Veteran actress reflects on age gap, love story and nearly four decades of marriage with Nollywood legend Olu Jacobs

Nollywood icon Joke Silva shares candid insights into her marriage to Olu Jacobs, revealing the perks of marrying an older man and how their enduring love story began.

Veteran Nollywood actress Joke Silva has offered a candid glimpse into her marriage to legendary actor Olu Jacobs, revealing what she describes as one of the unexpected perks of marrying an older man.

The 64-year-old actress made the remarks during a recent appearance on TVC’s Your View, where she reflected on her decades-long union with Jacobs, one of Nollywood’s most respected figures.

Silva, who married Olu Jacobs in 1985 despite a 20-year age difference, said their relationship did not begin as love at first sight—at least not for her.

Recounting how they met, she explained that their first interactions happened on stage and later on a movie set, where Jacobs’ reputation preceded him.

“Everybody knew it was the great Olu Jacobs who was coming—except me,” she said. “When he arrived, we got on very well. It was only after we started dating that I discovered his age, because he looked so good.”

Silva added that while Jacobs was immediately smitten, her feelings developed more gradually.

“For him, it was love at first sight, but for me, it wasn’t,” she noted, before adding with a touch of humour: “These older men allow you to get away with a lot of things.”

Olu Jacobs was 44 years old when he married the then 24-year-old Silva. Nearly four decades later, their marriage—blessed with two children—has become one of Nollywood’s most admired and enduring love stories, often held up as a model of partnership, respect and longevity in the industry.