This interview is probably the longest I
have published on this blog but I tell you it’s the best I have read in
a really long while.If you don’t love Pete Edochie, you will after reading this….I had to publish it as it was written on Nigerian Tribune..Enjoy your Sunday by reading it….Read below
Scheduling an interview with Pete Edochie seems like an assignment of a lifetime.There
have been stories about him being a no-nonsense man, and someone who
had been wary of journalists since he was kidnapped a few years back.
Even his movie roles as a wicked ritualist, Igwe or strict father did not help matters either.He
did not pick his phone the first time, but when he eventually did, one
had a momentary fear of rejection, which had been the lot of many
before now.
“Good afternoon sir. My name is Joan from the Saturday Tribune.
We haven’t heard from you in a while; we have missed your movies and
your proverbs, and I would like to schedule an interview with you.
He seemed to pull back a little
and I felt ‘Well, if he says no, too bad.’ But he laughed softly and
said, “Joan, your name is pronounced ‘J-o-n-e’ not ‘Jo-anne’; why have
you decided to spoil your name? When I was younger, I trained in the
British Broadcasting Corporation. You dared not pronounce names that
way.”
“Yes sir, actually sir, I know.” (That
actually brightened up the mood). Then he laughed heartily and said,
“About the interview, I’ll think about it and get back to you.”
Of course, the next time, he agreed and
said he would be in Lagos the next weekend. When I arrived at the venue
of the interview, I was ushered in and asked to wait for minutes. And
when he came in, he was actually very different from what we used to see
on the screen. He was as tall as a giant, and he spread out his hands
and beckoned on me to come into his embrace. I thought I heard him
whisper a few words that sounded like
‘Don’t be afraid, honey. Nno (welcome).’
He sat down and said,
“You know why I agreed to grant this
interview? Most of the times people call me for interviews and I keep
running away, but you never gave up; you never gave me a break. You have
been on my case for the past three weeks. Well done kid.”
In this chat with JOAN OMIONAWELE, the ace broadcaster/actor described his world and his life as an actor.
You were rumoured to have died last year; how did that make you feel?
It did not make me feel anything.
So you did not feel bad that people wanted you dead?
If you know me and my character make-up,
I don’t bother very much about what people say about me; I have my life
to live. From my philosophical persuasion, I am a Fabian, and I believe
that the end must justify the means. That does not mean that you must
give everything to get something, but if you make up your mind, make
sure you are not obsessed with getting to step on the toes of people.
It’s a question of conviction and resistance. So, I wasn’t bothered.
People have said you withdrew from movies because you were kidnapped years back…
I did not. I decided to pursue an undying vision, an assignment I was given by the church, and I gave priority treatment
to that. I still act but that’s when I have the time. I am in Lagos
today, and by the time a role comes, I will be in Aba. I did six movie
productions last year.
Let me take you back to the year you were kidnapped. Do you still think about it?
No, though once in a while you recall an
experience that is haunting; but what can we do when we are in a
country with little or no security?
So you did not have nightmares after the experience?
No, I did not. I am a very strong-minded
man and if something explodes here, nothing will happen if it doesn’t
touch me. Though I am hypertensive, I don’t scare easily.
Recently,
Pastor Chris Okotie said all Catholics would go to hell because they
don’t believe in Jesus, and that the Pope is an anti-Christ. As a
Catholic, what do you have to say about that?
He is entitled to his opinion. He has a
right to say whatever he likes and he is using that right.
Constitutionally, he is entitled to it. Stupidity is what we all have in
common as human beings, but some people insist that improving it is
their entitlement. So, you expect Pete Edochie and other Catholics to be angry? No, I won’t.
I
knew Chris some years back; he was fond of me when he was still in
school. When I was still a broadcaster, a Hausa man presented him with a
car and he came and showed it to me. He is someone I have always liked
and he is entitled to his views.
When people condemn T. B. Joshua and
say he is using devilish powers, I tell them, ‘Go and use devilish
powers and do what he is doing too.’ I don’t believe in running people
down because you can’t reach their gifts and depriving others of their
hard-earned credit.
What do you think about the political situation of the country?
