Veteran actor, Pete Edochie, has revealed that his acting journey predates the emergence of the Nigerian film industry, Nollywood. During a recent interview with Afia TV, the iconic actor shared that he embarked on his cinematic career long before Nollywood came into existence, notably making his cinematic debut in 1985.
Reflecting on his early years in acting, Pete Edochie reminisced about his first movie role, which was in the adaptation of Chinua Achebe's classic novel, 'Things Fall Apart.' He highlighted that the concept of Nollywood, as it's known today, had not yet taken shape during that period.
In his own words, he shared, "I'm senior in the movie industry. I mean, when I did 'Things Fall Apart' in 1985, there was nothing like Nollywood. By then, Nollywood was slumbering sonorously in the womb of time."
"It was seven years after that Nollywood came on board with 'Living In Bondage.' I went around the world before Nollywood emerged. By the special grace of God, after I did 'Things Fall Apart,' I was celebrated internationally," he continued.
"The BBC flew in here [Nigeria] to interview me, and they also flew to America to interview Chinua Achebe. Achebe said, 'Pete Edochie gave that role an interpretation after my heart.' Before he passed away, he would refer to me as Okonkwo."
"Seven years after Nollywood's inception, when I retired from broadcasting, I joined Nollywood," Pete Edochie concluded.