This is the concluding part of our exclusive interview with the movie
legend, Pete Edochie. The first part of it was published last week.
Was featuring in ‘Things Fall Apart’ the first production that brought
you to limelight?
Yes, it was the production that projected me. I had played other
little roles on television such as Segment of Shakespeare, Every
Man, Realm of Violence, Resurrection and others. But Things Fall
Apart was a full blown production. Because of its popularity as a set
book, it was welcomed by a lot of people. They were not
disappointed with the interpretation of the role. I feel very happy
about it.
For many years now that production has not been shown on
television?
It is the property of NTA and I think (I am not speaking with
authority here) that some people bought the rights and decided to
package and sell the production. A lot of people have the complete
set of thirteen episodes. All the same, it is the property of NTA, and
if the management of the television house decide that they want to
run it again, all they require is sponsorship. But I know that the
production is still very much in demand.
A lot of people have visited me from outside the shores of this
country to ask for my help to enable them acquire the production.
But I told them that the production was the property of NTA. There
was a time I was approached by some people who wanted to
translate the production into French.
They wanted to pay me a lot of money just for me to give my
consent. But I am not used to that kind of thing. I need money but I
don’t steal. If I had given it to them, nothing would have happened,
but I would have stolen somebody’s property.
It would have haunted me all through my life. I am a devoted
Catholic. However, I directed them to the management of NTA, and I
don’t know how they sealed the deal.
Among your five sons, Yul is the only one that decided to take after
you in the area of acting. Watching his films, do you see your blood
running in his vein?
Yes, I’m not really used to watching our movies. But after some
people told me that my son was doing very well I decided to watch
him consciously. I think he’s doing very well. He has a good voice
and he’s a good role interpreter. Actually, while he was in the
university, he majored in directing.
But I told him that he ought to be in front of the camera, and not
behind it. I assessed him as his father and advised him to go into
acting. He did, and I don’t think he regrets it. Also, my other son,
Linc, was there before Yul. He is married now and based in Abuja.
Unfortunately, Linc didn’t quite make the impression that Yul made
on screen.
So, he decided to back out. He is more creative than Yul is, but the
latter is a better role interpreter. That’s the major difference. But if
Linc has gone into directing, he would have done marvelously well
because he is very creative. He chose his own path. I never
compelled any of my children to do any thing.
I allowed them to follow their dreams. Yul is an actor while Adam is
a Fine artist. Linc also studied Fine Art. My first son did Agric-
economics and he’s based in Port- Harcourt with his family. Yul is
the person who is flying the flag now.
You bought cars for all your sons. Was it a way of appreciating
them for making you proud?
I wanted to encourage them. I said to them that if you guys
graduate from the university, I would buy cars for you all. That was
intended to be a source of inspiration for them. And they had it at
the back of their minds. As they were graduating, I was buying cars
for them and I don’t regret it.
Again, you graduate from the university, there is what we call peer
group influence. You join your peer group, it’s a very venturesome
age. They believe very much in adventure. You want to move
around with them, and you see about four or five of the young men
squeezing themselves into one car and getting themselves drunk
while driving recklessly and killing themselves in the process.
I didn’t want that to happen to any of my sons. You have your own
car and you drive at your own pace. Don’t be tempted by other
people. Do your own thing in your own way. That’s why I bought
cars for them and I don’t regret it.
Your beard is as old as the grey hair on your head. Will you ever
shave it off for any price?
No, I wouldn’t, no matter how much you would pay me. It gives me
character. I have always played a big man in my movies. If I am not
a leader of a cult, I am an Igwe or a native doctor. There must be
something inspiring about you. Something that frightens people,
that terrifies them, intimidates them when they know that you are
coming. When you clean-shave, you lose that character.
For how many years have you been growing your beard?
I started growing beard when I was 23 years.
And you have not shaved the beard since then?
It’s not necessary. I could trim it, but I will not shave my beard. I
will carry it till the end of my time. I have a lot of hair on my head,
and there is so much power in the hair. You read about the Bible
story of Samson and Delilah. Our Lord Jesus Christ never shaved off
his hair. There’s so much power in the hair.
IGBOS OWN NOLLYWOOD
Recently, Wale Adenuga, producer of “Super story” and Waptv
Chairman alleged that Igbos have hijacked Nollywood. Do you agree
with his observation?
Comments are free but facts are sacred. People are free to say
whatever they like, but a fact is a fact. Who make up Nollywood?
The Igbos. Who started Nollywood? The Igbos. What are the films
you remember most in Nollywood; ‘Living in Bondage” which was
produced by an Igbo man, “Rituals”, ‘Igbodo”, Ëbuka” among
others. They were all produced by Igbo filmmakers. I featured in
about 90 percent of these films.
Yorubas have always done
productions in Yoruba, so the
circulation of their films is
limited. If you travel out of the
shores of this country today,
people would want to talk to
you about the Igbo culture.
They would talk about the
huge bearded man with a red
cap and a walking stick.
This is the man they are
referring to. When our people
went for All African Games in
Kenya, Nigerians were winning
laurels in wrestling and the
Kenyans said, they were not
surprised because they came
from Okonkwo’s country. And
Okonkwo was a wrestler.
There are those who spend all their time trying to run other people
down. But like I said, a fact is a fact. Whatever you say about me
today, such comments don’t bother me. I am the only actor that
BBC has flown into Nigeria to interview, and that was because of my
infectious professionalism.
