This site is about a person who is very close to my heart i.e. my grand-uncle, Mr Orlando Martins, one of the very first black actors, born in 1899 who as a young man left Nigeria for the UK and starred in films with other actors i.e. President Ronald Reagan , Audrey Hepburn. Unfortunately he has not received the recognition I believe he deserves. He lived in an era where black african actors were not given the credit they deserved as is shown on the film credits where his name is mentioned in small prints. In most of his films, he played African characters where he did not get to speak much.
I am dedicating this blog to his memory. I am hoping to create a website for him very soon. However, its best to start by creating a blog for his memory and then hopefully look to move it to a bigger space. I have been thinking about creating this page for some time. Its best I start now, start filling it up with content and data about him with a short term view of creating a dedicated website to his memory. There are a lot of films I have seen on him in YouTube e.g. Hasty Heart, The Nun’s Story, Kongi’s Harvest ( naming a few!).
He was regarded as the first world acclaimed African film actor. This was not a simple feat in those days and the world needs to be reminded of the legacy he created and left behind which is now being enjoyed by many African actors today. He has paved the way for future Black actors.
Orlando Martins, The Legend – First World Acclaimed African Film Actor 