Joke Silva opens up on what has kept her marriage going in the last 27 years... Plus why she married Olu Jacobs

 Joke Silva

Leading thespian and role model model, Joke Silva recently opened up on the secret behind her long lasting marriage to famous entertainer, Olu Jacobs and other germane issues.

Kindly share with us what you are currently working on?

At the moment I’m working on a TV series entitled The Investigators.  We just shot the pilot. I’m also about to start a stage project, though not my production but I’m fully involved. There are also some other projects waiting for my attention.

You’ve remained on the top for so many years; what has really kept you going?

It’s been God’s grace; God’s grace has been sufficient. The grace has been doing all the miracles because the entertainment industry is a very critical one and one hardly achieves success without the grace of God. Once God is on your side, He will keep on pushing you to the right direction. On the other hand, one of the things I have learnt is that my talents are not from my efforts, but from God, and wherever I am today, I keep thanking God, and keep working hard because I’m only as good as my last job.

At the level you are, do you still have unrealized dreams?

A lot! I still have plans; I still have things I hope and pray to achieve.  

What are some of those dreams?

I won’t tell you. I still have lots of unrealized dreams and I think it’s best kept to myself.

What has life taught you over the years?

I’ve learnt that everything has a season. There are times for celebrations and there are also times of tears. And I have learnt to give thanks to God in all situations.  

Are there people you still look up to?

Yes! There are lots of them, both young and old. But I won’t start mentioning names.

Your marriage has become a reference point, especially in Nollywood. How did you achieve that? We would like you to share the secrets with us?

Again, I will say it has been by God’s grace.

What could be your advice to any one venturing into marriage?

Once you are with the partner you love, try and be patient and enjoy the journey. Love your partner and learn to forgive each other. Since you love your partner, both of you should work it out together. See it as your main responsibility to make it work once you get married. Even before you get married, you should ask yourself, am I capable of making this person my total responsibility? Am I willing to dedicate my time to making this person happy? It’s a two way thing; it’s not only the woman that is supposed to make the man happy, it’s also for the man to make the woman happy. It’s the two of you together and when you do that, it will work out well. 

Are you saying there are no extra things you do to safeguard your marriage?

If God is the foundation of anything you do, the only result you can get is success. So if you or anybody thinks that we have achieved a lot, God is the secret. No wonder the Bible says; except the Lord builds the house, the labourers labour in vain. God has been our foundation from the beginning so I think we have been lucky. I must also add that we have had our difficult times; moments we thought the marriage would be torn apart but because He is always with us, He restored it. Marriage is one institution that is unstable. You will have situations that you are not prepared for. What you have today may not be the situation tomorrow. Life will definitely throw all sorts of things at you and it would then depend on how you handle it. Marriage is definitely not what we see on the surface.

How does it feel getting married to a far older lover?

When I first met Olu, he was this dashing guy. He was just such incredible fun! We got along very well. I didn’t even know his age; I thought he was in his late twenties or early thirties. I screamed when I found out his age. He was 39 and I was 20! Well, eventually it was my mum who gave me the go ahead because she saw how serious I was with him and hadn’t seen me that serious with anyone. My dad was worried about the age difference but my mum was able to make him see reasons. She also had the background of her mum being much younger than her dad and didn’t really see a problem with it. She felt it was something I could handle.

So what kind of man is Olu Jacobs?

He is my other half. He is my backbone. He is very understanding and matured too, but importantly, he is my friend, father and brother. He is the most wonderful thing that ever happened to me.

Most times fame gets into the head and this has brought down many stars. What is your relationship with your fans like?

We have a smooth relationship. Anywhere we come in contact with ourselves we greet. Fans should be held in high esteem because they made you and without them you are nobody. What if you do a film and nobody buys? The reason I think anybody should buy your work is because of the likeness they have for you and may be because of professionalism. You see, as an entertainer, it is necessary for you to aspire to be known and thereby be successful. The problem many famous people have is that they forget that once they are famous they lose their privacy. That is just certain and you cannot run away from that.

What is your view on Nollywood at 20? Is the industry where it ought to be?

The industry has evolved beautifully. The industry has achieved a lot and these achievements need to be celebrated. We are evolving. There are some things that are not right but will definitely be fixed.

By JAMES EMMANUEL