Today, my son, will be exactly 3 years that you left me. A day hardly passed by, without remembering you, your memory still lives on. I dedicated this blog to you, and true to my aim, it has received a wide acceptance. Today, as if your sibling sense your death anniversary, he was awake all night with bout of malaria, and crying uncontrollably. I missed you so much my son. Continue to rest in perfect peace. Adieu.
Jacob is no stranger to Nigerian movies. His charisma and manner of delivery of lines are legendary – drawing him admiration from fans.
His infectious baritone and interpretation of roles are a director’s delight. Having been in the industry for over 37 years, he is now a bridge between the old and the new, a motivator to the youths. Jacobs attended a drama school in England called The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. “After I finished, I worked with various repertoire theatres in Britain and I’m a member of National Theatre of Great Britain. I worked with some of the television stations in London and at a stage, I decided to come back home because I felt I have reached a certain level in my field and that my country had the potential of being so great too. So, I came back to Nigeria in early 80s and we started Third Eye”. Like many of his colleagues, his family was not happy with young Jacobs when he chose to study Dramatic Arts. But even at the age when actors were seen as never do wells of the society, he knew what he wanted and stuck to it. “ I left Nigeria in 1964. Then, there was nobody in Nigeria to look up to, all the people I looked at were people outside the country. The entertainment profession was not professional as such in Nigeria then and the only professional company we had was Ogunde and he inspired me a lot. Before then, my brothers used to take me to cinemas and I used to enjoy myself a lot. I was also taking part in school plays and drama. But when I said I was going to study drama, my parents did not like it and my dad said, ‘no’. When I got to England I wrote him a lengthy letter and said, sorry, I was going to study Drama. And because I had already started, he gave in. when I came back, there was no home movies in the country, it was stressful and the fees of artist was very low. NTA was only beginning to increase the fees of artists and people were only getting interested in acting. Meanwhile, my own company was doing stage plays and documentaries. Gradually, series on television started properly before we entered the home movies. It was stressful then.”
The Ogun state-born actor would not say how much he was paid for his first role but said it was very low and not encouraging at all. “The first movie I did was produced by AA production and it was called Vigilante. We were paid very little for it and starred RMD and Mama D.
We had problems then looking for locations because people were not used to giving out their homes to people. They were very suspicious and we had to write letters to the Association of Landlords telling them what we were doing, where and when we would do it, for them to be aware.
Jacobs also disclosed how his friends tried to discourage him from acting because they believed acting was not a profession and should only be taken as a hobby. “People enjoyed it then but did not respect it. They enjoyed it, yes, but you have to get another job, they would tell you it’s not a job. But all my life, I’ve done nothing else except acting and productions. It is a profession, that is what I want people to understand. I had a friend who actually wanted me to help run a company, then. I asked him if he wanted me to be happy and he said, yes.
I told him to invest in a company for us to do productions. But, unfortunately, the company did not see the light of the day. I also had few friends that believed in me and gradually the society started catching up with the fact that it is an honorable profession and not for dropouts. But when I want to do something, nobody stops me and that was why I went to England to learn how to do it properly and help my country.
EARLY YEARS
“Before I left secondary school I'd made up my mind to study the performing arts. I grew up in Kano and I saw Ogunde's troupe the first time they visited Kano. I pestered my father to the point that he agreed to take me to the performance. It was very vivid and it affected me. Everybody member of the audience was happy. People were laughing and it was coming from the soul and it was genuine. I decided that I was also going to make people happy. My father objected to the idea but my mother supported me. I lost him when I left for England and unfortunately, he never saw me on stage professionally. My early years were busy. We were eight and we had cousins and house helps. It was a very boisterous household and our father had control of things. He was working with SCOA as the regional manager in Kano. I like to contribute to people's lives. We were encouraged by our parents to be involved in people's lives. I grew up a devote Catholic. I was an altar boy before my voice broke. I used to polish all the brass in church. It was something I found very fulfilling. Our father was strict, very in control of things initially but later he made up for his strictness with humor. He was a master dancer and enjoyed the accolades that people heaped on him for his proficiency. He taught us to be upright and to help people. I was a member of The Boys Scouts. None of my other siblings went into acting however. But they gave me the support when I was starting and saw every play that I did.
