Veteran Nollywood actor Emmanuel France has passed away, as announced by Nigerian director Olufemi Ogedengbe on Monday, September 16, 2024. Ogedengbe shared the news via Instagram, paying tribute to France as a Nollywood legend and recalling their collaboration on three films shot in Tanzania in 2006.

Details about the cause of France’s death have not yet been disclosed.

France’s nationality has often been a topic of discussion. While many believed he was Ghanaian, the actor clarified in a 2011 interview that he identified as “Gold Coastian” due to his ancestral roots, but held Nigerian citizenship, having been born in Nigeria.

France, who studied at the Accra School of Journalism, began his career at the Ghana Film Corporation in 1969. His death marks another loss for the Nigerian film industry, which has seen several actors pass away in 2024.