Moviedom have been thrown into deep mourning again. This time, death claimed one of the most illustrious members of the Nollywood tribe, veteran actor, Amaechi Muonagor. Aged 62, Muonagor known for playing the leading role in the ground breaking comic movie, Aki Nu Ukwa, died on Sunday, March 24, three weeks after the industry lost another illustrious member of the tribe -John Okafor aka Mr. Ibu to the pang of death. The Idemili, Anambra State-born actor has for a long time been battling kidney disease. The news of his death came a few days after a video in which he solicited financial assistance from Nigerians to enable him to travel abroad for a kidney transplant trended.

Muonagor had in the video called on Nigerians to assist him financially to undergo a kidney transplant in India. In another video, which also trended, the notable actor was seen on his hospital bed at the Intensive Care Unit of Nnewi Teaching Hospital in Anambra State pleading for help for a transplant surgery as the illness has affected his speech and his sight. Muonagor repeatedly asked Nigerians to help him and not to allow him die.

But light dimmed on the ebullient actor last Sunday. His death, which was confirmed by his cousin, Tony One Week Muonagor, himself a notable entertainer brings the number of notable movie practitioners that have passed on, in the first quarter of 2024 to five. The other four are veteran Yoruba actor Deji Aderemi, popularly known as Olofa Ina, who died on Thursday, January 4 at the age of 73; Basi and Company star Ethel Ekpe who passed on in the US on February 7 after a long battle with cancer; notable actor, Tolani Quadri Oyebamiji, popularly known as Sisi Quadri and John Okafor aka
Mr. Ibu. Sisi Quadri died on March 1, at the age of 44 while Mr. Ibu died at age 62.

A native of Obosi village in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra state, Muonagor had his early education at St. Mary’s Primary School, Obosi, and at Oraifite Grammar School, Anambra state. An alumnus of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) where he studied economics and graduated in 1987, Muonagor had a short stint at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) after the completion of the compulsory National Youth Service Scheme before he ventured into acting. He confirmed in an earlier interview that he worked at NAN between 1989 and 1992 and when activities peaked in the movie industry, he dumped the ‘8am to 4pm job for the world of acting. ‘I have not looked back or done anything else since then he revealed. Married with four children, Muonagors first feel of acting was in the two part Igbo language movie, Taboo. “I played the role of Akunatakasi,” he recalled.

“It was the movie that launched me to limelight and made people know that I can act not just in my language but I can take on roles in movies produced in English. After that movie I did Karishika and then Igodo and then the big one Aki Nu Kwa starring, Chinedu Ikedieze and Osita Iheme and written and directed by Amayo Uzo Phillips. The movie was so popular that people thought that Aki and Paw Paw which was the role Chinedu and Osita played were my children in real life. From then on, it was one role to the other he reminisced.

Star of critically acclaimed Nollywood movies such as, His Last Action, Sincerity, Without Goodbye, Most Wanted Kidnappers and Jack and Jill, the busy actor revealed that he would have featured in over 100 movies. “I slowed down after sometime, but I am sure I would have featured in over a hundred movies. I mean there was a time when we were working back to back. So, I would have featured in more than a hundred jobs. I just have not kept count he said adding that movies such as, Taboo, Aki Nu Kwa, My Village People and Without Goodbye are some of his most memorable movies in terms of the roles he played in them.

A committed practitioner who has a huge fan base, Muonagor will be remembered for lighting up some of Nollywoods movie productions such as His Action, Evil World, Ugonma, Rosemary, Spirits, Village Rascals and Code of Silence.