Alexx Ekubo built one of Nollywood's most commercially savvy careers. He died at 40 before anyone knew he was sick

He had been telling people he was fine. He was not fine. And by the time Nollywood found out the truth, Alexx Ekubo was gone.

The actor died the night of May 11, 2026, at Evercare Hospital in Lekki, Lagos, after a prolonged battle with liver cancer. He was 40. His body was subsequently moved to Ebony Vaults in Ikoyi. The death was confirmed by the Actors Guild of Nigeria's director of communication, Boma Akpore, and by talent manager and filmmaker Sam Olatunji, who broke the news publicly on Facebook. Actor Godwin Nnadiekwe, who confirmed the death on Instagram, wrote what many in the industry were feeling. "I'm struggling to find the words. This news has truly broken me. Nollywood has lost a rare soul."

Ekubo had been absent from public life and social media since December 2024, his last Instagram post coming days after reports emerged that his engagement to US-based model Fancy Acholonu had ended. Colleagues who reached out in the months that followed said he consistently reassured them he was doing well. Actress Yvonne Jegede said she found it difficult to process the loss precisely because he had told her he was fine every time she checked. Kate Henshaw recalled the support he had shown her during her own family grief and said she would not have the chance to repay it.

Veteran filmmaker Lancelot Imasuen, who gave Ekubo his first screen role after the two were neighbours in Surulere, described the loss as devastating and unbelievable. "That was how I gave him his first movie role that ushered him into Nollywood," Imasuen said.

Born April 10, 1986, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and hailing from Arochukwu in Abia State, Ekubo first gained national attention as first runner-up at the 2010 Mr Nigeria pageant. The platform opened doors into acting, modelling and commercial advertising, and he never looked back. He studied at Federal Government College Daura, read Mass Communication at Calabar Polytechnic and later pursued Law at the University of Calabar, building the media fluency and branding instinct that would define how he managed his career commercially.

Over a decade he appeared in more than 100 films, commanding acting fees estimated between N3 million (roughly $2,000) and N8 million (roughly $5,200) per project at his peak. He appeared in Omo Ghetto: The Saga (2020), which grossed approximately N678 million (roughly $440,000) at the Nigerian box office, The Bling Lagosians (2019), which crossed N120 million (roughly $78,000), and Your Excellency (2019), which earned approximately N186.3 million (roughly $121,000).

Beyond acting, Ekubo built what was, by Nollywood standards, an unusually structured commercial portfolio. His multi-year campaign relationship with Campari Nigeria was estimated to be worth more than N50 million (roughly $32,500). He signed with Globacom, Vava Furniture and fashion house Khali Kulture. His longest-running creative partnership was with fashion designer Yomi Casual, where what began as a modelling arrangement evolved into a co-branded collection under the Alexx Ekubo for Yomi Casual line, reportedly giving him a share of proceeds rather than a flat ambassadorial fee, an uncommon structure in Nigeria's endorsement market.

In 2022, he unveiled a custom-built smart home in Lekki featuring automated systems, integrated security and dedicated entertainment spaces. He had also been acquiring land in the Ibeju-Lekki corridor, one of Lagos' fastest-expanding investment zones.

The United Nations named him one of the Most Influential People of African Descent under 40 in 2020. He received an honorary degree in Arts and Culture from ISCG University in 2021.

Funke Akindele expressed regret on Instagram at not having seen him one last time, recalling the affectionate nickname he used for her. Omoyele Sowore described him as a rare talent, recalling a film performance watched on a long-haul flight that stayed with him. Actor Kunle Remi called the loss painful.

Alexx Ekubo was 40 years old. He had already prepared his will.