[CELEBRITY BIO] Nollywood Actress Joke Silva’s Biography

Joke Silva is a prolific Nigerian actress and director. She was born on the 29th of September, 1961 and has featured in over 300 Nigerian movies and home videos. She is most popular for movies like Phone Swap, The Secret Laughter of Women and Last Wedding and also as one of the Judges on the MTN Project Fame TV Series.

GROWING UP

Joke was born in Lagos, Nigeria, the second child in a family of five children and she spent most of her early days in Lagos. She attended Holy Child College in Lagos for her secondary school education after which she proceeded to study English at the University of Lagos. After her tertiary education in Lagos, she then moved to England where she attended Wentworth Milton, Mount Bournemouth to obtain her A levels and after that, she went ahead to study drama at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

ACTING CAREER

Joke Silva started acting in 1981 and had her first appearance was in an English movie titled “Mind Bending” in 1990. In 1993, she featured in a Yoruba movie titled “Owurolojo” after that.

Joke has featured in several films and television series including Secret Laughter of Women, 30 Days, Letters to a Stranger and Widow’s Cot. She also starred in two critically acclaimed movies that earned Africa Movie Academy Award-nominations, White Waters and Amazing Grace. During her days at the University of Lagos, she belonged to a cultural group which comprised of the likes of Bode Osanyin, Stella Monye and others.

Mrs Joke Silva who hails from Isale-eko (Lagos Island), is married to veteran Nollywood actor Olu Jacobs and the union is blessed with 2 children. They have been married since 1985. Together, they both run the Lufodo Group, which houses Lufodo productions, Lufodo Academy of Performing Arts, Lufodo Consult, and Lufodo Distribution. She serves in the capacity of Director of Studies at the Academy.

AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

She has received several awards and nominations for her work as an actress including the awards for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the 2nd Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2006 for the movie, Women’s Cot. She won the award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the movie ‘White Waters’ at the 4th Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2008. She has also received the EMOTAN Award by African Independent Television (AIT) and the SOLIDRA Award for Visual Art.

She has also curated  for the Bank of Industry (BOI) in Theatre, Film, Documentary and Poetry and also for the 2012 London Olympics.