Late Nollywood actor Francis Doru recalls how a friend's call launched his acting career

• A throwback interview of the late Francis Doru with his son has resurfaced, offering a rare look at how his career began
• Doru revealed he was still awaiting his JAMB results when an unexpected opportunity found him through a close friend
• The actor traced his debut to an Igbo film produced between 1992 and 1994, sharing the story that shaped his decades-long career

A resurfaced video of the late Nollywood actor Francis Doru sitting down with his son for a candid conversation about his journey into the film industry has stirred deep emotion online, offering fans a window into the early life of a man they clearly loved.

In the throwback interview, Doru recounted how he found himself in front of a camera roughly three decades ago, not through auditions or industry connections, but through the simple and unexpected call of a friend.

At the time, he had just finished sitting his JAMB examinations and was still waiting on results, his future wide open and uncertain.

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"It's all about faith, when it calls you there's nothing you can do," he said.

"A friend of mine called me for an opportunity, and at then we were waiting for our Jamb result. I just fit into what they were doing."

That opportunity turned out to be a production called The Missing Mask, an Igbo-language film believed to have been made sometime between 1992 and 1994.

Doru described the moment not as luck alone, but as the meeting of chance and readiness.

He noted that he had already acquired creative credentials before the call came, and so when it did, he felt confident stepping in. "I was prepared," he said simply.

The Instagram post below has the resurfaced interview of Francis Duru and his son.

The Facebook post below contains a video of celebrated actor Francis Duru talking about his acting career, from his days in theatre.

Reactions to Nollywood actor Francis Duru's passing

Sharing that memory in the company of his son gave the conversation a particular warmth, one that did not go unnoticed by those who watched the clip after news of his passing broke.

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@uchennaobaseki wrote:

"It was good listening to you look back in time and giving your son that privilege of taking the journey with you. You never know what you are calling forth inside of him."

Others struggled to accept the loss. @kintoresourcesltd admitted,

"I refuse to believe this abeg kai I think I will leave social media for my mental health 😢😢😢😢😢."

@agboodoh simply responded:

"Oh my God, this is so heartbreaking. 💔."

@sheispulchritude offered a farewell:

"We will miss you! You were impeccable. Rest on 🙏🏽." @wendy_billz added, "May his soul rest in peace. 😢😢 This is so sad."

Francis Duru's last post before death

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported on Francis Duru’s final Instagram post, a tribute to fellow actor Olu Jacobs that resurfaced after Duru’s death on October 22, 2026.

The post was shared on September 17, weeks before the veteran actor died following a brief illness.

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Duru’s words now read as an unintended farewell, as he praised Jacobs as a mentor and inspiration. The tribute has renewed attention on the two Nollywood figures, whose deaths came within weeks of each other.

Source: YEN.com.gh