POPULAR VETERAN ACTRESS JOKE SILVA REVEALS WHY SHE KEPT HER MAIDEN NAME
Veteran Nollywood actress Joke Silva has opened up about the thoughtful reason she retained her maiden name even after marrying legendary actor Olu Jacobs. Silva credited her husband with the strategic decision that ultimately safeguarded her career trajectory.
Silva revealed that by the time she and Jacobs met, she had already begun establishing herself in the entertainment industry under her birth name. Rather than insist she take his surname, Jacobs advised her to maintain the “Joke Silva” brand professionally, knowing that a name change could cause confusion in a fledgling but promising career.
“He was the one who advised that I do not change my name,” she said. “Because he understood the importance of branding. My brand had started building before we met, and changing it could cause problems for me. We kept the name Joke Silva as the brand, and within the circle, there was nobody who did not know I was Mrs. Jacobs.”
The actress also reflected on their relationship and the factors that shaped their enduring love story, including a 19-year age difference. She recalled first meeting Jacobs while seeking guidance in her early career. Already a respected actor, Jacobs encouraged her to pursue formal training in drama. That mentorship soon deepened into a romantic bond.
Though her father expressed concerns about the age gap, her mother supported the relationship, drawing on her own experience of being married to a much older man. “My dad had issues with the fact that he was older, but my mum was like, ‘This is the person they know me with,’” Silva shared. “Her own parents had that kind of age gap as well. So it was no big deal.”
Silva described Jacobs as a “gorgeous person,” and said she married him in 1985 purely out of love. “I was 24. He was 19 or 20 years older. I accepted because I was in love with him. It’s as simple as that.”
