Olu Jacobs, iconic actor and film executive, dies at 84 After nearly two decades of acting in Britain, the late Olu Jacobs returned to Nigeria in 1990 to an emerging local film industry with something it badly needed: the professionalism of a trained actor.
It was a quality that stood him in good stead in the Nollywood industry where he played king and chief, father and patriarch, politician and businessman, villain and other men of authority.
He was until his death a great thespian with one of the most impressive resumes on the continent.
Yet, to get there, Jacobs trod a rather unusual route: he worked on repertory stages, appeared on British television and taken roles in international films.
His return to Nigeria coincided with the rapid growth of the home-video industry, where his training and experience stood him out.
Alongside such industry figures as Pete Edochie, Jacobs was regarded as one of its “godfathers”.
After receiving his professional training from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, Jacobs started his career in the United Kingdom.
Among his early-stage appearances was a 1971 performance at the Dublin Theatre Festival in Conor Cruise O’Brien’s ‘Murderous Angels: A Political Tragedy’ and ‘Comedy in Black and White’.
Other theatre appearances included ‘Cork Leg’ at the Royal Court, ‘Black Man’s Country’ at the Gate Theatre and ‘Julius Caesar’ at the Royal National Theatre in 1977.
A year later, Jacobs played President Mageeba in Michael Codron’s production of Tom Stoppard’s ‘Night and Day’ at the Phoenix Theatre in London.
During the 1970s, Jacobs appeared in various British television shows and series, including ‘The Goodies’, ‘The Tomorrow People’, ‘The Professionals’, ‘Till Death Us Do Part’ and....
