By Iroyin Yoruba Television News Desk
KANAYO RECALLS WORKING WITH OLU JACOBS
Veteran Nigerian actor Kanayo O. Kanayo has shared fresh memories of working with the late Nollywood icon Olu Jacobs, describing the veteran actor's approach to acting, preparation and mentoring younger performers.
Kanayo spoke about Jacobs in an interview with BBC Focus on Africa, reflecting on the experience of sharing film sets with one of Nigeria's most recognised actors following Jacobs' death at the age of 84 on September 16, 2026.
According to Kanayo, Jacobs was known for arriving on set ahead of scheduled call times, knowing his lines and approaching every role with a level of preparation that younger performers could not ignore.
The account provides another perspective on Jacobs' working methods at a time when colleagues, filmmakers and audiences continue to reflect on his contribution to Nigerian cinema.
Kanayo said Jacobs was not the kind of actor who arrived on set unprepared.
Instead, he remembered him as someone who treated the production schedule and the acting profession seriously.
For younger performers working alongside him, that approach created an environment in which preparation was expected.
A PROFESSIONAL BEFORE THE CAMERA ROLLED
One of the strongest memories Kanayo shared was Jacobs' punctuality.
He recalled that if the scheduled call time was 9:00 a.m., Jacobs could already be present by 8:30 a.m.
The detail may appear simple, but punctuality can have a significant effect on film production.
A movie set involves actors, directors, cinematographers, makeup artists, costume teams, production assistants, sound technicians and other workers.
When one major performer arrives late, several other departments can be affected.
For an actor with Jacobs' level of experience, Kanayo's recollection suggests that professional status did not result in a relaxed approach to the schedule.
Instead, the veteran actor maintained the discipline expected of a working professional.
That standard became part of what younger performers observed when they worked alongside him.
KNOWING HIS LINES
Kanayo also remembered Jacobs for his command of scripts.
He described the veteran actor as someone who rarely struggled with his lines.
This was particularly significant because Jacobs worked across theatre, television and film for decades.
Memorising lines is only one component of acting, but it allows performers to concentrate more deeply on character, emotion, movement and interaction with other actors.
When an actor knows the material thoroughly, a director can focus on the broader scene rather than repeatedly stopping to correct basic preparation problems.
Kanayo's recollection therefore highlights one of the less visible aspects of Jacobs' career.
Audiences usually see the final performance.
They do not see the hours of preparation that can take place before cameras begin recording.
For Jacobs, according to Kanayo, preparation was part of the profession.
A STANDARD FOR YOUNGER ACTORS
Kanayo said younger actors working with Jacobs were expected to prove themselves.
The veteran actor did not simply occupy a respected position because of his age or years in the industry.
His presence created expectations for those around him.
Kanayo recalled that Jacobs would encourage younger performers to become better actors.
This form of mentorship is particularly important in an industry where knowledge is often transferred through practical experience.
An experienced actor can teach a younger performer things that may be difficult to learn from a textbook.
Those lessons can include timing, voice control, movement, emotional restraint, scene preparation and interaction with other performers.
They can also involve professional behaviour.
Arriving on time, learning lines, listening to the director and respecting other members of a production are all parts of a professional acting career.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FAME AND CRAFT
Jacobs' career provides an example of how public recognition can be built over decades of work.
He became one of the most familiar faces in Nigerian film and television, but his career was not limited to celebrity appearances.
He worked extensively in theatre before becoming prominent in Nigerian cinema.
He also appeared in British productions and international films.
His training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London provided a formal foundation for his acting career.
The combination of formal training, theatre experience and years of screen work helped establish him as one of the experienced performers of his generation.
Kanayo's latest recollection places particular emphasis on the craft behind that public reputation.
THE FILM WHERE JACOBS PLAYED A KING
Kanayo also remembered a film produced by Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen in Benin where Jacobs played a king while Kanayo portrayed his prince.
The roles provided an opportunity for the two actors to work closely together.
For Kanayo, the experience became one of the memories that remained with him.
The pairing also reflected the kind of roles Jacobs frequently played during his long career.
He was often cast in positions of authority, including kings, traditional rulers, fathers, senior officials and influential figures.
His voice, physical presence and ability to convey authority made him particularly suited to such roles.
But the impact of his performances extended beyond the characters themselves.
His approach to acting became something that colleagues remembered even outside individual films.
A CAREER THAT CROSSED GENERATIONS
Olu Jacobs' career lasted for more than five decades.
During that period, the Nigerian film industry changed dramatically.
The industry moved from an environment dominated by theatre, stage productions and television into the modern Nollywood era.
Film production became increasingly commercial.
