Francis Duru

Francis Duru was born on 27 July 1969 in Cameroon to Nigerian parents who came from Imo State in south-eastern Nigeria. He received his primary and secondary education in Cameroon. He then moved to Nigeria to study at the University of Port Harcourt in Rivers State, where he read theatre arts and graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1996.

Duru made his first film appearance in 1989 in Missing Mark, directed by Ndubuisi Oko. The role did little at first for his career, and he was still regarded as an up-and-coming actor when he was cast as Ahanna in Rattlesnake (1995), an action film produced by Amaka Igwe. The film, often called one of Nollywood's first action movies, made him widely known.

He went on to play Jude in Blood Money (1997) and Blood Money 2 (1998) and became a familiar face of the Nigerian home video boom, appearing in films such as Narrow Escape, Cold War, Sound of Love, Tears From Holland, Upside Down, Total War, Royal Grandmother and Nnenda. From the 2010s he worked increasingly in the new Nollywood, with roles in Stigma (2013), Mortuary Gate (2014), Lipstick (2016), Who Killed Chief? (2017), Merry Men: The Real Yoruba Demons (2018) as Inspector Jack, The Good Husband (2020), The Locals (2021), Blood Vessel (2023) and Ugly Bird (2024).

In 2010 he was appointed interim president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, and the same year he was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role at the Africa Movie Academy Awards. In 2020 he won Best Actor in a Leading Role (Igbo) at the Best of Nollywood Awards for his performance in Mboputa.

Duru married Adokiye in 2003. Both had studied at the University of Port Harcourt, and they had four children. In August 2024 the family lost their son Ifeanyi. Duru later said in an interview that he returned to church the day after burying him.

He worked with local and international organisations including UNICEF, USAID, LEAP Africa and COMPASS on programmes to improve education and living standards for African children. In 2007 he received a United Nations Ambassador of Peace award in recognition of his positive influence on young people.

Francis Duru died following a brief illness in October 2026, at the age of 57. The first public tribute came on Thursday 22 October 2026 from Alhaji Abubakar Sanusi Yakubu, national president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, who wrote on Instagram: "Another great thespian gone...Rest in peace Francis Duru!!" In the early hours of Friday 23 October his family confirmed the death on his official Instagram page, writing that they regretted to announce his passing following a brief illness and asking for prayers, love and understanding. The family did not name the illness or give the exact date or place of death.

In June 2026 a video showing him looking frail had circulated online, and he had responded with a video describing the footage as fabricated and malicious. He had also had to deny false reports of his death in earlier years, which is why the first posts were met with some doubt until his family spoke. His death was reported by BBC News Pidgin, The Punch, Legit.ng and other outlets. Funeral arrangements had not been announced at the time of the first reports.

Duru is remembered as one of the actors who carried Nollywood from its home video beginnings into its modern era. His turn as Ahanna in Rattlesnake remains one of the best known performances of 1990s Nigerian film, and his long run of character roles, his service to the Actors Guild of Nigeria and his work with young people earned him the respect of colleagues across the industry.