Kanayo O. Kanayo reveals what Olu Jacobs was really like on set before his death at 84

• Kanayo O. Kanayo recalls Olu Jacobs arriving early and knowing his lines on set.

• He says Jacobs pushed younger actors to prove themselves and improve their craft.

• Kanayo remembers sharing the screen with Jacobs in a film where Jacobs played a king, and he played his prince.

Veteran Nollywood actor Kanayo O. Kanayo has shed light on what it was actually like to work alongside Olu Jacobs on set, painting a picture of a man whose professionalism was just as imposing as his screen presence.

Speaking to BBC Focus on Africa following Jacobs' death on September 16 at the age of 84, Kanayo described Jacobs as a man who arrived before everyone else, never struggled with his lines, and had a simple way of putting younger actors in their place.

"You wouldn't tell an Olu Jacobs that call time is 9 am and he is not there by 8:30. Is it in terms of taking his lines? Such people were like demigods; difficult to forget their lines," he said.

Kanayo said Jacobs brought a level of craft and experience to every scene that set him apart from virtually everyone else in the room, and that working alongside him came with an unspoken standard that younger actors either met or heard about.

"God save you if you are on set with Mr Olu Jacobs and you're not proving yourself to be an actor. He will, in a very simple way, tell you how you can be better," he said.

He described Jacobs as someone who was always willing to pass on what he knew, but who had no patience for anyone trying to skip the work it took to get there.

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Kanayo also recalled sharing the screen with Jacobs in a film produced by Lancelot Imasuen in Benin, where Jacobs played a king and Kanayo his prince, a dynamic that reflected the real hierarchy both men occupied in the industry at large.

"I would have wished that he stayed more. He has played his part, and it's time the Lord called him home," he said.

Olu Jacobs, born Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs on July 11, 1942, trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London before building a career across British theatre, international film and Nigerian cinema spanning more than five decades. 

He co-founded the Lufodo Group with his wife, veteran actress Joke Silva, and was recognised with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Africa International Film Festival among numerous other honours.

Joke Silva publicly disclosed in 2021 that Jacobs had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia. He is survived by his wife and their children.