It’s not limited to just the local media alone. When you stay with the
English man and you talk to him and he listens to you, he’s
impressed. And if you travel out of the country, you will be told that
there is no actor in Nigeria who manipulates the English language
like Pete Edochie. What can you do about it? Nothing. It happens to
be truth. Somebody called me on phone some time ago and said
there are only two actors in Nigeria: Pete Edochie and others. I said,
“thank you very much.”
ONCE HURT BY THE SYSTEM
I started acting practically before all of them. But I got hurt along
the line. During the centenary celebration, my name was dropped. It
was deliberate, conspiratorial. I saw it, and people wrote about it in
the dailies and called me on phone. Even Former President
Goodluck Jonathan was mad over it. Again, it happened, and I did
not kill anybody for it.
At the end of the day, it is the way that your audience sees you that
matters. AfricaMagic organized Viewers Choice Award and the
entire continent said, this bearded man desired an honour and I was
given a car. I have never angled for anything. Not at all. I have won
more awards than anybody else in the industry. I don’t struggle for
these things.
If you think I desire an award, then bring it. There is a university in
Ekiti state that wants to give me an award. I keep getting invitations,
but I don’t need all those awards. Three university Professors and a
team at various times, volunteered to write my biography. But I told
them not to worry about it. And I have since apologized to them.
I don’t see why it has to be me, and they said to me, ‘you are the
most outstanding performer the country has produced over the
years. I have won an award once as the best actor of the continent
of Africa in 2001, before all these minor awards started coming my
way. The body that gave me the award was based in South Africa. I
didn’t campaign for it. Later, the Censors Board introduced an
award in 2003, and Pete Edochi was adjudged the Best Actor in
Nollywood.
KEEPING THANKING GOD EVERYDAY
I came face to face with death in 1977, when I drove my car under a
trailer. It was my first car which I bought in 1975. I survived the
accident. Also, there was a time I was driving down to Awka to visit
one of my sons at the university, when I cheated death again. God
spared my life and I thank Him for that. People wrote some time ago
in the dailies that Pete Edochie went to Austria and died there.
They said, he fell off a 50 feet height mountain in Kitzbuhel, Austria
and died. I told them that they should stop announcing my obituary
because my father died at 95. It’s all part of it. You are doing
something, and some people appreciate you while many others
don’t. But the great Zik said, “You don’t wish a fellow man death
for any reason.”
If anybody wishes you death, you survive that person. It always
happens. So, I don’t regret any part of my life at all. If there is
second coming for anybody (I am talking about reincarnation), if I
come back and I’m given the same opportunity, I will do everything
all over again. I don’t have regrets at all.
People always mistake Rita Edochie, the actress for your wife?
In a way, she is. She’s my younger brother’s wife. Her husband is
seven years younger than myself.
Is it true that you have a love child?
It doesn’t make sense. I don’t need it. Why?
But a young man from Kenya alleged some time ago that his mother
told him you are his father and he was planning then to come to
Nigeria to meet you?
Why didn’t he come to Nigeria? I have never been to Kenya before.
Where did I meet his mother? I am not a wayward person. Peter
(pointing at his PA) has been my Personal Assistant for over 17
years. If I were a sexually adventurous person, he wouldn’t have
stayed with me for this long. But each time somebody calls me he
picks up the phone. Somebody brought the story from the internet
and showed it to me.
One slim character like that. He looked like a cattle Rear-er. He
said, “somehow I think Pete Edochie is my father.” Well! Let him
come to Nigeria and meet his father. But he hasn’t embarked on the
journey yet. Like I said, such things don’t bother me. I got married
at 22 years. I have never involved myself in tense extra-marital
affairs.
It’s not necessary. We are all weak as men, but you see, if you
decide to pursue a torrid extra-marital relationship, what will you
be proving to people? However, I don’t involve myself in situations
that will make me to compromise my integrity and that of my family.
Could you relive the experience you had in the hands of those
criminals that abducted you few years ago at Nkpor, a suburb in the
commercial town of Onitsha?
It’s something I don’t like talking about it.
Some entertainers are going into politics, are you planning to do so
in future?
I don’t like politics. Politicians don’t speak the truth. Regrettably,
there is no morality in politics. It doesn’t justify it. I want people to
see me for who I am. If Pete Edochie says this thing is black, it’s
black, there are no two ways to it. In the next ten years, he still tells
you this is black. It gives me honour, it gives me integrity. But if
tomorrow, I join politics and make a statement, people will begin to
analyse it.
Whereas, in the movie industry today, I am the most respected
actor. All the people who are part of the movies I feature in, respect
me as their father. And it gives me a lot of honour and satisfaction
because I see all of them as members of my family. So, I don’t like
politics. Recently, a new administration came on board in Nigeria. A
lot of people have been asking me about my expectations from the
new government. And my answer is very simple, ‘Nothing.’
Buhari may stand out as an incorruptible creature. But what about
the people under his administration? If Nigeria can be tinkered and
rebuilt after Buhari’s image, we will have a wonderful country. But
when you are so stuck in-graft, so stuck in corruption, it’s not
always easy to get rid of these vices in a single day. I was following
the progress of the now ruling party, APC, and I told a couple of my
friends that this party has no ideology.
I kept wanting to hear from them, this is what we shall do and this
is how we shall do it. I didn’t see or hear anything like that. The
best politician this country has ever produced is Obafemi Awolowo.
He may have been parochial but I love Awolowo for one thing. He
would tell you I’m going to build this house, and this is what it will
cost me to carry out the project. This is how I am going to raise the
fund, and he went ahead and achieved it. No other politician has
been able to beat the record in Nigeria.
What would you like to be remembered for?
Let it be said that, I spent my life giving joy to other people.
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