Veteran Nigerian actor Pete Edochie has revealed that his acting career began in 1962 when he was just 15 years old.
Gatekeepers News reports that Edochie made the disclosure during an appearance on Isbae U’s Curiosity Made Me Ask, where he recalled performing in a stage production of William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice as a student at St John’s College, Kaduna.
“By the time I did Merchant of Venice in 1962, I was 15 years old. Then there was nothing like film. It was all stage,” he said.
The 79-year-old actor explained that stage acting at the time required a strong command of Shakespeare, stressing that actors had to demonstrate their ability to handle the playwright’s works.
“Except you have Shakespeare in your head, you don’t qualify to be on stage,” Edochie said.
He also spoke about his long career in acting and his place in African cinema. According to Edochie, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) once identified him and South African actor John Kani as two major actors on the continent.
“MGM evaluated filming efforts on the continent of Africa, and they said they are only two people we recognise as actors,” he claimed.
Edochie also recalled his role in Things Fall Apart, released in 1985, noting that this came years before the emergence of Nollywood as it is known today.
“I did Things Fall Apart in 1985. Nollywood came on board in 1992 when they did Living in Bondage,” he said.
His account is consistent with an earlier interview in which he recalled taking part in a stage adaptation of The Merchant of Venice at age 15, describing it as his first time on stage.
