The Yoruba Nollywood industry is in mourning following the death of veteran actor Taiwo “Elegbeje Ado” Adeshina. Colleague, actor Kunle Afod, made the announcement via an Instagram post on Tuesday, paying tribute to one of the legends of the Yoruba film industry. While Afod did not confirm the cause of death, Seun Oloketuyi, founder of the Best of Nollywood Awards, said separately that Elegbeje Ado died on Monday after a brief illness.
Elegbeje Ado built a career spanning more than 20 years in the Yoruba film industry, earning recognition as one of the most respected faces of indigenous cinema. He was best known for portraying kings, chiefs, elders and other culturally significant characters, with one of his most iconic roles giving rise to the stage name by which he became known. He starred in films including “Ageku Abela,” “Oko Abiku” and “Kadara Mi.” Later in life, the actor, whose father was an actor, became a pastor, revealing in a 2024 interview that he felt called to step away from secular acting and devote himself to Christian filmmaking, going on to produce his first gospel film, “Egberun Odun (One Thousand Years).”
Tributes have poured in from across the industry, with Afod describing Elegbeje Ado’s contribution to Yoruba cinema as a legacy that will live on, and extending condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and fans. His passing adds to a string of recent losses for Nollywood’s Yoruba film community, following the deaths of veteran actor Kola Oyewo at age 80, Fesogboye Oyewole, and actor Adeshina “Janmole” Oshin in the weeks prior.
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