SCHOOL YEARS After I left Secondary I went to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts London(RADA) which was and still is the Premiere school for the performing arts in the UK. School was fun but after l left school things became rather difficult. I was caught in Catch 22 situation. I couldn't get a job unless I had an agent and no agent would accept me unless I belonged to the union and I couldn't become a member of the union unless I had a job and of course if you were not a member of the union you could not work. It was a no-win situation until a friend told me about an audition at the BBC Studios, so I went. I think I was the first person to arrive that morning . I got there and met the assistant director who was still putting things in place. He gave me a piece of paper to write my name and my agents number. I used my friends agent, a lady. Immediately I left the audition I called her up. I told her I'd just got a job with the BBC and that officially she was my agent. She burst into laughter but accepted to play along with me. They rang her up and held negotiations with her and that was how I broke in. unfortunately I can't remember the title of the production
ENGLAND YEARS There were a bit hectic times because there was an unwritten law on racial discrimination. Several times I was confronted with racism openly. The film the British Council shows in this regions about life in England is absolutely misleading. I can tell you that there is no place like home. I remember in trying to secure accommodation I went to places were I was categorically told that blacks were not allowed. I went to a house and knocked on the door and a lady said “can't you see? No blacks.” I had to sit myself down and decide what to do. I locked my door and removed the phone and reflected. I had to make up my mind that if I was going to function in that society I had to learn and be useful to my people. I squared my shoulders and decided to bear the discrimination. I registered with a sports club, a horse riding club. I already had access to horses having grown up in Kano. I had a positive attitude concerning all that was happening around me which was how I grew. As I also grew in the industry I attended less auditions and started getting more appointments. I got to the point where I was headlining shows getting jobs where I was promoting white actors. If I were white there was no way they could touch me. I would have probably been the greatest now. The journey back home started in 1980.
INTERNATIONAL CAREER I almost lost a job. Roman Polanski the great Polish and Hollywood Director wanted me to play in his movie Pirates. That was also the time the NTA wanted me to come and develop Second Chance. I told Peter Igho I had to go back to London. I got to London on Sunday went to the French Embassy picked up my passport, went to Paris and met with Roman but that wasn't my first. My first International movie was Ashanti which came before Dogs of War. But Pirates was the most challenging. It was shot in Rome, Seychelles, Malta, Tunisia and Morocco The experience of Seychelles was beautiful. There was one whole week when I was the only actor working. It was stressful but the kind of experience that one cherishes.
MY WIFE My wife is my jewel. Most people think that we met in England but that wasn't the case. We were rehearsing the play to celebrate Nigeria's independence and we were having a production meeting when she walked in. I took a look at her and told them, “Gentlemen behold my wife”. That was how we met and started. She'd gone to another prestigious school in England Weber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts.
LOSING YOUR BABY It was like the ground opened and was removed from under someone's feet. She went in for a routine surgery to straighten her bow legs. Three hours later nothing. They called us and said the operation was fine but she went into a kind of coma and stayed in coma for four days and on the fifth day she died. I was performing in the stage play Ovarehwhen Nogbaisi by Ahmed Yerima of The National Troupe then. I still performed on that night before telling the stage manager. She had come to watch the play before going in for the surgery. We saw her go but we never saw her come out. This was in 1996 and after about a year or two years we decided that we should try for another baby. And he would be nine this September his name is Olugbenga. He has an elder brother Olusoji who is in Cameroon University Oklahoma in U.S.A.
ON NOLLYWOOD Nollywood is something that must and will remain and grow. It is the beginning of a greater movement. For the first time in the history of the black man we have our own things to relate to. We are not living a life that has been designed for us by somebody else. We are not telling stories that have been given to us by Caucasians but our own stories, based on our culture and tradition. We now have our own “gods” and not the White Man's God. It is gratifying that the entire continent of Africa has been re-colonized by Nigeria. We have been invited by different countries in Africa to kick start their own film industries. It is most exciting. What we have not done is to put ourselves on a proper footing. The artistry and techniques that run a film industry was not developed. We need the right infrastructure. We need a government that should understand the power and influence of culture. In this regard, the government has not done well. We need money. The marketing and distribution side is vital to the industry. We are running under our own steam. It is imperative that when a movie is coming out, it comes out everywhere at the same time. You know must people think that Nollywood is a thing for now but I was here before the beginning and I am an eternal optimist. The fire that is burning inside me is still as hot as it was when I started. We must have a proper structure to build for our children. Our leaders did not have anything to sell this to us it started with us so it is our own thing, something that is originally and genuinely Nigerian. Our youths now have Nigerian stars Instead of foreign stars to look up to. There is a lot of work to be done but we are not afraid of the work.
