“You get away with a lot when you marry an older man” — Joke Silva opens up on marriage to Olu Jacobs

Veteran Nollywood actress Joke Silva has shared candid reflections on her marriage to legendary actor Olu Jacobs, offering rare insight into how age, maturity and understanding shaped their nearly four-decade union.

A love story that began on stage

Silva, 64, made the disclosure during a recent appearance on Your View, where she revisited how their paths crossed in the early days of their careers.

According to her, their first meeting happened in a professional setting, long before romance entered the picture.

“Yes, we met on stage,” she said, recalling that she initially did not recognise Jacobs’ star status. “Everybody knew it was the great Olu Jacobs who was coming — except me.”

Not love at first sight

While Jacobs was immediately drawn to her, Silva admitted her feelings developed gradually.

“For him, it was love at first sight, but for me, it wasn’t,” she revealed. She added that it was only after they began dating that she discovered his true age, noting that his youthful appearance gave nothing away.

“He looked so good,” she said, explaining why the age difference did not initially stand out to her.

Marriage, maturity and understanding

Reflecting on their 20-year age gap, Silva remarked that marrying an older man came with unexpected advantages.

“These older men allow you to get away with a lot of things,” she said, suggesting that patience and emotional maturity played a key role in their relationship.

Jacobs was 44 when he married the then 24-year-old Silva in 1985. Their marriage, blessed with two children, remains one of Nollywood’s most enduring and admired unions.