Olu Jacobs at 80: Akin Lewis, Tony Akposheri, Other Senior Actors Discuss Experience With Movie Legend
- Olu Jacobs has carved his name on the hearts of many in the entertainment industry as every senior actor talks about his down-to-earth character and unmatched personality
- Celebrating the veteran actor as he clocks 80 years, some senior actors in the industry who spoke with Legit.ng described the Nollywood icon as a “legend” and a “professional to the core”
- According to them, even though he is not agile enough to continue acting, his legacies continue to speak for him, and he is a role model to many
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Highly respected Nollywood icon Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs, popularly known as Olu Jacobs, recently clocked 80 years, a worthy milestone. In grand style, the actor continues to be celebrated worldwide by colleagues and fans as he becomes an octogenarian.
Legit.ng spoke with some senior actors in the industry, and they all spoke about the movie legend, his personality and some of the experiences they have shared with him both on and off the movie set.
Source: Instagram
"He is a great man" - Tony Akposheri on Olu Jacobs
For the veteran actor, Dr Tony Akposheri, Olu Jacobs is a man of the people, a knowledgeable man who believes in passing on knowledge to the next generation.
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He said:
“Just like Chinua Achebe’s book, Olu Jacobs is a man of the people. Man of the people in the sense that he is so humble. He believes in sharing knowledge, and he is not one of those people that will die, and their knowledge will die with them.
“I am so honoured to have worked with him; he is so knowledgeable. He is a great man. The last time we were together was when Amosun invited him.
“Our new actors need to learn a lot from him; they should learn not to carry shoulders up because they are big. They should learn to impact knowledge into those coming behind them.”
"He's a professional to the core" - Akin Lewis on Olu Jacobs
According to popular Nigerian actor and movie director Akin Lewis, ‘OJ’, as Olu Jacobs is fondly called, is a professional and has built a strong legacy speaking for him.
He had this to say about the movie legend:
"Olu Jacobs, OJ, as some of us fondly call him! Those are seniors in the game. He is in the league of the Jimi Solankes, the Tunji Oyelanas. They have all done a very good job. I have worked with him on stage for some time, and I must say he is a professional to the core.
“He has left a good legacy and I hope that when we also get to that age, we will also have great legacies to leave for those coming behind us.”
"He'd still be acting if not for his health challenge" - Dele Odule on Olu Jacobs
Even though Nollywood veteran actor Dele Odule doesn’t know much about Olu Jacobs’ personal life, he has had several working relationships with him.
According to him, the movie legend remains a role model to him and many others.
He said:
“Even if I can’t say much about his personal life, I know he lived much of his artistic life abroad. But when he came back to Nigeria, I was opportune to work with him many times on set and saw discipline in him. He is professionally grounded and has a passion for acting.
“He relates freely with those of us younger than him, and he has been a very pleasant uncle. Uncle Olu’s combination with his wonderful wife, Joke Silva, is also perfect. They are love birds, and they genuinely love each other.
“Their relationship is worthy of emulation. Therefore, I join millions of people in wishing him a happy birthday, and I pray for God lay healing hands on him and perfect everything that needs to be perfected in his life.
“I know if not for his health challenges, he would still be on stage acting, but the legacy he has built over time is there already and cannot be forgotten. He is a role model to many of us.”
"I thank his wife for being the woman she is" Jude Chukwuka on Olu Jacobs
Jude Chukwuka, like every other actor in his age range, refers to the Nollywood legend as ‘Uncle Olu’, and he described him as a wordplay expert.
According to him, the veteran actor could turn any word to mean many things.
Here is what he had to say about Olu Jacobs:
“Uncle Olu like he is fondly called in the industry, especially those in my age range, is someone we all look up to. He treats everyone around him with respect and is down-to-earth. He doesn’t know how to lie about things and will tell you things the way it is.
“I have a lot of respect for him, he is a trailblazer, and his antecedents speak for him. So I wish him all the best life can offer him now and also thank his wife for being the woman she is, a woman that is true to what she says.
“For Uncle Olu, respect is his watchword. He is also a wordplay expert, he could turn any word to meaning many things and you won’t be able to argue with that.”
Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs was born July 11, 1942, and he has over 40 years of experience as an actor. The Ogun state-born veteran actor was trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, England, worked with various repertoire theatres in Britain and starred in some international movies.
In 2013, he was honoured with the Industry Merit Award for outstanding achievements in acting at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards for his dedication to his acting career spanning over five decades. Also, AMAA conferred its Lifetime Achievement Awards on him in 2016.
He is married to celebrated actress Joke Silva, and they are blessed with wonderful children. However, in a recent interview, his wife announced that the actor is battling Dementia.
Actor Olu Jacobs Attends Afriff With Wife Joke Silva, Wins Lifetime Achievement Award
It would be recalled that last year, Legit.ng reported that the veteran actor made a public appearance to attend the Africa International Film Festival (Afriff) where he received the lifetime achievement awards.
Olu Jacobs, who appeared pale, shared a photo of himself prepared to attend the event with his wife on Instagram.
The photo stirred massive reactions from fans who wondered about his looks might be a result of old age.
Source: Legit.ng
