Nollywood has lost another icon as the death of popular Nollywood veteran, Chief Lari Williams was announced today, the 28th of February, 2022.
The veteran actor was said to have died at the age of 81 after battling with an undisclosed illness for a long time.
Chief Lari Williams is a big name in Nollywood and deservedly so earned his stripe as a veteran in the industry. During his time, he was well known for his role in the popular soap opera, Village Headmaster, Ripples and Mirror in the Sun.
However, it can be simply said that Chief Lari Williams belongs to the Old Nollywood and not many will know him so well now to know enough about him.
Here is what we are able to gather on his education, career, and honors.
Education
Chief Lari Williams is a well-read man, and that can be backed by his educational background in Journalism, English, and Drama.
He studied Journalism at the London School of Journalism, then proceeded to study English at Morley College. After that, he studied Drama at the Mountview Theatre School and Stratford E15 Acting School in England where he became a professional actor.
Career
FESTAC’77 can be said to have done a lot of good to the Nigerian entertainment industry, and one of those that can stand as proof of that is Chief Lari Williams.
In 1977, the veteran actor came to Nigeria for the festival and choose to remain in Nigeria with his family after that.
That started the life of the actor in Nollywood, creating the name of the man we celebrate today.
Honors
Chief Lari Williams was the Vice Presidential candidate and Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s running mate when the Movement of the People (MOP) was founded in 1983.
Also, he was honored with the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic in 2008, and he was the first president of the Actors’ Guild of Nigeria.
It is worthy of note that he was a poet, and a playwright and some of his published works include plays like Black Current, Storm Baby, Kolanut Junction, and Heartlines.
Conclusion
Chief Lari Williams is a man that lived with a purpose and lived a life of passion. His works continued to speak for him during his life and even after his death.