Look at people crossing from one party
to the other. It just shows that our democracy has no meaning. The
people you owe your obligation to are those who elected you, who make up
your constituency. Before you make any decision or defect, consult
them. It is rather unfortunate. Before we gravitate to 2015, by the time
they want to pick a presidential candidate, that is where the problem will come from. Let’s watch.
You
were elected on a particular political platform, and you switch over,
hoping to maintain… Can I ever be a politician? God forbid! Will any of
my children become politicians? Let God forbid it now that I am still alive.
What if one of them comes up and says he wants to become a politician?
Except he is not my child.
Will you disown him?
I will discourage him. I remember an
occasion that a politician was on the television and I was sitting with
another politician, and the one on TV was screaming, ‘If I get the
people who stole this money, I will not only sack them; I will prosecute
them,’ and the politician by my side said ‘Nonsense!
He took the money; I was there.’
The proverbs you use in your movies, are they scripted or from your repertoire?
(Laughs) They come from me.
Everything?
Yes, everything
When you use those proverbs, how do the directors react?
I am asking you the question: how would
they feel,? you are a daughter, if I use a proverb to correct you? You
are not going to question the propriety of that proverb, because if it
were not, I wouldn’t use it.
Pete Edochie always acts the role of a rich man or an Igwe? How rich are you in reality?
Well, I eat three times a day, when I
feel like. I trained all my kids and take care of them without borrowing
from the bank. People always ask why I am always given such roles and I ask them in return, can you cast me as a driver? No. Can you cast me as a gateman? No.
But I heard there are instances you rejected such roles?
It is not that. Let me assume that you are given the role of a very big woman, then Pete Edochie is made your driver; I come and open the car for you and I can even physically throw you up and eat you up. If you are looking for a rich man,
look for a tall and huge man, with a congenital and aristocratic
disposition; then you got me – not someone who trains himself to try to
look big. When I sit down as an Igwe, I radiate authority. I am not
saying it to flatter myself, but I know what I represent.
There was a time I was cast in the role of a poor man, and I was trying to mend nets at the river
side, and people looked at my legs and saw that my legs were so smooth
and big. I have a physique that makes it difficult to play me down. If
all the actors audition for a big role, I will be chosen, because nature
has denied me some roles. But I enjoy the roles I am given.
Is it true that you correct some scripts?
Yes. Some scripts are written very badly
and I am compelled to take them along. I don’t allow them to drag me
down or remain there. Some of my colleagues know how those scripts are
written.
Isn’t it because you are always hardened and act like a wicked man?
If on a movie set you are my daughter,
and I am meant to love you as my daughter, I can’t start saying ‘Hey
baby, you know I love you.’ It’s silly.
It’s unAfrican. It’s not our
culture. You must love your child – even if it’s a love child. But you
don’t have to drive the point home. It makes no sense.
I watch some
young actors and actresses and when they get angry, they kick something
and throw things. That is not our culture. I smoked for 21 years before I
quit, and each time I got tensed up, I looked for a cigarette, and
psychologically I was puffing away the anger; but there is no other
thing it does for you physically but to destroy your lungs.
We allow
the foreign movies we watch to influence us – particularly the younger
ones, who want to talk like Americans and say things like ‘Oh shit!’,
‘F..k!’ The African Americans who employ these words use them in protest
against the suppression of the White man. They use those words to annoy
the White people. Nigerians don’t need those things because we are not
under any international suppression – except from ourselves. We cannot
express our anger in four-letter words. Someone brought me a script and
it was filled with ‘shit’, ‘f..k’, and I told him I don’t do such
movies, I am sorry. People learn from me. What will they say if I dump
my proverbs for such gutter language?
So you did not take that role?
No. I think I have rejected more scripts
than anybody in the industry. I am a lover of linguistic decency. I am
not into movies because if I don’t do it
I will not survive; I enjoy doing it. So, you will not coerce me into doing things I know do not make sense.
I
respect my good friend, Olu Jacobs, because his diction is impeccable. I
haven’t also been seeing Bimbo Manuel. That man is a good actor. I have
not seen him for long and I am not happy about it. Also, Keppy Ekpeyong
also speaks well. I complimented him once and he went home and brought
his daughter to greet me. He could not believe it. I told him people
think I am the ultimate, but I told him that was untrue. ‘You people are
doing very well and making me proud.’
