Zulu Adigwe

Joseph Zulu Adigwe (27 June 1945 – 23 April 2024) was a Nigerian actor and singer,^[1][2][3][4] best known for paternal roles in Nollywood movies. He first achieved fame as Mr. B in the sitcom Basi and Company,^[5][6] and most recently featured in the 2019 blockbuster Living in Bondage: Breaking Free.^[7]

Zulu Adigwe
Born	(1945-06-27)27 June 1945 Enugu, Eastern Region, Nigeria
Died	23 April 2024(2024-04-23) (aged 78)
Nationality	Nigerian
Alma mater	University of Ibadan
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1988–2024
Known for	Blood Diamonds (2004) Unforgetable (2003) Issakaba (1999)
Television	Checkmate Basi & Company

Early life

Adigwe was born in Enugu where he spent most of his childhood but moved to Austria where he attended primary and secondary school.^[8] Prior to acting he studied French and German, worked as a teacher, and briefly studied Medicine before returning to Nigeria after his father's death. He enrolled with the University of Ibadan where he studied Theatre Arts, graduating with First Class Honours.^[8]

Career

Adigwe's interest in acting started when he was seven. His earliest appearance on Nigerian television was in Basi and Company where he played the lead character Mr. B, replacing former actor Albert Egbe who left the series after a dispute with the show's creator Ken Saro-Wiwa. Adigwe's introduction to the cast saw Mr. B re-invented as a guitar-strumming layabout composing and singing get-rich-quick ditties. He also performed Basi and Company's new theme song, and an album coinciding with the series - Mr. B Makes His Millions - was released under Polygram Nigeria in 1990.^[5][9]

In 1991, Adigwe was among the original cast of Checkmate, playing lecherous university lecturer Monday Edem in the pilot episode, but the role was recast after production moved from Enugu to Lagos. His first movie was Blood of the Orphan, which earned him acclamation and recognition. In 2004, he also starred in Living Abroad, directed by Elvis Chuks and also starring Ernest Asuzu, Emeka Enyiocha, and Anne Njemanze.^[10] In 2019, Adigwe featured as Pascal Nworie in Living in Bondage: Breaking Free.^[11][12][7]

Movies

• 45 Minutes
• My Only Love (2003) as Fr. Nwachukwu
• Gods of Liberation 1 & 2 (2005)
• After Dawn 1 & 2 (2005)
• Divided Heart 1 & 2 (2006)
• My Promise 1 & 2 (2006)
• Bigger Boys 1 & 2 (2005)
• Blood Diamonds 1 & 2 (2004)
• The Face of a Liar 1 & 2 (1999)
• Issakaba 1 & 2 (2000)
• Living in Bondage: Breaking Free
• Endtime 1 & 2 (1999)
• Last Ofalla (2002)
• City of Kings 1 & 2 (2006) as Bernard
• The Grandmasters 1 & 2 (2006) as Guru
• The Kingmaker° (2003)
• Unforgettable 1 & 2 (2003)
• Top Secret (2004)
• Living Abroad (2003)^[13]

Death

Adigwe died on 23 April 2024.^[14]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Director	Notes
2019	Living in Bondage: Breaking Free	Pascal Nworie	Ramsey Nouah	[11]
	45 Minutes	Actor	Alvin Mic Master	[15]
2018	Feast of Love		Kensteve Anuka
2015	The Powerful Baby	Udemme	Nonso Emekaekwue
2006	The Grandmasters 1 & 2	Guru
	My Promise 1 & 2
	City of Kings 1 & 2	Bernards
	Divided Heart 1 & 2
2005	Bigger Boys 1 & 2	Actor
	After Dawn 1 & 2
	Gods of Liberation 1 & 2
2004	Living Abroad	Actor	Elvis Chuks	[10]
2003	Blood Diamonds 1 & 2	Actor	Teco Benson	[16]
	Top Secret
	Unforgetable 1 & 2		Osita Okoli
	The Kingmaker
	My Only Love	Fr. Nwachukwu
2000	Issakaba 2	Actor	Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen
1999	Issakaba
	Endtime 1 & 2
	Face of a Liar 1 & 2
	Last Ofalla

Television

Year	Title	Role	Director	Notes
1988–1990	Basi and Company	"Mr B"
1991	Checkmate	Professor Monday Edem #1

See also

• List of Nigerian actors