Veteran Nollywood actor Francis Duru has died at 57 after a brief illness, two years after losing his son. Here’s a look at his life and Rattlesnake legacy
Nollywood is mourning one of its familiar faces. The veteran actor many people still remember as Ahanna in Rattlesnake, has died at 57 after a brief illness.
His family shared the news on his official Instagram page in the early hours of Friday, October 23, 2026. The statement was short and simple. They thanked everyone for their prayers, love and understanding, and ended with “May his soul rest in perfect peace. Amen.” It didn’t say what the illness was.
The loss comes just two years after Duru buried his 15-year-old son, Ifeanyi, in August 2024. He announced that death himself on social media and paid a loving tribute to the teenager, calling him his champ and his lion. Even in that painful moment, he thanked God and spoke of his enduring love for his son. Now, fans are mourning a father who had already carried so much.
Duru started acting in 1989, but it was the 1990s that made him a name. His performance in Amaka Igwe’s classic film Rattlesnake, as Ahanna, put him in front of a wide audience and kept him there for more than three decades. That is a long run in any industry, and a longer one in an industry that has changed as much as Nollywood has.
He also gave back off-screen. In 2010, he was appointed interim president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, a role that put him at the centre of the industry’s affairs. Years earlier, in 2007, he received a United Nations Ambassador of Peace award.
For many viewers, Rattlesnake remains tied to a golden era of Nigerian film, and Francis Duru’s face is a big part of that memory. His family has asked for prayers and understanding as they grieve.
For fans, there’s the work he left behind, ready to be watched again.
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