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Filmmaker Tunde Kelani has shared a heartfelt tribute to the late Olu Jacobs, describing the actor's decision to abandon a thriving career in Britain for Nigeria's still-developing film industry as one of the boldest moves he ever witnessed in the profession.
The two men first crossed paths in London back in 1978, a meeting Kelani says shaped much of his own journey in filmmaking.
At the time, Kelani and a set of Nigerian coursemates at the London Film School were putting together their graduation project, an adaptation of a novel by Amadu Maddy called Trying Times.
Jacobs, already carving out a name for himself in British entertainment, signed on to anchor the student film without collecting a fee, asking only that the crew feed him during the three days of shooting.
That performance, Kelani noted, proved pivotal, helping the project earn a slot in the Governors' Screening at the film school, a milestone the young Nigerian filmmakers took great pride in.
Beyond that early collaboration, Kelani also worked alongside Jacobs and his wife, actress Joke Silva, on another production, Twins of the Rainforest, where he witnessed firsthand the couple's natural rapport in front of the camera.
Paying homage to his friend and colleague, Kelani wrote that Jacobs had every reason to stay abroad. By the time he made his choice to return, the actor had already built a solid reputation across British stage and screen, sharing credits on international productions including one directed by Roman Polanski. Still, he walked away from all of it.
Kelani pointed out that Jacobs entered Nollywood at a point when the idea of shooting on analogue video was dismissed by many established filmmakers as unserious.
Despite the industry's many technical and financial constraints in those early years, Jacobs committed his talent and work ethic to helping build what would eventually become a globally recognized film industry.
The tribute also touched on Jacobs' personality off camera, with Kelani recalling his easy smile and deep, commanding voice as qualities that made him a source of encouragement to many around him. Kelani called him one of the pioneering figures of Nigerian screen acting and expressed gratitude for the role Jacobs played in his own career.
News of Jacobs' death at 84 came on September 16, with his son Olusoji confirming the passing on behalf of the family.
Before his return to Nigeria, Jacobs had trained at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and featured in several British television series and international films.
His decades-long Nollywood career, spanning over a hundred films, earned him numerous accolades, including a national honour and a leading-actor award from the African film industry.
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