30th June, 2024
By Taiwo Okanlawon
Veteran Nollywood actress, Joke Silva on Sunday dismissed yet another rumour making rounds on social media that her husband, Olu Jacobs is dead.
This is the second time rumours about the death of the ace Nigerian actor and film executive, whose real name is Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs, will be making rounds on social media.
Speaking with TheNEWS and PMNEWS this afternoon, his wife, Joke, debunked the rumour, saying “my husband is alive and doing just fine.”
In August 2022, rumours went round on social media that Olu Jacobs is dead.
Reacting to the news, Silva took to her Instagram Story to debunk such reports and rumours, saying that her husband is not dead but hail and hearty.
She went further to threaten legal action against peddlers of fake news on incessant rumours of Jacobs’ death.
Olu Jacobs took a break from movie scene and public scene due to his health that is fast deteriorating. The actor is battling with Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), also known as Lewy body dementia, one of the most common types of dementia, according to UK NHS.
Fondly called Uncle Olu by his colleagues and teeming admirers, Olu Jacobs has made his mark in the Nigeria’s movie industry.
With more than 40 years acting experience under his belt, Jacobs is seen as a bridge between the old and new breed of actors. Trained at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, England, Jacobs remains one of Africa’s creative gifts to the world, having worked with various repertoire theatres in Britain and starred in some international movies.
Olu Jacobs was born on 11 July 1942. As contained in many biographical information on him, as aggregated by Wikipedia, he has starred in several British television series and international films.
“Olu Jacobs has been hailed by many as one of the greatest and most widely respected African actors of his generation. Together with Pete Edochie, Justus Esiri, Enebeli Elebuwa and Sam Loco Efe, he is considered by several media, film commentators, critics, and other actors to be one of the most influential African actors of all time, and is widely regarded as a cultural icon.”
In 2007 he won the African Movie Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Olu Jacobs has distinguished himself as a godfather in Nollywood, paving a successful path for many emerging actors and actresses in the industry.
His love for acting was inspired by the late legendary film maker, Hubert Ogunde’s annual concert party which held at Colonial Hotel in Kano. Thereafter, he travelled to England where he studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. He has been described as ‘one of Nollywood’s finest actors, best role interpreter and the best manipulator of words’.
For his dedication to his acting career spanning over five decades, he was honoured with the Industry Merit Award for outstanding achievements in acting at the 2013 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards.’ Also, AMAA conferred its Lifetime Achievement Awards on him in 2016.
Olu Jacobs is married to veteran actress Joke Silva. 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.
“In England, he trained at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. He then starred in various British television shows and series in the 1970s (e.g. The Goodies, Till Death Do Us Part, Barlow at Large, The Venturers, Angels, 1990, The Tomorrow People, 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 starred in several international films some of which include 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.
Jacobs has subsequently starred in over 120 Nollywood films. He is considered one of the top Nigerian Nollywood actors.”
