Veteran Nollywood actor, Bruno Iwuoha, is dead

A veteran Nollywood actor, Bruno Iwuoha is dead.

The movie star died in the early hours of Saturday after a prolonged battle with diabetes.

Monalisa Chinda-Coker, Director of Communications Actors Guild of Nigeria, confirmed the news in a statement sent to Reporters.

“On behalf of the entire members of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, the National President, Ejezie Emeka Rollas commiserate with the immediate family members, friends and fans.
He prays that God comfort them at this moment of grief.
May the souls of all faithful departed Rest In Peace,” the statement read.

Background

The veteran actor went public about his ailment during an interview with Brekete Family a radio station in Abuja in 2015.

According to the talented actor, he never knew he had diabetes until a violent armed robbery attack that landed him in hospital.

He was quoted as having said, “said “I’ve gone to so many places; within the country, outside the country for treatment, until finally…finally, the thing [diabetes] claimed one of my sights (eyes). As I look at you now, I’m using only one sight (eye). They call that glaucoma.

“And gradually, it’s affecting the other one. I discovered that this thing [the illness] is a lifetime something. And it has robbed me of the job [acting]. And now, if I get a script, it will be hard for me to read it very well. And if I read it, if I strain my eyes for so long, it would look as if someone would lead me around the house or anywhere I want to go because it will affect the only one [eye]. So that’s my problem.”

At the time, he said he needed to be transferred to a U.S.-based hospital where he is required to have N3.5 million.

Shortly after, is the CEO of Morgan Entertainment, Emeka Morgan Oguejiofor, reached out to him and footed his trip to the U.S. as well as his medical bills.

Mr Iwuoha was diagnosed with glaucoma and diabetes.

In January 2021, the Actors Guild of Nigeria launched an appeal fund aimed at providing urgent medical intervention to ailing Nollywood actors and assisting families of late actors. The late actor was listed as one of the beneficiaries of the appeal fund.

Veteran who would be missed

Prior to Nollywood, he was a principal registered contractor with National Fertiliser Company of Nigeria (NAFCON) at Onne in Port Harcourt.

His debut movie role was in ‘Lost Kingdom’ which was shot at Aba by the late Ndubuisi Okoh.

His foray into Nollywood was an interesting one. The producers of the movie needed someone who could play the role of an old man. They wanted someone with natural grey hair and not artificial one.

After several recommendations, his friend, a certain Mr Christopher brought him the script and a letter of invitation stating that he was needed at Wilcox Memorial School at Aba.

The rest, like they say, is history.

The late actor won the Best Supporting Actor at the 2007 Africa Movie Academy Awards for his performance in the movie “Sins of the Flesh”.

A prolific actor, he starred in several award winning movies like World Apart, Magic Cap, Keeping Close, Another Bondage, Faces Of Love and Days Of Hatred. Others are Two Bad Boys, Double Mind, Eagle’s Bride, Forever Yours, Jealous Lovers, My Own Share,My Portfolio, Occultic Battle,The Prince and The Princess and Sins Of The Flesh.

In his lifetime, he starred in over 509 movies with the most recent movie being ‘Silent Prejudice’ (2020) which was produced By Chris Kalu.

The 68-year-old actor is survived by his wife and six children.