I was Into Acting Before Birth Of Nollywood – Claims Pete Edochie

By Murphy akanji

Veteran actor, Pete Edochie, has claimed that he began acting before the birth of the Nigerian movie industry, Nollywood..

According to the legendary actor,  when he made his movie debut in the 1985 adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s novel, ‘Things Fall Apart,’ there was nothing like Nollywood.then

Edochie made the claim during a recent interview with Afia TV.

“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 round the world before Nollywood came. By the special grace of God, after I did ‘Things Fall Apart,’ I was celebrated internationally.

“The BCC flew in here [Nigeria] to interview me and tell flew into America to interview Chinua Achebe. And Achebe said, ‘Pete Edochie gave that role an interpretation after my heart.’ Before he died, he was calling me Okonkwo.

“Seven years after Nollywood came and when I retired from broadcasting, I joined Nollywood.”