Olu Jacobs
Nigerian actor (born 1942)
title: "Olu Jacobs" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["living-people", "male-actors-from-abeokuta", "yoruba-male-actors", "nigerian-male-film-actors", "best-actor-africa-movie-academy-award-winners", "1942-births", "alumni-of-the-royal-academy-of-dramatic-art", "20th-century-nigerian-male-actors", "21st-century-nigerian-male-actors", "nigerian-male-television-actors", "members-of-the-order-of-the-federal-republic", "male-actors-in-yoruba-cinema", "nigerian-expatriates-in-england"] description: "Nigerian actor (born 1942)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olu_Jacobs" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Nigerian actor (born 1942) ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Olu Jacobs |
| image | Olujacobs.jpg |
| imagesize | 220 |
| alt | Olu Jacobs |
| caption | Olu Jacobs at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in Bayelsa State, Nigeria, March 2007 |
| birth_name | Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs |
| birth_date | |
| nationality | Nigerian |
| education | Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts |
| occupation | Actor |
| yearsactive | 1970–present |
| television | The Goodies |
| Till Death Us Do Part | |
| Barlow at Large | |
| The Venturers | |
| Angels | |
| The Tomorrow People | |
| spouse | Joke Silva |
| :: |
| name = Olu Jacobs | image = Olujacobs.jpg | imagesize = 220 | alt = Olu Jacobs | caption = Olu Jacobs at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in Bayelsa State, Nigeria, March 2007 | birth_name = Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs | birth_date = | othername = | nationality = Nigerian | education = Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts | occupation = Actor | yearsactive = 1970–present | television = The Goodies Till Death Us Do Part Barlow at Large The Venturers Angels The Tomorrow People
The Professionals The Third Eye
| spouse = Joke Silva | website =
Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs, (born 11 July 1942), known professionally as Olu Jacobs, is a veteran Nigerian actor and film executive. He began his career starring in several British television series and international films. Vanguard described him as one of the "godfathers of Nollywood", along with Pete Edochie. Trained at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, England, Olu Jacobs worked with various repertoire theatres in Britain and starred in some international movies.
In 2007, Jacobs won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. He received the Industry Merit Award for outstanding achievements in acting at the 2013 Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards and the MAA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.
Biography
Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs was born to parents from Egba Alake. He spent his early childhood in Kano and attended Holy Trinity School where he was a member of the debating and drama societies. He was inspired to take a chance with acting when he attended one of Chief Hubert Ogunde's annual concert parties at Colonial Hotel in Kano. Afterwards, he secured a visa and travelled to England to study acting.
In England, Jacobs trained at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. One of his earliest stage roles was to play the part of The Boy in 'A Taste of Honey' at the newly opened Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, in 1972. He then appeared in various British television shows and series in the 1970s (including The Goodies, Till Death Us Do Part, Barlow at Large, The Venturers, Angels, 1990, The Tomorrow People and The Professionals). In 1978, he played the role of President Mageeba in Michael Codron's presentation of Sir Tom Stoppard's play Night and Day.
In the 1980s, Jacobs appeared in several international films, including John Irvin's war film The Dogs of War, Roman Polanski's adventure-comedy Pirates (1986) and the family-adventure film Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend (1985). On television, he was a cast member in TVS's The Witches and the Grinnygog. In 1990, upon his return to Nigeria, he starred in the NTA detective series The Third Eye.
Jacobs has subsequently starred in over 120 Nollywood films and is considered one of the top Nigerian Nollywood actors.
Personal life
Jacobs has been married to fellow Nollywood actor Joke Silva since 1989. They have two children. Asked why his wife still bears her maiden name, Jacobs answered: "She is her own individual. When I met her, she was an actress known as Joke Silva; so why should marrying me now deny her and her audience her name. She is Miss Joke Silva who is Mrs. Joke Jacobs. It is as simple as that. People began to say what they like. They have even written that we are separated and all sorts of stuff. When she is working, she is Joke Silva and as well as Mrs. Joke Jacobs at home." The couple founded and operate the Lufodo Group, a media corporation that consists of film production, distribution assets and the Lufodo Academy of Performing Arts.
