Orlando Martins

Orlando Martins was born in Lagos, Nigeria, to a Brazilian father and a Nigerian mother. He moved to London after World War I and started his acting career in the theatre and the circus. He became one of the most prominent and leading black actors in Britain in the late 1940s, and starred in many films and plays, often alongside famous actors like Paul Robeson. He was known for his tall, powerful figure, deep bass voice, and grand sense of humour. He returned to Nigeria in 1959 and continued to act in stage and film productions, including the adaptation of Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart. He died in Lagos in 1985 at the age of 85. He is regarded as a pioneer and a legend of Nigerian cinema.