sharing the screen with industry stalwarts like Emma Ehumadu, Sylvester Madu, Zubby Michael, Jim Iyke, Alaso Wariboko, Gentle Jack, Hanks Anuku, and Jerry Amilo.
Among his numerous accolades are the Best Actor in a Supporting Role at the Africa Magic Viewers Choice (AMVC) Awards and the title of Best Actor of the Year at the Africa Movie Academy (AMA) Awards, among others.