Late Taiwo Hassan a k.a. Ogogo
Veteran Nollywood actor and filmmaker, Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, has died after battling stage-four cancer.
The actor’s daughter, Kira Taiwo, announced his death on Sunday evening during a live session on her Instagram page.
His death came only days after the family publicly disclosed that the 66-year-old actor was battling advanced cancer and appealed for urgent medical intervention.
Kira had earlier revealed that her father had been diagnosed with stage-four cancer and that his condition had deteriorated to the point where the family was seeking additional medical options.
The family had appealed to medical professionals and others with access to specialised cancer treatment to assist in finding a way to save the veteran actor.
The cancer diagnosis was made about three weeks before the family’s public appeal, with the condition affecting his abdomen.
Kira had said the hospital treating her father had informed the family that chemotherapy could no longer be administered, prompting the family to seek other options.
She also disclosed that Ogogo had obtained an Indian visa for medical treatment but had subsequently been declared unfit to fly.
The family’s appeal attracted widespread concern among colleagues, fans and well-wishers, with several Nigerians rallying around the veteran actor.
The family also acknowledged the intervention of the Ogun State All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, who was said to have assisted with the actor’s medical bills.
Kira had stressed that the family’s immediate concern was not financial assistance but finding appropriate medical intervention that could give her father another chance to survive.
She had also appealed to medical experts and others with knowledge of possible treatment options to come forward.
Ogogo’s illness triggered an outpouring of concern within the Yoruba film industry, with colleagues and fans expressing support for the actor and his family.
Taiwo Hassan was born on October 31, 1959, in Ilaro, Ogun State, and became one of the prominent faces of Yoruba-language Nollywood.
He began his acting career in the early 1980s and later left his job with the Lagos State Water Corporation to pursue acting full-time. His career eventually spanned acting, film production, directing and screenwriting.
He became widely recognised for his commanding performances in Yoruba films and was particularly known for playing strong and authoritative characters.
Among the productions associated with his career were Owo Blow, Omin, Elewon, Omo Ghetto, Tenant of the House and Aníkúlápó. He also appeared in Aníkúlápó: Rise of the Spectre.
His performance in Aníkúlápó further introduced him to a new generation of viewers, while his decades-long career established him as one of the enduring figures in the Yoruba film industry.
Ogogo’s career was also marked by his involvement behind the camera as a producer and director, alongside his work as an actor.
Source- The Whistler