Home-video distribution transformed the way Nigerian films reached audiences.
Later, digital platforms and streaming services created new international markets.
Jacobs worked across several of these periods.
That longevity meant that he interacted with performers from different generations.
Some actors who became established names in Nigerian cinema had watched his performances before working with him.
Others encountered him directly on film sets.
The influence of such a career can therefore extend beyond the films in which the actor appears.
FROM THEATRE TO NOLLYWOOD
Jacobs' early professional experience in theatre played an important role in his later screen career.
Theatre requires actors to perform live without the opportunity to repeat a scene immediately because of a camera error.
It demands concentration, voice projection and an understanding of character.
Jacobs carried elements of that discipline into film and television.
His formal training in Britain also exposed him to established theatrical traditions.
After working in Britain, he became increasingly connected with Nigerian entertainment.
His eventual role in Nollywood helped bridge different generations and traditions of African acting.
The result was a career that moved between stage and screen.
THE IMPORTANCE OF MENTORSHIP IN NOLLYWOOD
Kanayo's recollection also raises a broader issue about mentorship within Nigeria's film industry.
Nollywood has grown into a major creative sector, producing large numbers of films every year.
The industry now includes performers who became famous through television, cinema, streaming platforms and social media.
Yet the fundamentals of acting remain important.
Young actors need opportunities to learn from people with experience.
Mentorship can help performers understand not only how to deliver lines but how to work professionally.
Veteran actors can also pass down institutional knowledge about how Nigerian productions developed over time.
The loss of an experienced performer can therefore represent the loss of personal knowledge as well as the loss of a public figure.
WHAT YOUNGER ACTORS CAN LEARN FROM JACOBS' CAREER
Kanayo's account highlights several practical lessons associated with Jacobs.
The first is preparation.
Knowing one's lines allows an actor to concentrate on the performance itself.
The second is punctuality.
Being available before the scheduled call time demonstrates respect for the production and other professionals.
The third is continuous improvement.
Kanayo remembered Jacobs as someone who encouraged younger performers to become better.
The fourth is adaptability.
Jacobs worked across theatre, television and film and remained relevant through major changes in the industry.
The fifth is professional consistency.
A career lasting more than five decades requires sustained commitment.
These lessons are relevant beyond acting.
They apply to many areas of the creative industry where reputation is built through repeated professional performance.
THE ROLE OF EXPERIENCE
Experience in acting does not automatically translate into quality.
Actors must continue learning and adapting.
The film industry changes.
Audiences change.
Directors use different techniques.
Technology changes production methods.
Distribution platforms change.
Actors who remain active over many years therefore have to adapt to new circumstances while maintaining their professional foundations.
Jacobs' career demonstrated that ability to move through different eras of the entertainment industry.
His early theatre work belonged to one era.
His Nigerian television and film career developed during another.
The rise of Nollywood created new opportunities.
Digital distribution subsequently expanded the potential audience.
KANAYO'S OWN PLACE IN NOLLYWOOD
Kanayo O. Kanayo is himself one of the veteran performers who have remained active across several phases of Nigerian cinema.
His career has included numerous film roles and collaborations with major Nigerian actors.
His experience therefore gives particular context to his recollections of Jacobs.
He was not describing someone he knew only through watching films.
He had shared production environments with Jacobs.
He had acted alongside him.
He had observed his preparation.
He had seen how he interacted with younger performers.
That direct professional experience gives his tribute a personal dimension.
THE LOSS OF A GENERATION
Jacobs' death represents the passing of one of the actors associated with an earlier generation of Nigerian screen performers.
His contemporaries include many actors who helped establish professional standards in Nigerian theatre, television and cinema.
Some have retired.
Others remain active.
Their experiences form part of the institutional memory of the industry.
When such performers die, colleagues often become important sources for understanding what their working lives were like.
Kanayo's account is therefore more than a personal remembrance.
It contributes to the historical record of Nigerian film production.
THE BUSINESS OF MAKING FILMS
Professional discipline also has practical consequences for the business side of filmmaking.
Film productions operate under budgets and schedules.
A delay can increase costs.
A scene that needs to be repeated because an actor is unprepared can require additional time from the entire crew.
Experienced performers who arrive prepared can help productions operate more efficiently.
That is why punctuality and preparation are often valued by directors and producers.
Kanayo's recollection of Jacobs' habits can therefore be understood within the broader economics of filmmaking.
The craft of acting exists within a production system where hundreds of individual tasks have to come together.
JACOBS AS A BRIDGE BETWEEN GENERATIONS
Jacobs' career connected different generations of Nigerian performers.
He began working professionally before the modern Nollywood industry took its current shape.