Rumours that Jacobs had died circulated in 2021, until he attended Afriff in November 2021 where he was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award. His wife Silva later revealed in an interview with Chude Jideonwo that he is battling Dementia with Lewy bodies.
Accolades
Olu Jacobs was honoured with the Industry Merit Award for outstanding achievements in acting at the 2013 Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards.
In August 2022, he was presented an icon award and a membership certificate along with his wife by Audio-Visual Rights Society of Nigeria (AVRS)
Stage (selected)
::data[format=table]
| Year | Show | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Murderous Angels: A Political Tragedy and Comedy in Black and White (play) | Written by Conor Cruise O'Brien and performed at the Dublin Theatre Festival in 1971 | |
| 1972 | Richard's Cork Leg | Royal Court Theatre, London | |
| 1974 | Black Mans Country | Father Zachary Azuka | Gate Theatre |
| 1977 | Julius Caesar | One of the augerers | Royal National Theatre 1977 presentation directed by John Schlesinger |
| 1976 | Bar Beach Prelude and Transistor Radio | Two shorts play adapted from the works of Bode Sowande and Ken Saro Wiwa | |
| 1976 | A Kind of Marriage | Obi | Centre Play |
| 1977 | Old Movies | Chris Hunter (gendarmes) | National Theatre presentation |
| 1978 | Night and Day | President Mageeba | Phoenix Theatre (London) |
| :: |
Filmography
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Olu_Jacobs_and_Joke_Silva.jpg" caption="Olu Jacobs and wife, Joke Silva (2014)"] ::
Film
::data[format=table]
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Ashanti | Commissioner Batak | |
| 1980 | The Dogs of War | Customs Officer | |
| 1985 | Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend | Col. Nsogbu | |
| 1986 | Pirates | Boomako | |
| 2007 | Greatness | King | |
| 2008 | Smoke & Mirrors | Alhaji Sanni | |
| 2009 | League of Gentlemen | Chief Kolade | |
| 2010 | Bent Arrows | Mr. Johnson | |
| 2011 | Sacred Lies | Theodore | |
| 2011 | White Chapel | chief Tonye | |
| 2012 | Adesuwa | Ezomo | |
| 2013 | Potomanto | Bankole | |
| 2014 | The Antique | Oba Ekpen | |
| 2014 | Bloody Ring | Osuma | |
| 2015 | Oloibiri | Timipre | |
| 2015 | Dry | Speaker | |
| 2015 | One Fine Day | ||
| 2017 | The Royal Hibiscus Hotel | Richard | |
| 2017 | Victims | Baba Deolu | |
| 2017 | Unveil | ||
| :: |
Television
::data[format=table]
| Year | Programme | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | The Goodies | Season 2, Episode 4 – "Lost Tribe of the Orinoco" | |
| 1974 | Till Death Us Do Part | Television repair man | Season 5, Episode 3 – "Strikes and Blackouts" |
| 1975 | Barlow at Large | Motamba | Season 4, Episode 8 – "Protection" |
| 1975 | The Venturers | Mbela | Season 1, Episode 10 – "Dangerous and the Lonely Hearts" |
| 1976 | Angels | Musa Ladipo | 3 episodes |
| 1978 | 1990 | Alan Msawi | Season 2, Episode 2 – "The Market Price" |
| 1975 | The Tomorrow People | General Papa Minn | Season 6, Episode 5 & 6 – "The Thargon Menace: Part 1 & 2" |
| 1979 | The Professionals | Sylvester | Season 3, Episode 5 – "The Madness of Mickey Hamilton" |
| 1982 | Squadron | President Gadin | Season 1, Episode 10 – "Cyclone" |
| 1983 | The Witches and the Grinnygog | Mr Alabaster | Episodes 1–4, 6 |
| 1983 | Rumpole of the Bailey | David Mazenze | Season 3, Episode 2 – "Rumpole and the Golden Thread" |
| 1984 | Play for Today | David Mazenze | Season 14, Episode 16 – "The Amazing Miss Stella Estelle" |
| 1990 | The Third Eye | Inspector Best Idafa | Lead role (1990–1993) |
| :: |
References
References
- (2021-07-31). "July: Of Exuberance and Melancholy".
