Veteran Nollywood actress, Joke Silva has refuted reports going round on social media that her husband, Olu Jacobs is dead.
NewsWireNGR reports that this is not the first time such rumour was circulated on social media.
Dispelling the rumour, Joke Silva said; “her husband is fine and doing fine”.
Founder of Genevieve Magazine, Betty Irabor, also debunked the news.
Irabor tweeted: “Olu Jacobs is well and alive. Please ignore all rumours of his passing.”
Jacobs’ family has also released a video to prove that the actor is alive.
Speaking last year, his wife, Joke Silva, said Jacob’s ailment had brought significant changes in her man.
She said: “It hasn’t been easy. There was a point of acceptance for me that everything happening is reality and it is like the person I married, 80 per cent of the time is no longer there.”
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.
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.”
