Veteran Nigerian actor Pete Edochie has reflected on his long career in acting, revealing that he began his journey decades before Nollywood emerged.
Edochie said his passion for acting started when he was a teenager, at a time when theatre provided the main platform for Nigerian performers.
The actor recalled appearing in William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice at the age of 15 in 1962.
According to Edochie, Nigeria had no film industry like the one that exists today. Actors relied mainly on stage performances to showcase their talent.
His career later moved from the stage to television, where he gained wider recognition.
In 1985, Edochie played Okonkwo in the television adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s acclaimed novel, Things Fall Apart. The role brought him national attention and established him as one of Nigeria’s most respected actors.
His performance also attracted international recognition and helped cement his reputation as a leading figure in Nigerian acting.
Edochie’s career began several years before the rise of Nollywood. The 1992 movie Living in Bondage helped usher in the home-video era that eventually developed into the Nigerian film industry now known as Nollywood.
The veteran actor has therefore spent more than six decades in the entertainment industry, moving from theatre and television to the modern Nigerian film industry.
Looking back at his career, Edochie said his story goes beyond Nollywood. He started acting long before the industry adopted the name and structure that made Nigerian movies popular around the world.
