Samuels to receive Living Legacy Award - King of comedy ‘absolutely blown away’ by honour
Published:Tuesday | November 3, 2020 | 12:08 AM
Actor, playwright, and comedian Oliver Samuels will receive a 2020 Living Legacy Award from the Caribbean Community of Retired Persons (CCRP) on Wednesday.
Overjoyed by the honour, Samuels said that he “did not have the words” to describe how he felt.
“Bwoy, I would love to be able to be original!” Samuels told The Gleaner. “I was absolutely blown away when I got the news that I would be the only recipient of the award this year. It makes me feel extra special, and I am very, very grateful to the organisers for their kind consideration.”
Samuels appeared in his first pantomime, Music Boy, in 1971, playing the character Moondrop.
He would go on to appear in numerous pantomimes and productions, later transitioning from theatre to television and making his mark in a very big way.
The television series Oliver at Large cemented the noted actor and comedian as the king of Jamaican comedy.
50 YEARS IN THEATRE NEXT YEAR
Next year, Samuels will celebrate his golden jubilee after 50 years in theatre.
Vilma McDonald, chair of the CCRP Living Legacy Awards committee, called the award “timely”.
“It is timely that we should honour our beloved Oliver Samuels [for years] of delivering top-level comedy and drama to Jamaican and international audiences,” said McDonald.
She added: “Oliver, who came from a humble family background in St Mary, represents so much that is kind and generous, embodying the true, old-fashioned Jamaican values that we still hold dear. And importantly: he keeps our spirits high with his awesome comedic deliveries.”
Launched in 2012, with a special Jamaica 50 edition, the Living Legacy Awards celebrates the lives and achievements of men and women who have made substantial contributions to Jamaica’s development in various fields.
It has been presented to over 90 honourees. These include three governors general – the late Sir Howard Cooke, Professor Sir Kenneth Hall, and Sir Patrick Allen; Beverley Anderson Duncan, Vilma McDonald, Alma Mock Yen, Professor Edward Baugh, R. Danvers ‘Danny’ Williams, Merrick Needham, Karl Hendrickson, K.G. Anthony Hill, Professor Anthony Chen, and the late Syringa Marshall-Burnett and J. Lester Spaulding.
The ceremony will be broadcast live on the Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica (PBCJ) and live-streamed on the PBCJ Facebook page.