Pete Edochie, the renowned veteran actor, revealed that his acting career began in 1962.
Speaking on Isbae U’s show, Curiosity Made Me Ask, Edochie recounted his debut performance in a stage production of ‘The Merchant of Venice’ at just 15 years old. Back then, there were no films—everything was done on stage, he recalled.
Edochie emphasized the importance of mastering Shakespeare for stage actors, saying, “Unless you have Shakespeare in your head, you aren’t qualified to be on stage.
If you know anyone who can handle Shakespeare, let them challenge me. I want to hear them speak—who taught them?”
The 79-year-old also shared that the American film giant Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) once recognized him and South African actor John Kani as two of Africa’s leading talents. “MGM evaluated film efforts across Africa and said there were only two people they considered true actors—Peter Edochie and John Kani. I starred in ‘Things Fall Apart’ in 1985. Nollywood only emerged later, in 1992, with ‘Living in Bondage.’ I am the only man who made a film and attracted international media interviews,” he added.