Later, he became one of the familiar faces of Nigerian cinema.
Younger actors subsequently encountered him as an established veteran.
This gave him a distinctive position within the industry.
He was both a participant in the development of Nigerian screen acting and a mentor to performers who followed.
Kanayo's comments reinforce that intergenerational role.
THE IMPACT OF FORMAL TRAINING
Jacobs' training at RADA is another important element of his career.
The institution has trained many prominent actors.
Formal theatrical education can provide performers with structured training in voice, movement, character development, stagecraft and performance.
But professional experience adds another dimension.
Jacobs combined formal training with years of practical work.
He subsequently brought that experience into Nigerian productions.
For younger Nigerian actors, his career demonstrates one possible route through the profession: formal training followed by continuous practical development.
WHY HIS PUNCTUALITY MATTERED
The specific memory of Jacobs arriving before call time may seem minor compared with his major film roles.
However, such details often reveal how professionals maintain careers.
Audiences remember performances.
Colleagues remember behaviour.
A director may remember whether an actor arrived prepared.
A production manager may remember whether the actor respected the schedule.
A younger performer may remember advice received on set.
Over decades, these small professional habits contribute to a person's reputation.
Kanayo's decision to mention punctuality therefore says something significant about what he remembered most clearly.
THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWING THE SCRIPT
Learning lines is another fundamental part of acting.
A performer who knows the script thoroughly can respond naturally to other actors.
They can concentrate on emotional detail rather than remembering what comes next.
They can also adapt more easily when a director changes blocking or requests a different interpretation.
Kanayo's description of Jacobs suggests that script preparation was part of his routine.
For younger actors, that remains a practical lesson.
Talent may attract attention, but preparation is required to deliver consistently in professional productions.
JACOBS AND THE CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE
Kanayo's account presents Jacobs as someone who placed strong expectations on the actors around him.
That expectation was not necessarily about competition.
It was about taking the profession seriously.
An experienced actor who performs at a high level can influence colleagues simply through example.
Younger performers may observe how the veteran prepares, how he handles difficult scenes and how he communicates with directors.
Over time, those observations can shape professional habits.
This is one way creative knowledge moves between generations.
THE MEMORY OF A KING AND A PRINCE
The film in which Jacobs played a king and Kanayo played a prince provides a particularly memorable example of their professional relationship.
Traditional authority has been a recurring theme in Nigerian cinema.
Kings and chiefs often appear in historical dramas and contemporary stories.
Actors portraying such roles need to communicate authority without relying entirely on dialogue.
Jacobs had considerable experience portraying figures of status.
His voice and physical presence allowed him to create characters who appeared commanding.
Kanayo's role as the prince created an on-screen relationship that also required the two actors to establish a believable hierarchy.
Their collaboration became part of Kanayo's memories of Jacobs.
A LESSON IN LONGEVITY
One of the most important aspects of Jacobs' career was its length.
Remaining active for more than five decades requires adaptation.
The Nigerian entertainment industry of his early career was not the same industry that existed near the end of his life.
Production technology changed.
Audience expectations changed.
Distribution changed.
The business model changed.
New actors emerged.
Yet Jacobs remained recognised across generations.
His career therefore provides an example of longevity in a rapidly changing creative sector.
THE ROLE OF LEGACY
Legacy in entertainment is created through several factors.
There are performances that audiences remember.
There are professional relationships that colleagues remember.
There are institutions created by artists.
There are younger performers who were mentored.
There are stories passed from one generation to another.
Jacobs' legacy includes all of these dimensions.
His work as an actor is the most visible part.
His contribution to the development of professional acting and his work alongside his wife, Joke Silva, in the creative industry also form part of the broader record.
LUFODO AND THE INDUSTRY
Jacobs and Joke Silva were involved in the development of the Lufodo Group and the Lufodo Academy of Performing Arts.
The academy reflects the wider importance of training within the creative sector.
Producing successful performers requires institutions capable of developing talent.
An industry cannot depend entirely on individual stars.
It needs training systems, production companies, theatre spaces, schools, producers, directors and other supporting structures.
The involvement of established actors in training therefore contributes to the industry's long-term development.
THE NEXT GENERATION
Nollywood continues to produce new actors who are building careers through cinema, television and streaming platforms.
These performers are working in a very different media environment from the one Jacobs entered.
A young actor today can potentially reach audiences across Africa and beyond through digital platforms.
At the same time, the basic principles of performance remain.
Preparation remains important.
Discipline remains important.
Understanding the script remains important.
Working well with other professionals remains important.
The lessons Kanayo attributes to Jacobs therefore remain relevant even as the technology of filmmaking changes.
