Veteran actor Pete Edochie has said he was already acting decades before Nollywood emerged, tracing his career back to 1962 when he was just 15 years old.

Edochie made this known during an appearance on Curiosity Made Me Ask, hosted by comedian Isbae U. He spoke about his long career while responding to claims about seniority in Nollywood.

Edochie traces career to 1962

The veteran actor said he started acting on stage at a time when the Nigerian film industry did not exist.

“By the time I did Merchant of Venice in 1962, I was 15 years old. Then, there was nothing like film. It was all stage. Except you had Shakespeare in your head; you don’t qualify to be on stage,” he said.

Edochie also recalled the international attention he received after appearing in one of his films.

“I’m the only person in this country who did a film and white people flew in to come and interview me. No other person has achieved it,” he said.

His career predates Nollywood.

Nollywood emerged as a major commercial film industry in the early 1990s. The 1992 home video Living in Bondage often gets credit for helping define the industry.

Edochie, however, had already built a career in acting before that period.

He gained major recognition for his role in Things Fall Apart, the 1985 film adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s novel. The role helped establish him as one of Nigeria’s best-known actors.

His comments came as discussions about seniority among Nigerian actors continue. Edochie said some people have claimed to be senior to him. However, he chose not to respond until he received a direct question about the issue.

“People have been writing all sorts of nonsense claiming they are senior to Pete Edochie. I just allow them to, because anything goes in Lagos,” he said.

Edochie recalls his honours.

The actor also highlighted some of the honours he has received during his career.

He mentioned national recognition under former President Olusegun Obasanjo and honorary doctorates from a university in Togo.

“I sit down in my house, and the honours come,” he said.

Before pursuing acting full-time, Edochie worked as a Director of Programmes. He said his professional career had already taken shape before he made his mark on the Nigerian film scene.

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