Renowned Nollywood actor, Kanayo O Kanayo, has disclosed in a recent interview that he was senior to the prominent actor, Pete Edochie, in the history of the domestic movie industry, Nollywood.
The 61-year-old actor acknowledged Pete Edochie’s significant contribution to the industry, especially in the production of the first motion picture, “Things Fall Apart.” However, Kanayo emphasized that he had been actively working in Nollywood for four years before Pete Edochie made his debut.
He stated, “I cannot be written off the history or the story when it is told of Nollywood. You can’t take it away that Kenneth Nnebue made the first professionally made home video in 1992. You can’t take it away from those who took part in ‘Living in Bondage,’ just like you can’t take it away from the fact that ‘Things Fall Apart’ in which Pete Edochie took part was not a home video. It was a cinema.”
Kanayo O Kanayo contested the notion that Pete Edochie is older than him in Nollywood, asserting that he holds seniority in the industry due to his earlier involvement. He clarified that the hierarchy is based on their respective entry points into Nollywood and not their biological ages.
“When it comes to cinema, of course, then you start going to Baba Hubert Ogunde in the 1940s or 1950s. This is history. History has no romanticism,” Kanayo added. The actor’s remarks highlight the chronological order of contributions to Nollywood and the historical context in which each actor played a role in the development of the Nigerian film industry.
