Legendary Actor, Olu Jacobs Dies At 84

Legendary actor, Oludotun Jacobs, is dead.

He passed away at the age of 84.

His death was announced in the early hours of Wednesday by his family.

Olusoji Jacobs, the actor’s son, took to his Instagram page to express gratitude to God “for a life well lived and fought”.

He also asked bloggers and social media users to give the family space to grieve.

“It is with gratitude to God for a life well lived and fought, that we announce the passing of our dear husband, father, grandfather and uncle. The Lion of Lufodo,” he wrote.

“Oludotun Baiyewun Jacobs (MFR) 11/07/ 1942- 16/09/2026.

“We call on all bloggers and social media influencers to respect our families privacy at this time.”

The cause of death was, however, not disclosed.

Born in 1942 to parents from Abeokuta, Jacobs grew up in Kano, where he attended Holy Trinity School and joined the debating and drama societies.

A Hubert Ogunde concert party performance at the Colonial Hotel in Kano sparked his interest in acting, prompting him to travel to England to train.

He studied at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. One of his earliest stage roles was to play the part of The Boy in ‘A Taste of Honey’ at the 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,’ among others. In 1978, he played the role of President Mageeba in Michael Codron’s presentation of Sir Tom Stoppard’s play ‘Night and Day’.

Jacobs returned to Nigeria in 1990 and starred in the NTA detective series ‘The Third Eye.’ He went on to feature in hundreds of Nollywood films, earning a reputation as one of the industry’s most distinguished talents.

He won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2021 Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF). He was also presented with an Icon Award by the Audio-Visual Rights Society of Nigeria (AVRS) in 2022.

At the 2023 AMVCA, Jacobs was honoured with the prestigious Industry Merit Award for outstanding achievements in acting.

The ace actor married actress Joke Silva in 1989, and they have two children.

Before his death, Jacobs had been the subject of death rumours.

When news broke on June 30, 2024, that he had passed away, fans were devastated.

Tributes poured in until his widow, Joke Silva shared a video showing him very much alive.