Pete Edochie, is a Nigerian Actor

Pete Edochie, is a Nigerian actor. A devout Catholic, he is considered one of Africa’s most talented actors, by both Movie Awards and Movie Magic’s Africa Magic Cable network. Although a seasoned administrator and broadcaster, he came into prominence in the 1980s when he played the lead role of Okonkwo in an NTA adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s all time best selling novel, Things Fall Apart. Edochie descends from the Igbo people in Nigeria. He has two sons that take to his acting traits; Linc and Yul Edochie. At 60, Pete Edochie will let you know his life has more or less just begun. Which is why he is ready to take on not just the government, but also the industry where he has earned a living as far back as anyone can remember. He desires to make a change for the better. It should be an easy task for this multiple award winner and excellent actor. He told Correspondent Temitope Ojo his plans and take on sundry issues.You turned 60 recently, how does it feel?Well, I haven’t celebrated it yet. I merely observed that I have turned 60. Every single day you spend on earth brings you nearer to your grave. When I clocked 60, I thanked God; then I remembered what Sam Amuka said that what he used to do in a moment in the past now takes him all day.

Most of what you used to do with agility then, you discover that you have to over invest energy now to be able to do it. That is if you even manage to do it at all. This is because you get a little weaker, you get more thoughtful, and you don’t rush things any more. The good Lord allowed us three score and 10, I have just crossed the three score and I am hoping that I will eventually get to the 10 and possibly improve on it. You were also honoured by the federal government with Member of the Order of Niger (MON). What’s the feeling like?I thank God for the award. For the president to have picked me from among the numerous people who are in Nollywood, and say this man has hit the pinnacle of his profession, I want to reward him. I think it’s great. A few months earlier, I was inducted into the Hall of Fame and before then in 1999, I was given the movie personality of the year award by City People magazine. In 2001, I was Best Actor in Africa, in 2003 Best Actor in Nigeria by the Censors’ Board and it was climaxed with the MON honour by the President; it is something that gives me extreme joy. I remember when we finished shooting Things Fall Apart the BBC flew into Nigeria to interview me and went back to America to interview Chinua Achebe and then placed us on split screen on BBC. I think it’s the biggest honour I have received in my life as an actor to be recognised by the BBC. By the way, Things Fall Apart won an award in America then. I guess it is a deserved honour. Was the MON long expected?I wouldn’t say that. I had merited it.

I thought it would have come. But it is the president that dispenses the award at his own time. Anybody that works extremely hard expects a form of compensation. At the risk of sounding immodest, I know I have worked hard. I know also that I am quite distinguished in the profession, as I have spent 30 years earlier as a broadcaster before I got into the movie industry. I wouldn’t say that I was expecting it and I wouldn’t say that I was not expecting it. I think I like it because on the day I was given the honour, there were several people in the hall but the moment I got there to receive it from the president, he held me and we had some chat before I left.How many years have you put into acting?How do I start to answer that now? The very first time I went on stage was in 1962 when I was 15 years old as a student of Saint John College, Kaduna and we dramatised aspects of the Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare. 

I have been doing that ever since before I got into broadcasting and then full time acting.