Renowned Nollywood star Pope Obumneme Odonwodo, known as Junior Pope, tragically drowned on Wednesday during a film shoot.
Junior Pope and three colleagues lost their lives when their boat overturned on the Anam River in Anambra State as they were leaving a movie set.
Although he was initially rescued from the river and showed signs of recovery, he sadly succumbed later on.
Emeka Rollas, President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, confirmed his passing on Thursday and mentioned that three bodies remain missing.
Here are eleven essential facts about Junior Pope:
1. Junior Pope was born on May 7, 1984, in Cameroon but relocated to Nigeria at a young age.
2. He was a Nigerian model and actor known for playing roles such as criminals, villains, armed robbers, militants, and hitmen.
3. His roots trace back to Ukehe in Enugu State.
4. His acting career began in 2006, and he featured in over 150 Nollywood films, including ‘Bachelor Eve,’ ‘Vengeance of Bullet,’ ‘Bitter Generation,’ ‘The Generals,’ ‘Wrong Initiation,’ ‘The Cat,’ ‘Nkwocha,’ ‘Secret Adventure,’ among others.
5. The actor graduated with a degree in Accounting from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State.
6. In 2014, he married Jennifer Awele, and they have three children together.
7. He was a Christian.
8. On April 9, 2023, he posted a video of himself praying for a safe journey. Unfortunately, the accident occurred during the return trip the following day.
9. Ironically, he was filming a movie called ‘The Other Side of Life’ when he passed away.
10. Although he initially survived the river incident, he later passed away.
11. Following his passing, the AGN declared April 11 as a ‘No shooting day’ and suspended shooting in riverine areas and boat rides indefinitely. Additionally, they barred actors from participating in any film produced by Adanma Luke, the producer of ‘The Other Side of Life.’
