The death of veteran Nigerian actor Olu Jacobs has renewed interest in the remarkable body of work he built across more than five decades.
Jacobs, whose full name was Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs, died on September 16, 2026, at the age of 84, according to an announcement by his family.
Long before he became one of the most recognisable faces of Nollywood, Jacobs established himself through British theatre and television and appeared in international film productions.
After training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, he built an acting career that eventually took him across different genres, from adventure and historical dramas to thrillers, social-issue films and romantic comedies.
Here are 10 films that reflect different stages of his career.
1. Ashanti (1979)
One of Jacobs’ earliest major screen appearances came in the 1979 international adventure film Ashanti, which starred Michael Caine, Peter Ustinov and Kabir Bedi.
Jacobs played Commissioner Batak in the film, marking an early entry in an international screen career that predated the emergence of modern Nollywood.
2. The Dogs of War (1980)
A year later, Jacobs appeared in The Dogs of War, an adaptation of Frederick Forsyth’s novel directed by John Irvin.
The film starred Christopher Walken and followed a group of mercenaries involved in a military operation in an unnamed African country.
Jacobs played a Customs Officer, adding another international production to his growing résumé.
3. Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend (1985)
Jacobs continued his international film appearances with Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend, a 1985 adventure film produced by Touchstone Pictures.
He played Colonel Nsogbu in the film, which follows researchers who encounter an undiscovered dinosaur species during an expedition in Africa.
4. Pirates (1986)
Jacobs also appeared in Pirates, the 1986 adventure comedy directed by Roman Polanski.
He played Boomako, alongside Walter Matthau, who portrayed the film’s central character, Captain Red.
The production further demonstrated Jacobs’ experience working on international sets before his career became increasingly associated with Nigerian cinema.
5. Adesuwa (2012)
Decades after his early international appearances, Jacobs featured in the Nigerian historical drama Adesuwa, directed by Lancelot Imasuen.
He played Ezomo in the film, which was set against the history, traditions and political structures of the Benin Kingdom.
The film received multiple nominations at the Africa Movie Academy Awards and won three awards, including Best Nigerian Film.
6. Potomanto (2013)
Jacobs took on the role of Bankole in Potomanto, a Ghanaian-Nigerian thriller directed by Shirley Frimpong-Manso.
The film follows an investigation into a criminal operation involving organ trafficking.
Jacobs starred alongside actors including Adjetey Anang and Yvonne Okoro, with the film premiering in Ghana in December 2013.
7. The Antique (2014)
In the 2014 drama-adventure film The Antique, Jacobs played Oba Akpen, another royal character that suited the veteran actor’s commanding screen presence.
The story centres on a young woman sent to retrieve a sacred antique from a forbidden location, with the mission linked to the survival of a royal heir.
The film was directed by Darasen Richards and DJ Tee and featured Bimbo Akintola, Gabriel Afolayan and Funsho Adeolu.
8. Dry (2015)
Jacobs took on a different kind of role in Dry, the 2015 film directed by actress and filmmaker Stephanie Linus.
The movie explores the consequences of child marriage, following young girls affected by the practice and examining its wider health and social consequences.
Jacobs played a Speaker in the production.
Dry later received the Best Overall Movie (Africa) award at the 2016 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards.
9. Oloibiri (2016)
Jacobs played Timipre in Oloibiri, a 2016 film directed by Curtis Graham.
The movie explores the consequences of oil exploration on communities in the Niger Delta, using a fictionalised story connected to Oloibiri, where oil was first discovered in commercial quantities in Nigeria.
The cast included Richard Mofe-Damijo, Taiwo Ajai-Lycett and Daniel K. Daniel.
10. The Royal Hibiscus Hotel (2017)
One of Jacobs’ later notable film appearances came in The Royal Hibiscus Hotel, a 2017 romantic comedy directed by Ishaya Bako.
Jacobs played Richard in the film, which follows a Nigerian chef who returns home and becomes involved in the affairs of her family’s struggling hotel.
The film also featured Jacobs’ wife, actress Joke Silva, alongside Zainab Balogun and Kenneth Okolie.
It was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, adding another international festival appearance to Jacobs’ extensive career.
Taken together, the films reflect the breadth of Olu Jacobs’ acting career.
His work moved across international productions, Nigerian historical dramas, social-issue films, thrillers, adventure stories and romantic comedies. His career also spanned different eras of screen entertainment, from his early work in British and international productions to his influential role in the development of Nigerian cinema.
For more than five decades, Jacobs remained one of the defining figures of Nigerian acting, leaving behind a body of work that extended well beyond a single genre or generation.
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