INTERVIEW
Q: What problems are you facing in the industry?
We are working with virtually nothing in place. This is unlike the situation abroad where everything has been put in place for actors and actresses to act conveniently. I must confess to you, this is making us to lose a lot of money because a producer must have spent all the money and when such film is eventually released, the producer will be faced with another problem of pirates, who are ready to reap from where they did not sow.
Q: As a versatile actor that acts in English and Yoruba films, which one will you regard as more rewarding?
A: I enjoy working in English movies because of the good use of the language. Making good use of the language is what brings joy to me whenever I am acting in an English movie. But Yoruba is my language and I cannot run away from it. Although I speak Hausa a lot, the language I prefer most is English because I am used to it. I have problem with Yoruba because for a while now, I have not been speaking it, although I am trying to adapt to the language because it is my language.
Q: How will you assess ANTP and AGN?
A: In ANTP, they are giving practitioners the best opportunity to showcase their talent, but in AGN, once you believe you are good, you can just come in anytime, but I want to believe the two bodies are doing fine. In ANTP, there is a lot of discipline and it is well organised because they deal basically in culture and they have come of age, but in AGN, because they are still young, a lot of things need to be adjusted.
Q: You are married to star actress Joke Silva, what really attracted you to her? A: In 1981, when I came home from England, I was invited by the management of the National Theatre to help direct a film. So, we were having a meeting in an office, when the door was suddenly opened and a beautiful lady came in. Instantly, I was bitten by a love bug and I said ‘ladies and gentlemen, this is the lady I’m going to marry.’ She looked at me closely and just concentrated on what she came to do and after that she left and I did everything to make sure she became my wife.
Q: Since you are both acting, how do you manage the family?
A: We manage the family very well because we are able to understand each other. For instance, when I travel, she will be at home and when she travels, I stay back to keep the family happy. The children understand the kind of job we do. Thank God, there is no problem at all.
Q: As a veteran actor, should we now say you are fulfilled?
A: No, my fulfilment is still coming. I will only be fulfilled if the industry is at the right place, where it is expected to be. I can’t say I am fulfilled when a lot of things are still lacking in the industry, when we cannot say we proudly have a studio of our own, when actors and actresses are still suffering. I will only be fulfilled when the government comes to our support and give us what we need to survive in the movie industry.
Q: Should we now say acting is a dream come true?
A: I don’t know what you are actually saying but all I believe is that I have always aspired to be an actor since when I was seven, because then, I used to watch Hubert Ogunde acting. What came to my mind then was that I could do more than the man, so this led me into acting in school, as I was always confident of whatever role I was given to act. So it was then that I knew I was going to be there and nothing would stop me from being there.
Q: What joy has acting brought into your life?
A: I feel on top of the world when people see me and say they appreciate what I am doing. In fact, I derive a lot of joy when I see that what I have done has made people to be happy.
Q: How will you assess Nigerian awards?
A: Nigerian awards are based on sentiment and money. People in Nigeria are not giving awards on merit but purposely because of what they stand to gain from it. A lot of people have contributed greatly to the development of this country in one way or the other. These are people I believe should have been given awards, but here in Nigeria, the reverse is the case. This is one of the reasons that I said I am not fulfilled yet. But thank God, we are getting there gradually.
Q: What advice will you give the younger ones?
A; Though one is really depressed, we still need to encourage the younger ones. What I will say is that they should be steadfast and always believe they will get there. They should also take this job as a professional job like those in the banking industry. They should also try to protect their name because it matters most in whatever they are doing and they should please seek the elders’ advice because they need to learn from those at the forefront.
