By Omowumi Omotosho
Veteran actor, Olu Jacobs is 82 years today.
His wife and also a veteran Nollywood actress, Joke Silva celebrated her husband on his 82nd birthday.
Jacobs was born on July 11, 1942. To commemorate his birthday, Silva took to her Instagram page on Thursday to share a video capturing the veteranโs youthful days.
The award-winning actress also prayed that โaging will not be difficultโ for her husband.
โ82 just like that. Aging will not be difficult in Jesus name. Happy birthday and have an amazing year ahead me darling. Sir J of life @_olujacobs loving his customized house coat,โ she wrote.
Silvaโs post comes a few days after the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) dismissed rumours that Jacobs passed away.
Speculations about the actorโs death have been circulating since 2021 โ after his wife first disclosed his ailing health.
Silva revealed Jacobs is battling dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB).
DLB, also known as Lewy body dementia, is caused by clumps of protein forming inside the brain cells.
People with the ailment usually suffer hallucinations, cognitive problems, depression, apathy, sleeping difficulty, among others.
Jacobs is a veteran actor who has starred in Nigerian, British, and international film/TV projects since the 1970s.
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 has been married to Silva since 1989. Their union is blessed with two children.
