Veteran actor Pete Edochie has addressed claims of seniority in Nollywood, saying his acting career began in 1962, decades before the industry existed. He made the remarks during an appearance on the online show Curiosity Made Me Ask, hosted by comedian Isbae U, where he was asked about his standing in the Nigerian film industry.
Early Stage Career in 1962
Edochie stated that he began acting on stage at age 15 in 1962, long before Nollywood was established. "By the time I did Merchant of Venice in 1962, I was 15 years. 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, challenging anyone who disagreed to come forward publicly.
He further claimed international recognition that he said no other Nigerian actor had received at the time. "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.
Nollywood Timeline and Things Fall Apart
Nollywood as an industry is widely traced to 1992, when Living in Bondage became one of the first commercially distributed Nigerian home videos. Edochie's screen career, however, began well before that, most notably with Things Fall Apart in 1985, an adaptation of Chinua Achebe's novel that earned him widespread recognition and the international attention he referenced.
His remarks came against the backdrop of a running conversation about seniority in Nollywood, with at least one fellow actor having publicly maintained on the same show that he began his acting career before Edochie, while still acknowledging him as a senior colleague in age. Edochie did not mention that actor or anyone else by name throughout his appearance.
Honours and Retirement
"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, adding that he had chosen not to respond until directly asked. He also pointed to honours he said arrived without lobbying, including national recognition under former President Olusegun Obasanjo and honorary doctorates delivered to his home by a Togolese university, as further evidence of a career that stands apart from his contemporaries.
"I sit down in my house, and the honours come," he said. Edochie retired from a career as a Director of Programmes before entering the film industry full time, a detail he raised to underscore that his professional standing was established long before his first screen appearance.
