Veteran Nollywood actor Olusegun Akinremi, a.k.a Chief Kanran, has died at the age of 70.
Nollywood filmmaker Seun Oloketuyi recently confirmed the news in an Instagram post on Friday, revealing that the actor passed away earlier in the day.
“Popular actor Segun Remi, popularly known as Chief Kanran, died Friday morning. Details soon,” he wrote.
Chief Kanran was a mainstay in the Yoruba film industry, popular for his unique acting style, admirable elegance, passion for luxury, sense of humour, and endearing performances that lit up stage plays and movies for several years.
In an old interview, the deceased detailed his struggles with life and why he took a break from Nollywood.
According to him, the several cliques and politics in the Nigerian film industry forced him to step away from acting and filmmaking for a while.
He stressed that some of his colleagues began to see him as an obstacle just because he tried to always keep things professional.
“I stepped aside from film-making because of some reasons. There is politics everywhere and different cliques as well, even in our profession.
Some people in the industry see people like me as a threat because I will not do anything that is not professional and that has made some people to be upset with me,” he said at the time.
Late Olusegun Akinremi started his successful career on stage before moving into television and film, appearing in several Yoruba stage productions and gaining prominence as part of a popular NTA drama series.
Chief Kanran eventually became a household name with his incredible roles in Yoruba movies, including Ewe Orun, Aiye, Efunsetan Aniwura, Agbarin, and Bata Wahala.
He was widely known and respected for portraying authoritative characters, often as a king, chief, or village elder.
As of the time of writing this report, details about the cause of his death remain unclear.