Q: How are you different from the Lilian Bach we see in movies? I’m very sure the Lilian Bach you’re seeing is different from the one you see in movies. This is because, I’m only interpreting the roles assigned me. However, I’m simple and down-to-earth. I don’t have any air of pretence about men, I do my job as an actress and interpret my roles to the best of my abilities. I play different roles in movies, like a wayward lady, funny housewife, a devoted housewife, a schoolgirl, etc. I’ve actually played many characters, but the real me is simple and God-fearing.
Q: Have you at anytime played a role that accurately depicts the real you? I can’t remember, because I have played so many roles. So it is difficult for me to say. May be when I get home and search through the movies I have acted, I will be able to know the ones I acted something close to what I am in real life. But for now, it is very difficult for me to say.
Q: People believe it’s your beauty, more than anything else, that gave you the Nollywood breakthrough.
People can say what they like. The’re entitled to their opinions. I was in India some weeks back and was watching CNN. They were interviewing a lady who is one of the reigning stars of Bollywood. She just did a movie with Jackie Chan and the journalist asked her: ‘people say it is your sexy look that got you to the top’. I was really impressed with the answer the lady gave. She said Jackie Chan used his muscles to get to where he is, so if her sexy looks got her to the top, what is wrong with that? If people see that I have a light complexion and therefore I’m fit for a particular role, what is the problem about it? Even if you have the physique and you can’t interpret the role properly, you won’t be given any role. So, for them to have given me roles means I have the qualities and I give God the glory.
Q: So, what will you say actually brought you to limelight? I don’t know because I started as a model, so I’ve always been in the limelight. I started modelling when it was no big deal here, when it was just gradually gaining ground, just as some people began acting before home videos gained ground. I’ve always been in the limelight, but I’m a quiet person, I’m not a noise-maker, I’m a silent achiever, so I can’t say this is what brought me to limelight.
Q: What makes you different from other actresses?
Yeah, we have a lot of actresses, and the sky is so big for every bird to fly without having accidents in the air. That’s the way I see it. What makes me different is that I guess I have my own ways and I’m sure my fans, directors and producers who have been using me for jobs in Nollywood know what makes me different or may be when it comes to some certain roles, they know I can handle them better. I really don’t know that special thing about me, but it’s left to those who’ve been using me to say that thing is special about this girl. I just know I’m one of the talented people in Nollywood. Each of us has what distinguishes her from the other. I just know I have been able to play different roles, I’ve not been sterotyped to play one particular role, I’ve found myself playing all kinds of roles.
Q: What kind of roles do you enjoy playing most?
Acting itself is just like playing, and you’re been paid. I enjoy every role given to me, so I can’t say this is the one I enjoy playing most. I’m still looking forward to more challenging roles which I have not played. I want to play the role of a blind woman, I want to play the role of an old woman, it is possible with good make up. Those are the kind of roles I’m looking forward to.
Q: Tell us about your experience in Nollywood?
It has not been easy, I must tell you. The way to the top is not always easy. I’ve been discouraged many times, but the love of the job keeps pulling me back. It’s been so good and at the same time, there have been ups and downs along the line. For example, when I started in 1997, you won’t believe I wasn’t paid for the first two movies I did. I just said ‘is this how the so-called Nollywood is’?. At times, you see or hear some things that could discourage you, or actually discourage you. But then, I’ve learnt that you just have to turn deaf ears if you want to remain in the acting world. You pretend that you’re not hearing anything at all. Is it what your colleagues who are not happy about you say or what you read about yourself in the papers that are not true? I believe if others are surviving such criticism, I too can survive it.
Q: How do you really feel when actors are smooching you on set?
They are not smooching for fun, they are acting their roles. There is nothing to it at all. If you’re given a role to play, you just have to play it perfectly, to convince your viewers. So I don’t see anything wrong in people smooching themselves on set, according to you. As far as you are doing your job, and not just smooching out of set. They are smooching because the role demands them to smooch. As for me, I interpret my role and character. If the role says smooch, we have a way to smooch so it is not something indecent and that’s where it ends.
