Nigeria’s Chief Taiwo Ajayi-Lycett is a happy 83 year old actor as the world celebrates her with glowing accolades. The Nollywood veteran enjoys her octogenarian years and has advised for conscious intention to make the world a better place.
The thespian and former television presenter-journalist-cum-comestologist shared her desire to see the younger generation have more respect for the older generation in words and deed, stating that describing anyone as ‘old school’ may often irritate the sensibilities of such persons.
During a recent telephone interview with News Agency of Nigeria [NAN], she said, “Yes, I’m 83 years old and I give glory to God. It is a stage in life that one needs to continue to give back to the society, share and help others. I hear many of our youth calling the aged ‘old school’. This is wrong. The youth should be ready at all times to respect and learn from the elderly. The experience and life lessons the elderly have been able to garner over the years should be relayed to the youth to make them better individuals.”
On Instagram, Chief Ajayi-Lycett expressed her life assertions, “Since “Time Flies” is a true and humbling statement, I have learned over the years to just accept my age and cherish every second. As you get older, you encounter individuals from many walks of life, have life-altering experiences, you’ll cherish your loved ones more, and you’ll develop patience and understanding.
“Beautiful people, experience life, be present, let go of things you cannot control, spend time with the people you love and never stop telling them you love them. Don’t wait until you are old to realise this. Really, there’s nothing significant to consider in life except the joy of life. So, LIVE.”
She moved to London in her youth and took courses at the Christine Shaw School of Beauty Science in London receiving certification in cosmetology. Taiwo also attended Hendon College of Technology and obtained a Higher National Diploma in Business Studies in 1969
She made her acting debut in Wole Soyinka’s The Lion and The Jewel, a two-act comedy directed by William Gaskill in 1967, at the UK’s Avant Garde, Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, London. Training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, City Literary Institute, The Dance Centre, and the Actors’ Studio, London, made a aspiring Taiwo Ajayi-Lycett commit to and cement her love for arts.
She has starred in BBC’s “Some Mothers Do ‘Av ‘Em”; “Crown Court” [1976], “Winds Against My Soul” [1979], Africa Magic’s “Tinsel”. Her prowess conquered the stage production titled ‘Murderous Angels’ by Conor Cruise O’ Brien at the Gaiety Theatre in 1971 at Dublin Theatre Festival.
Her film credits include: ‘A Warm December’ [1973] starring and directed by the first Black-American Academy Award winner, Sidney Poitier; ‘Dazzling Mirage’ [2015], by Tunde Kelani, Rogers Ofime’s “Oloibiri’ [2015], ‘Madame President’ [2017] by Patrick Doyle, Kemi Adetiba’s ‘King of Boys [2021], Biyi Bandele’s ‘Elesin Oba, The King’s Horseman’ [2022]
