Our Joy is Short-Lived as We Mourn the Loss of Junior Pope, says AGN

The Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) has expressed sorrow over the death of renowned Nollywood actor John Paul Odonwodo, popularly known as Junior Pope.

The National President of AGN, Emeka Rollas, confirmed the news of Junior Pope’s passing in an Instagram post on Thursday. The actor and three of his colleagues were returning from a movie location in a boat when they fell into the Anam River in Anambra on Wednesday.

Rollas wrote, “It is so sad that our joy was short-lived. 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.”

Junior Pope joined the Nollywood industry in 2006 and quickly made a name for himself, often playing roles such as bodyguard, palace attendant, and servant in his early years. He rose to prominence in 2007 with his performance in the movie “Secret Adventures,” directed by Tchidi Chikere.

Throughout his career, Junior Pope appeared in over 150 Nollywood films, including titles such as “Mad Sex,” “Bitter Generation,” “Vengeance of Bullet,” “The Cat,” “The Generals,” and “Wrong Initiation.”

In 2010, Junior Pope was awarded Nollywood’s Most Promising Actor at the Entertainment Factory Awards. He also won accolades such as Best Actor in a Supporting Role at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards and Best Actor of the Year at the Africa Movie Academy Awards.