Veteran filmmaker Tunde Kelani has mourned late Nollywood icon, Olu Jacobs, describing him as a foundational figure in Nigerian acting.
The death of Jacobs was announced on Wednesday by his son, Olusoji Jacobs.
In a post on X, Kelani recounted how he met Jacobs in 1978 as a student at the London Film School.
Kelani said he and fellow Nigerian students were working on their final year project, a diploma film titled Trying Times, adapted from Amadu Maddy’s novel No Past, No Present, No Future.
He disclosed that Jacobs, who was active at the Africa Centre in Covent Garden at the time, agreed to star in the project without requesting payment, except for meals during the three-day shoot.
‘I first crossed paths with Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs-fondly known to many of us as Uncle Olu Jacobs-in 1978,’ Kelani wrote.
‘From that very first encounter, he left an indelible mark on me: a consummate, classically trained actor with a commanding presence, yet generous enough to lead our student production without asking for a fee-his only condition being that we provide him a meal across our three-day shoot.’
Kelani noted that having Jacobs’ performance captured on 16mm film remains a treasured memory.
He also praised Jacobs for leaving a thriving career in the United Kingdom to return to Nigeria and contribute to the growth of Nollywood at a time many conventional filmmakers dismissed analogue video production.
‘It took extraordinary courage and vision for Uncle Olu to walk away from a flourishing career abroad,’ Kelani said.
‘He had already established an enviable reputation across the British stage, television, and international cinema-working on productions like Pirates under Roman Polanski-yet he chose to return home.’
‘At a time when shooting on analogue video seemed absurd to conventional filmmakers, he embraced the nascent Nollywood movement.’
According to Kelani, no award could fully define the late actor’s impact on Nigerian cinema.
‘Yet accolades alone cannot capture the magnitude of his legacy: Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs stands unequivocally as a founding patriarch of modern Nigerian screen performance,’ he said.
The director added that Jacobs’ career exemplified dedication to the craft for younger generations.
President Bola Tinubu and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar are among prominent Nigerians who have paid tribute to the late actor since his death was announced.