Pete Edochie has been considered one of Nollywood’s greatest of all times, ever since his 1980’s appearance on “Things Fall Apart” on NTA, where he played the lead character; Okonkwo.
The Nollywood veteran’s career started on radio as a twenty-year-old broadcaster at the Eastern Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation (ENBC), where he rose to the position of assistant managing director.
Things Fall Apart: The Beginning of an Adventure
While still with the radio house, he got the chance to act in the “Things Fall Apart”, a TV series which the Nigeria Television Authority NTA had adapted from Chinua Achebe’s best-selling book of the same title, to play the lead character of “Okonkwo”, whose father was a drunkard, unable to pay his debts and unable to provide for his family. Okonkwo grew up determined to earn everyone’s respect and prove that he was better than his father by all means possible. His exceptional acting in the NTA TV series caught the attention of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), who flew in to interview. This adventure was to mark the beginning of his foray into the film industry.
Edochie is said to be very selective of movie roles, would never take a role that requires him to shave his signature beard which he has kept since he was 23, and is known for his use of elaborate idioms, proverbs and allegories The Nollywood veteran is one of Nollywood’s favorite actors, and has appeared in hundreds of movies, including “Last Ofalla”, “Igodo”, “Narrow Escape”, “Lion of Africa”, “Evil Men”, “Rituals”, “Billionaire Club” and very recently “Lion Heart”. Among the many awards and recognition received during his long career in acting, are the Industry Merit Award at the Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards (AMVCA), and the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) Lifetime Achievement award.
Edochie is a devout Catholic, married to Josephine Edochie, with six children (five sons and one daughter), among whom are actor turned politician Yul Edochie and Actor, Director, and Scriptwriter Linc Edochie. Many sources have peddled the error that he is married to fellow actress, Rita Edochie, who is, in reality, his sister-in-law.
Living Legend
Today, as Pete Edochie marks his 71st birthday, we at Connect Nigeria join the rest of the world in celebrating an inspirational African movie icon.
Featured image source: Linda Ikeji Blog
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