Tributes have continued to pour in following the reported death of Nollywood actor Alexx Ekubo at the age of 40.
News of the actor’s death emerged on Tuesday, sparking widespread reactions across social media, where the phrase “Rest on Alex” quickly began trending.
Although his family, management team, and actors’ guild had yet to issue an official statement at the time of reporting, several colleagues in the Nigerian film industry had already begun mourning the actor.
Actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele wrote on her Instagram story, “Rest In Peace Alex.”
Both actors appeared together in the 2020 blockbuster movie Omo Ghetto: The Saga.
The reports of his death followed weeks of cryptic social media posts by some figures in Nollywood concerning the actor’s wellbeing.
Although Alexx Ekubo had remained active in acting projects, he had largely withdrawn from social media, with checks showing that his last post was made in December 2024. His sudden online silence had raised concerns among fans.
The cause of death has not yet been officially confirmed, though reports suggest he had been ill.
Other Nollywood stars, including Rita Dominic and Bolanle Ninalowo, also reacted to the news.
Alexx Ekubo Career and Achievements
According to his official biography, Alexx Ekubo was born on April 10, 1986, in Port Harcourt.
He went to Federal Government College, Daura for his secondary education. He studied Law at the University of Calabar before pursuing a career in acting, where he rose to fame in the 2010s.
He won the Best Supporting Actor award at the Best of Nollywood Awards in 2013 for his role in Weekend Getaway.
In 2018, he received a Special Recognition Award from Nigeria’s First Lady for his contributions to the entertainment industry.
Two years later, he was inducted into the Most Influential People of African Descent Top 100 Under 40 Hall of Fame, linked to the United Nations.
In 2021, the governing council of Institut Supérieur de Communication et de Gestion awarded him an honorary doctorate degree in Arts and Culture.
He also received the Nigerian National Award of Excellence for his charity work as Global Social Giving Actor of the Year.
His breakthrough role came in Ladies Men, and over the course of his career, he amassed 116 acting credits.
His latest movie appearance came in February 2026 in Adanne.
Other notable films he featured in include Afamefuna: An Nwa Boi Story, A Sunday Affair, Hire a Woman, and Omo Ghetto: The Saga.
Throughout his career, he won nine awards, including the BEFFTA Awards for Nollywood Rising Star and the Screen Nation Film and TV Awards for Favourite Male African International Emerging Screen Talent in 2014.
In 2015, he won the Nigerian Teen Choice Awards for Outstanding TV Personality.
He later received Best Actor of the Year at the Best of Nollywood Awards in 2016, alongside Model Actor of the Year at the Nigerian Model Achievers Awards.
In 2022, he won Best Lead Actor at the Best of Nollywood Awards and Best Actor of the Year at the Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival.
In 2024, he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards for his role in Afamefuna: An Nwa Boi Story.
