How I fell in love with my primary school teacher – Olu Jacobs

Olu Jacobs need no formal introduction in the movie sector. The veteran actor is a force to reckon with in Nigeria’s make-believe industry otherwise known as Nollywood.


He recently turned 70 and opened up on one of his best-kept secrets.
According to Olu who enjoys Member of the Federal Republic (MFR) title, the memories of his days in primary school still linger. He recounted it thus: “It was fun. I had a teacher. She was very beautiful. I had a crush on her. One day, she came to our house in company with a young man. She introduced him to my parents as her fiancé. I was angry. I was in her class. I vowed never to have anything to do with her. I stopped attending her classes. If I was in the class when she came in, I would leave the class. She had to come and report this to my parents. They called me and I said there was no problem between us. My younger sister now opened the lid. She said it was because of my teacher’s boyfriend. They couldn’t do anything about it and I was very angry. They eventually got married and we all became friends.

Asked how his father reacted to his decision to study drama at the Royal Academy in London, he said: “It wasn’t easy. I was about 22 years then. I took a guarantor’s form to my father and he tore it up. He told me that I wasn’t going abroad since my brothers were already there. I was shocked. I went to meet his brother (my uncle) and connived with him. I collected another form and took it to my uncle who signed it. I applied for passport and visa and I got them. I told my mother. She asked me if this was what I really wanted. I said yes. She prayed for me and gave me her blessings. The following morning, I saw my father and greeted him. Everything was normal. I did my normal chores. Later, I sneaked to the train station. I took a train from Kano to Lagos. That same night as I got to Lagos, I went to the airport and left the shores of Nigeria for England. Everything had already been planned. My brothers were expecting me.
There were so many people chasing the same thing. I asked myself why I had to sit in London when there were other jobs outside London. Liverpool, Manchester, Edinburgh, and other cities had theatres. So, why should I kill myself in London? Come to think of it, how many of those theatres were built for blacks? I told my agent that I would like to go away from London. He was so happy. I was the first actor that ever told him he wanted to leave London. He supported me. He used to come everywhere to watch my plays. My leaving London paid off very handsomely. I eventually came back to London. I no longer attended auditions, but interviews. People were now the ones calling me. My ability was no longer in doubt and I also had the right attitude. Even when I was acting, I was getting busy with TV and radio.

On his national hounour, the Dogs of War satr said: “I felt humbled. I didn’t work for any reward. I just wanted to be able to feed my family. I just feel humbled by it.