Q: But an actress once said some actors go the extra-mile in interpreting the role? I have never experienced such a thing. I guess it has to do with whoever is playing with whoever. A professional is always a professional. I’m not saying that there are no people that go the extra-mile to interpret their roles, but I’ve never experienced it because when I’m doing my job, I’m strictly doing my job. If I want to do romance or play funny, it won’t be when I’m doing my work.
Q: Don’t you sometimes get carried away when touched in a sensitive part of your body by an actor?
What sensitive part are you talking about? I haven’t seen people going beyond kissing in movies. Anyway, different things turn different people on, but as for me, when I’m working, my brain is telling me I’m working. I don’t get carried away by anything. I think it has to do with the structure of your mind and brain. Some people are not disciplined and they are careless and useless when it comes to simple touch or whatever it is. That is when they can get carried away, but I’m a disciplined person. May be some people have been admiring each other before and when they meet on set, they see it as an opportunity to express whatever feelings they have for each other.
Q: What is the reason behind your recent trip to India?
I went for Indian Broadcast 2005. It’s about some exhibitions. I think it’s something that holds every year. We were supposed to be greater in number for the trip, but some people backed out for one reason or the other. For me, I love anything I will gain from. It was an official trip really, a lot of people came from all over the world to exhibit the latest technology in film making. We saw the latest cameras, different kinds of recording equipment and all that. That’s what I went for: to see how the industry is developing out there. I learned from the trip that there is another ‘acting industry’ in South India called Tollywood. I was surprised because I’d never heard of Tollywood before and I heard they have the biggest studio in the whole world, which is even bigger than Hollywood. Due to insufficient time, because I spent five days, we couldn’t visit Tollywood to see things for ourselves. I also learnt about a HDB camera that people are going for now. You can actually transfer to 3-5 ML converter for cinema viewing, so I came back with a lot of brochures of the latest cameras. I saw a lot of new equipment that we’ve not been using here in Nigeria.
Q: How do you see the quality of films we have in Nollywood compared to Hollywood and Bollywood?
To be honest, in terms of quality, we haven’t arrived yet. But we have good stories. Quality is our problem now. We can as well do better if we try to use some of those equipment. I even discovered that some of those equipment are not expensive, it’s what people can come together to buy, an individual can even purchase some of these equipment. It’s just that standard and quality that we have not achieved. Afterall, the actors in Hollywood and Bollywood are human like us, so I don’t see what they’re doing that we cannot do. We are even better than some of them in terms of acting, directing or producing. What is killing us is the penchant for cutting corners and that won’t do us any good. When you spend money on a production, it’s always better than when you cut corners. The major barrier we have is to stop producing wishy washy films, we should try to use these latest cameras and all that, so that people will stop complaining about our works. Another problem is that Nollywood is not united. A house divided against itself will never stand. Anyway, may be these things are happening because we are just growing. It’s high time we stopped crawling, we need to walk, and for us to walk, we have to do away with the ugly things. We know what is right for the industry to grow. No more wishy washy films, use the right cameras, no more cutting corners, if the budget of a production says N5 million, go ahead and do it. Some are actually afraid of piracy but I can tell you these things can be curbed if we are united.
Q: What is your interest in music?
I’m a singer, I have an album that I have cooked up for about four years now which I’m yet to release. I don’t want to be referred to as having joined the bandwagon. I’m a very patient person, I like to take my time on whatever I’m doing. People were just fortunate to see one or two tracks out of the six tracks, and that is the Makossa track that talks about marriage. But I’ve got some superb tracks, like hip hop and other genres in the album, which people have not heard. It’s a Christian gospel music because that’s my calling. As time goes on, I will make up my mind on when to release it, I’m not in a hurry or under any pressure because I’m not doing it to make money but to win souls for God.
Q: You’re still single, I’ve heard you saying once that it’s because you’ve not met Mr. Right. Have there not been pressures from your family?
I’m not from that kind of family, nobody is putting any pressure on anybody, so I thank God for that. In my family, my mother respects everybody’s opinion and feelings about life. I will let you know when it is time. I’ve not changed from the Lilian Bach I used to be. I appreciate the media in terms of their encouragement and good publicity. Without you journalists, some people will never know us. Some of the new movies I did are not yet out, so you guys should just watch out.
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