Nollywood actor Bucci Franklin has opened up about the challenges of growing up without an active father figure and how it shaped his life.
In an interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, shared on YouTube on Sunday, Franklin revealed that while his father was alive, he was absent during his childhood — a void that left him exposed to negative influences.
He praised his mother, Mrs Joy, for her strength as a single parent, noting the sacrifices she made to raise him. However, he stressed the irreplaceable role of male guidance in a boy’s life.
“As a kid, I had my woman shege. It is not easy to be a single parent. My mum had to go to work. Not having a father figure is quite difficult. Maximum respect to women out there taking care of their children by themselves. But for boys especially, you just need a father figure,” he said.
Franklin admitted that the absence of male guidance pushed him toward the wrong crowd as a teenager. He recalled experimenting with alcohol, cigarettes, and reckless behaviour at an early age.
“I was into girls, cigarettes, drinking beer at a very young age. Coming back home completely wasted,” he confessed.
Despite his father’s absence, the actor said he has chosen to forgive him and now views him differently.
“My dad is good, but he was not in the picture. I see him now for the man he is, not the man he was. I have forgiven him. Nobody is perfect. I just honour him for the human being that he is,” he added.
Reflecting on his journey, Franklin credited his mother for the man he has become today and urged young people to seek positive role models.
“The man that I am today, and that I would continue to be, is because of Mrs Joy,” he said.
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