- "Filmography of Olu Jacobs". [[British Film Institute.
- (4 March 2019). "Pete Edochie, Olu Jacobs: The living 'godfathers' of Nollywood".
- (2022-01-11). "Olu Jacobs: Patriarch of the movie world".
- (2009-11-20). "I disobeyed my dad to become an actor - Olu Jacobs".
- Ogbu, Rachel. "A Race for Stars Only". [[Newswatch (Nigeria).
- "Nominees & Winners of AMAA 2007 @ a glance". The Africa Movie Academy Awards.
- Coker, Onikepo. (4 May 2007). "Africa Celebrates Film Industry at AMAA 2007". Mshale Communications.
- "AMAA Nominees and Winners 2007". [[Africa Movie Academy Awards]].
- Otagbo, Olasumbo. (18 October 2014). "How Hubert Ogunde inspired me to become an actor -Olu Jacobs". The Nation.
- [https://archive.today/20130629223516/http://www.naijarules.com/vb/nollywood-movie-stars/20070-my-happiest-moment-acting-olu-jacobs.html "My Happiest Moment In Acting – Olu Jacobs"], Naijarules.com.
- Ugochukwu, Françoise. (2022-01-20). "Olu Jacobs: Nollywood’s elder statesman has always acted for his country".
- Njoku, Benjamin. "I disobeyed my dad to become an actor – Olu Jacobs". The Vanguard.
- A BBC-2 series that traces the history of acting. (14 July 1983). The Stage and Television Today (Archive: 1959–1994), 15
- "Olu Jacobs Fighting Challenges".
- "I Bought My Dad His Best Tobacco".
- "How I met Joke Sylva – Olu Jacobs". The Sun Publishing Limited.
- (9 December 2013). "Why My Wife Still Bears Her Maiden Name – Actor Olu Jacobs – MJ Celebrity Magazine". MJ Celebrity Magazine.
- Obey, Yinka. (2021-11-17). "Pale-looking Olu Jacobs attends Afriff, wins lifetime achievement award".
- "'I miss di old Olu Jacobs well-well' - Joke Silva open up on her husband dementia and her life tori". BBC News Pidgin.
- (10 March 2013). "Olu Jacobs honoured at AMVCA awards as Genevieve, Funke Akindele lose out". Vanguard Newspaper.
- "From audio-visual rights society, garlands for legendary Olu Jacobs".
- (August 4, 2022). "AVRS honours Olu Jacobs & Ajoke Silva with membership certificates".
- Fleischer, Richard. (1979-02-21). "Ashanti". Beverly Films, Columbia Pictures, Warner Bros..
- Irvin, John. (1980-12-18). "The Dogs of War". Juniper Films.
- Norton, Bill. (1985-03-22). "Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend". Silver Screen Partners II, Touchstone Pictures.
- Polanski, Roman. (1986-05-08). "Pirates". Carthago Films S.a.r.l., Accent Films, Cominco.
- "Sparrow Productions bounces back with 'Four Big Things' - MyJoyOnline.com".
- Graham, Curtis. (2016-10-21). "Oloibiri".
- Linus, Stephanie. (2015-08-14). "Dry". Next Page Productions.
- Bako, Ishaya. (2018-02-10). "The Royal Hibiscus Hotel". EbonyLife Films.
- Imasuen, Lancelot Oduwa. "Victims". MAG Production.
::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::