I was acting before Nollywood came into existence – Pete Edochie

Veteran actor Pete Edochie has said he began acting before the Nigerian movie industry, Nollywood, was formed.

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

Edochie stated this in a recent interview with Afia TV.

He said, “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.”