Veteran Nigerian actor and elder statesman, Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs, popularly known as Olu Jacobs, has died at the age of 84.
His death was announced by his son, Olusoji Jacobs, on Instagram on Wednesday.
Jacobs was one of Nigeria’s most celebrated actors, with a career spanning more than five decades across theatre, television and film.
He began his professional journey on the British stage before featuring in international productions and later becoming one of the most recognisable faces in Nollywood.
Born on July 11, 1942, in Kano, Jacobs traced his roots to the Egba Alake community in Abeokuta, Ogun State. He developed an interest in acting while growing up in Kano, participating in school drama, debates and church programmes.
His interest in professional acting was further strengthened after he watched a performance by renowned Nigerian theatre practitioner, Hubert Ogunde.
Jacobs subsequently travelled to Britain, where he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Following his training, he worked with several repertory theatres and appeared in a number of British television productions.
During the 1970s, he featured in television programmes including The Goodies, Till Death Do Us Part, The Professionals, The Tomorrow People and Barlow at Large.
His international film credits included The Dogs of War in 1980, Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend in 1985 and Roman Polanski’s Pirates in 1986.
After returning to Nigeria, Jacobs became a prominent figure in the country’s emerging film and television industry. Over the years, he appeared in hundreds of productions and became particularly associated with roles as kings, chiefs, traditional rulers, patriarchs and other authoritative figures.
His commanding voice and stage-trained presence made him one
Jacobs received several honours during his illustrious career. In 2007, he won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
He also received the Industry Merit Award for outstanding achievement in acting at the 2013 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards and the MAA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.
In recognition of his contribution to the Nigerian arts, the Federal Government conferred on him the national honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic in 2011.
Jacobs was married to fellow veteran actress Joke Silva, with whom he had both a personal and professional partnership. The couple founded the Lufodo Group, which has interests in film production, distribution and performing arts education.
They also established the Lufodo Academy of Performing Arts to contribute to the training of emerging performers.
In his later years, Jacobs largely withdrew from public appearances after his health began to decline. Silva had previously disclosed that he was living with dementia with Lewy bodies, a degenerative condition.
His health had also been the subject of several false reports of his death. In June 2024, Silva dismissed one such report, saying he was alive and doing fine, while his family had similarly rejected earlier rumours.
Jacobs’ career bridged Nigeria’s traditional theatre heritage and its modern film and television industry. His work as an actor, producer and arts educator influenced generations of Nigerian performers.
Alongside contemporaries such as Pete Edochie, he was part of the generation of veteran actors who helped shape Nollywood and its distinctive identity.
Olu Jacobs died in the early hours of Wednesday, leaving behind his wife, family, colleagues and generations of actors and filmmakers influenced by his work.
