Continental honours for RMD, Olu, Joke Jacobs and Tony Akposheri
There were four significant awards, outside the competitive awards, that were handed out at the just held Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The awards – Life Time Achievement Award was deservedly awarded to four distinguished and accomplished motion picture practitioners Richard Mofe Damijo, Oludotun Jacobs and his adorable wife, Joke Silva and the actor of the New Masquerade fame Tony Akposheri. It was before a quality crowd and at that impressive event that was the 12th edition of the AMAA’s that these practitioners were recognised.
Indeed those awards, one of these personalities many accomplishments in their over four decades of active engagement on stage, screen and in showbiz generally did not come as a surprise to Africans both at home and in the Diaspora, particularly those who have followed their robust, impressive and outstanding career as actors and showbiz personalities. Indeed as they all walked up to receive their crest, nearly everyone inside the capacity filled hall rose to their feet. It was obvious that there was a consensus that these actors of innumerable credit whose skills and stagecraft have lifted them to the enviable status of a world-class actors deserved to be honoured.
Career Profiles Of The Awardees
Oludotun and Joke Jacobs, MFR.
Olu and Joke Jacobs jointly received the AMAA 2016 Life Time Achievement Award.
They were rightly honoured for their many accomplishments and meritorious service to the industry. Indeed if an award for the long-standing celebrity and Nollywood couple is to be given, then it should rightly go to Oludotun and Ajoke Jacobs. ‘Uncle Olu’ and ‘Auntie Joke’ as younger colleagues call them have been married for over 30 years.
Interestingly, they are both active players in the industry and very busy at that. They have both featured in many Nigerian movies, participated in several projects and have won both local and international awards including receiving the national honours of Member of the Federal Republic (MFR). Uncle Olu as younger colleagues call him, hails from Abeokuta in Ogun State. The fifth child in a family of eight, and star of the epic encounter ‘Ashanti’ starring William Holden, Omar Sheriff and Michael Kane. Jacobs who was trained at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, returned to Nigeria in the 80s after a successful acting career in England where he starred in many British television series, stage plays and international films. Olu’s major take on the soil of motherland was as a lead actor in the long rested Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) detective series Third Eye.
The Igwe of Nollywood, an alias he earned for being most of the producers first choice for a King in most of their epic movie productions, was to later be part of a number of stage, movie and television productions including the award winning feature film Vigilante produced by AA productions.
After that appearance, Uncle Olu followed it up with appearances in a number of other movie productions, at a time, literarly forcing scriptwriters to pen stories around him. Today he holds the reputation of featuring in over 200 home video productions, about 100 stage production and 30 television programmes in Nigeria alone. Widely now referred to as the bridge between the old and the new generation of actors, Uncle Olu is believed to be about the first black man to have been well received in England, acting wise. He was formally educated at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in England.
On completion of his training at the Academy, Jacobs worked with a number of repertoire theatre companies in Great Britain. He also worked extensively on television and on stage and returned after about a decade and half to join in the effort to develop the Nigerian theatre industry. Uncle Olu has remained committed ever since. Joke Jacobs nee Silva, MFR Uncle Olu’s better half, is a household name in the world of Nigerian cinema. She has been in the entertainment industry for almost three decades now. An alumnus of Holy Child College, Obalende, Weber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts, London, University of Lagos Akoka and Fate Foundation, Ijora, Auntie Joke as younger actors call her has since the early 80s carved out a successful career as an actress on stage, film, television and radio primarily in Nigeria and England.
A red hot screen and stage star who is totally committed to excellence and who has continued to win the hearts of viewers within and outside Nigeria with grace and charm, Joke Silva, the professional name she and her better half Olu Jacobs have agreed to adopt, got a confirmation of her status on the continental acting turf in 2006 when she was voted the best actress in Africa at the second edition of the African Movie Academy Award dubbed AMAA 2006. Most industry analysts agree that the award represents a tacit confirmation of her strong screen presence; an attribute, which they also say, has always won her the lead roles.
An intense and busy actress who many producers say always try to put a stamp of quality on her performance, Joke is clearly one of Nigeria’s hottest celebrity. A core professional, principled and one of the very few actors that is at ease on stage, television and on home video, Joke is regarded as a magnetic star who though has not allowed success and fame get into her head and who has become more of a reference point or something of a parameter for assessing other actresses. A recipient of several industry and society awards including EMOTAN, an award by Africa Independent Television (AIT), Joke is an actress with a passion for humanitarian activities. The international actress of repute belongs to a number of associations and boards that are concerned about gender based issues and the well being of the girl child and African children in general. She is a member of the think-tank for the Blair Commission for Africa, a trustee of Advocacy for Women and Children and a board member cum grief counselor for AART of Life Foundation. Joke and Olu at present run the Lufodo Academy of Performing Arts, an academy they established to build capacity for the motion picture industry.
Richard Eyimofe Damijo (RMD) as he is simply called is no doubt, one of Nigeria’ top celebrities. A top rated actor with vast credits, the Warri, Delta State native and former Delta State Commissioner for Culture under the administration of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has had a remarkable career as an actor and has indeed enjoyed super roles on stage and the movie turf. Acting for the actor’s actor who has proved to be a world-class material, came naturally.
As a young boy growing up in Warri, Eyimofe was the acclaimed king of boys. His family’s little home in Warri, was usually a beehive of performances and laughter. It was the meeting point of those in RMD’s (as he is popularly called) age bracket whom he had some form of control over. As a tot, RMD was particularly a “terribly” shy person, so his best escape was to always be in front of the people – his mates, acting or telling jokes that kept them delighted. The multi-talented artiste and publisher of the defunct Mr. Magazine was born in 1961, July 6 to be precise, in Warri, Delta State to a mother (who had a tremendous influence on his life) and who until her death was a trader and a father who until his death in 1990 worked for the Nigerian Ports Authority Warri. The actor’s actor schooled briefly at the Roman Catholic Mission School, Warri and the famous Midwest College.
At the wake of the indigenisation policy, young Richard was sent to the Anglican Secondary School, Okpara waterside and then to St. Patrick’s College Asaba. Upon completion of his secondary school education, RMD proceeded to the University of Benin. He graduated four years later having bagged a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre Arts majoring in Dramatic Theatre and Criticism.
The deep actor who became an instant acting success after he featured in Bobby Ejike’s (the musician and actor) The Wrath of the God’s then for Bendel Playhouse recalled that his parents had no objection to his studying theatre arts in the university. Barrister RMD who has been called to the Nigerian Bar at a time travelled abroad and returned a year later and got neck deep not just into acting but into public relations, journalism, which he had tried his hands on shortly after NYSC and into publishing.
Indeed it was on his return from England that he got involved in a number of stage performances, which was the vogue then. But it was the Ajo Production series that formally launched the former ‘King of boys’ and star of the popular Michael Power series to Lagos and the acting scape. Married to the broadcaster turned communication consultant Jumobi Mofe Damijo nee Adegbesan, RMD even though neck deep in politics and administration is still as relevant in the Nigeria motion picture industry as sugar is to cake. Indeed the character actor still grabs attention with credulity and easy mien whenever he finds time to act.
Tony Akposheri
Tony Akposheri is a longstanding actor and motion picture producer and director. He made name as an actor on the long rested television series New Masquerade. A former staffer of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Tony though retired is not ‘tired’ as he is still very actively involved in the business of motion picture production. While at the NTA, Tony was a major part of most local and international drama productions by the NTA. Many still recall his effort in making some of NTA’s long rested television series and soaps like Memorial Hospital tick.
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