Veteran Nollywood actor, Olusegun Akinremi, popularly known as Chief Kanran, has passed away at the age of 70.
The news was confirmed on Friday by movie executive and producer, Seun Oloketuyi, who announced via Instagram that the actor died earlier in the day.
He wrote, “Popular actor Segun Remi popularly known as Chief Kanran died Friday morning. Details soon.”
Chief Kanran was a celebrated figure in the Yoruba film industry, admired for his unique style, refined elegance, taste for luxury, sharp humour, and powerful performances that graced stage plays and films for decades.
In a 2020 interview with PUNCH, the veteran actor opened up about his decision to leave the movie industry.
“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.
Chief Kanran began his career in stage productions before transitioning to television and film. He gained national attention through various Yoruba stage performances and became a household name with his roles in a popular NTA drama series.
Over the years, he starred in notable Yoruba films including Ewe Orun, Aiye, Efunsetan Aniwura, Agbarin, and Bata Wahala, often portraying kings, chiefs, or village elders. He launched his professional acting career in 1975, playing the title role in Kurunmi by Prof. Ola Rotimi, and featured in the TV series Mirror in the Sun. He also played a businessman in the soap opera Images.
His breakthrough came on stage with Langbodo, Nigeria’s drama entry for Festac ’77, performed at the National Arts Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos. On television, he became widely recognised for portraying Alaafin Kanran in a drama broadcast on Lagos Television on October 1, 1988.
As of press time, the cause of his death had not been disclosed. The family is yet to issue an official statement regarding the cause of death or burial arrangements.
