Nollywood actress, director, and businesswoman, Joke Silva, is 55. She was born in Lagos, on September 29, 1961, into a family of four children.
One of the most popular actresses that ever came out of Africa, those who do not know about her are entertainment rookies.
Aunty Joke, as she is fondly called, attended Holy Child College in Lagos, after which she studied English at the University of Lagos and Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London to study theatre arts.
Those born in the 80s remember her for her role as Roli in Second Chance, an NTA sitcom. She followed that up with a role in the 1990 English film, Mind Bending. In 1993, she appeared in Owulorojo, followed by Violated in 1995. She was also in Ego Boyo’s Keeping Faith in 2002.
Joke and husband, Olu Jacobs, own Lufodo Group which houses Lufodo Academy of Performing Arts, Lufodo Productions, Lufodo Consult and Lufodo Distribution.
She has been the academy principal for Project Fame West Africa since inception in 2007.
Joke Silva has curated for the Bank of Industry (BoI) in theatre, film, documentary and poetry and the 2012 London Olympics. She is also the pioneer managing director of Malete Film Village, in association with the Kwara State University.
In 2006, she was named best actress in a leading role at the second edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) for her role in Women’s Cot.
Later that year, Silva starred alongside Genevieve Nnaji in Mildred Okwo’s action thriller 30 Days, which received 10 nominations at the 2008 AMAA.
She won best supporting actress in 2008 for her “methodical portrayal of a grandmother” in White Waters (2007).
In 2011, Silva starred alongside Nse Ikpe Etim, Wale Ojo and Lydia Forson in Kunle Afolayan’s romantic comedy Phone Swap.
She has also co-produced and starred in The Kingmaker with Olu Jacobs. This was followed by roles in pictures such as A Husband’s Wife (2003), Shylock (2004), A Past Came Calling (2004) and Mad King of Ijudiya (2013.
In April 2016, as part of a world-tour for the stage play, Hear Word, the veteran actress, joined Taiwo Ajai-Lycett, Bimbo Akintola and a host of others to perform at the Frascati Theatre in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
The Ifeoma Fafunwa-produced play had been staged at Harvard University, Massachusetts before then.
On September 29, 2014, Silva was bestowed with the Member of the Federal Republic (MFR) national honour.
She has two children.