REMEMBERING THE PERSON BEHIND THE ROLES
Audiences often remember actors through their most famous characters.
Jacobs played kings, fathers, political figures, businessmen, traditional rulers and many other characters.
But colleagues knew a different side of him.
They knew the person arriving at the studio before call time.
They knew the actor preparing his lines.
They knew the veteran who could advise younger performers.
Kanayo's latest comments provide audiences with a glimpse of that professional side.
It is a reminder that screen performances are the visible result of work that audiences rarely see.
THE EMOTIONAL WEIGHT OF HIS DEATH
Kanayo also expressed a sense of loss while reflecting on Jacobs' passing.
He said he would have wished the veteran actor had remained longer but acknowledged that his career had reached its end.
The statement reflects the reaction of a colleague who had shared professional experiences with Jacobs.
Jacobs' death has generated tributes across Nigeria's entertainment industry.
Actors, filmmakers and audiences have continued to reflect on his career and the influence he had on Nigerian cinema.
The new recollections add personal detail to that wider public remembrance.
WHAT JACOBS' CAREER LEAVES BEHIND
The most enduring part of an actor's career is ultimately the work.
Films remain available.
Performances can be replayed.
Younger actors can study older productions.
Researchers can examine the development of Nigerian cinema through archival recordings.
Jacobs' performances therefore remain accessible to audiences who never met him.
At the same time, the stories shared by colleagues such as Kanayo help explain the working methods behind those performances.
Together, the films and personal memories form a fuller record.
NOLLYWOOD WITHOUT OLU JACOBS
The Nigerian film industry will continue after Jacobs' death.
New performers will emerge.
New production companies will develop.
Streaming services will create new distribution channels.
Different styles of storytelling will become popular.
But Jacobs' generation will remain part of the foundation from which the modern industry developed.
His absence creates a generational gap.
That gap will eventually be filled by actors who have developed their own careers.
The question for the industry is how much knowledge from the older generation can be preserved and passed forward.
A CALL FOR PROFESSIONALISM
Kanayo's recollection ultimately returns attention to a simple principle: acting is a profession.
The glamour surrounding entertainment can sometimes obscure the amount of preparation required.
Film sets involve long hours, technical demands and coordination among many people.
Actors must arrive prepared.
They must understand their characters.
They must work with directors.
They must respond to other performers.
They must adapt when production circumstances change.
Jacobs' career, as remembered by Kanayo, placed those professional responsibilities at the centre of his work.
CONCLUSION
Veteran Nollywood actor Kanayo O. Kanayo has provided fresh insight into the working habits of the late Olu Jacobs, recalling a performer who treated acting as a serious profession and expected younger colleagues to do the same.
In an interview with BBC Focus on Africa, Kanayo said Jacobs was known for arriving on set ahead of schedule, knowing his lines and maintaining a high level of preparation.
Kanayo also recalled Jacobs' willingness to guide younger actors and encourage them to improve their craft.
One of the most memorable collaborations between the two actors came in a film produced by Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen in Benin, where Jacobs played a king and Kanayo portrayed his prince.
For Kanayo, the experience became part of a long professional relationship with an actor whose career had already crossed several generations of Nigerian entertainment.
Jacobs was born Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs in 1942 and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London before building a career that covered British theatre, international productions, television and Nigerian cinema.
His professional journey lasted more than five decades.
He also worked with his wife, Joke Silva, in developing creative institutions including the Lufodo Group and Lufodo Academy of Performing Arts.
His career therefore extended beyond acting roles.
It included production, training and participation in the wider development of Nigeria's performing-arts industry.
Kanayo's recollections provide a different way of understanding that legacy.
Rather than focusing only on awards, famous characters or major films, the veteran actor remembered the daily habits that shaped Jacobs' professional life.
Arriving early.
Knowing his lines.
Preparing seriously.
Demanding effort from younger performers.
Sharing knowledge.
These details may not appear in film credits, but they are part of how professional standards are transmitted from one generation to another.
As Nollywood continues to expand through cinema, television and streaming platforms, the industry is entering a new era.
The technology is changing.
The distribution system is changing.
The audience is changing.
But the fundamental requirements of acting remain.
Preparation matters.
Discipline matters.
Learning matters.
And experienced performers have a role to play in helping younger actors understand the demands of the profession.
For Kanayo O. Kanayo, those lessons remain closely connected to his memories of Olu Jacobs.
The late actor's performances will continue to be available to audiences, while the stories of colleagues such as Kanayo provide additional insight into the person who stood behind those performances.
Olu Jacobs' career has ended, but the knowledge and professional example remembered by those who worked with him remain part of the history of Nigerian cinema.