Nigerian actor and academic, Professor Patrick Okoye, has died, with the news confirmed through a post on his Instagram account featuring his photograph and the caption “Rest in peace, legend”. Known to fans as Energy, the late actor was a professor in the Department of Theatre Arts and Film Studies at Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka, Anambra State, and was celebrated for his roles in traditional characters.
Fellow Nollywood star Ken Erics, while confirming the news, described the loss as devastating, revealing that he had spoken with Okoye just a day before his death and found him in good health. Eric wrote that the creative world has lost a treasure and that the news hits hard because they had spoken less than 24 hours earlier.
Erics credited Okoye as a major influence on his career and highlighted his mentorship beyond the classroom, stating that Okoye encouraged his talent and helped him pursue his dreams by ensuring he enrolled in Theatre Arts. He recalled that as a student, he would join Okoye in his car to attend movie auditions outside school hours, and that his encouragement and guidance were unmistakable.
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Okoye rose to fame with roles in popular films such as ‘Onye Ozil’, ‘The Duplex’, and ‘Midnight Love’, and his extensive filmography also includes ‘Old School’, ‘Finding a Wife’, ‘The Lion’, ‘The Jagaban’, and ‘Over My Dead Body’. Erics noted that Okoye nurtured raw talents and created stars, many of whom are thriving in the entertainment industry, and that the theatre community was the lifeblood of rehearsals and stage performances for newcomers. He concluded his tribute by bidding farewell to “Uncle Pat” and wishing him peace.
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