Do you think Nollywood is on the right track?
Nollywood is incredible and is recording
giant strides. Today, most of our actors, particularly the women like
Stephanie Okereke, Omotola, Genevieve, Stella Demasus, Uche Jombo are
involved in trans-Atlantic collaborative productions with our
counterparts. They are making us proud. At one time or the other, they
all played my daughters, and when I look at them, I feel some sense of
satisfaction. I feel very happy. These girls are pushing our name and
they are making the country proud. The men are doing their utmost, but I
think in terms of international engagements, the women are doing much
more than the men. Sometimes, the productions we do these days get too
lengthy and boring. There is one that has been on my TV for over six
hours and is still on.
Are you afraid of death? Do you think about death?
Yes, I think about death. Why shouldn’t
I? I think about death not because it is inevitable but because I would
like to be prepared to meet my maker when the time comes. That’s why I
am afraid of death. There is nobody alive who likes dying. Even if a man
is 100 years, loses his sight, becomes a vegetable and inconveniences
others, he still wouldn’t like to go. So, yes, as a normal human being, I
think of death. Merely thinking of death encourages me to avoid
excesses.
What are those excesses?
As a young man, I drank a lot. I could
drink any bottle under the table. It was because of peer group pressure.
We enjoyed diverting ourselves alcoholically. We were not given to
subduing the womenfolk as a mark of accomplishment; we always got
together to drink and smoke cigarettes. As we got older, I felt there is
a need to cut down on all these excesses. I gave up smoking though I
smoked for 21 years. I gave it up when I discovered it wasn’t serving
any purpose.
You said you smoked for 21years to ward off anger, now that you have stopped smoking, how do you ward off anger?
I don’t get angry easily anymore; I used my Fabian philosophy to stop that.
Would you describe yourself as a fulfilled man?
Yes. What else am I going to ask from God? I have a brilliant wife and brilliant children. So, yes, I am (fulfilled).
You
have lost a few of your colleagues – your good friend, Justus Esiri
particularly. What are those memories that you will never forget about
him?
Oh, very good question! We always
challenged each other whenever we were on set. The camera would come to
you to take your lines and some people stumbled over their lines. Some
people just smoothly presented theirs. And whenever Esiri presented his
lines, he would look at me and say ‘Emenike, one take.’ So I started
calling him ‘One take Esiri’. I went for his burial and took photographs
with his family. There was one thing he (Esiri) enjoyed most, which was
quarrelling and making up. I would quarrel with him during a movie
production and take him in my car to eat Isi Ewu (goat head) and then we
would get back into the car and continue the quarrel till we got back
on set. I did Things Fall Apart with Esiri, and his death was a huge
shock to me, because I did not even know that he was ill.
But you said you were close. Were you not communicating?
You see, there is one thing about
actors: they hardly communicate as regularly as they ought to. For
instance, I am in Lagos, there are so many people who would love to know
where I am. Maybe a few days after, they would get to hear that I came
to Lagos. Even if he was ill, I don’t think he was ill for too long
before he died. And I hadn’t been on set with him before he died. I lost
a good friend in him.
You are synonymous with playing the role of a tough man. Does this come into play in real life? Are you a tough father?
My kids would tell you that I am a very
strict father. I don’t believe in doting on children. This is why all my
sons graduated without creating problems for me. I promised each of
them that when they graduate, I would buy them a car.
And did you fulfill that promise to each of your six sons?
Yes, I did. There are things you must do
to encourage children and then create circumstances that would lead
them away from areas of temptation. If a man is driving his own car, he
drives at his pace; but there is something with peer group influence. If
your friend brings out his father’s car and you get into it, there is a
tendency to pursue excessively, trying to see who will outdo the other.
Then you create problems, and I said instead of these children going
out and getting into vehicles belonging to their friend’s fathers, you
graduate with your own.
What are the things you remember about childhood?
I was very mischievous. (Bows his head
for some seconds) We always sneaked into the European quarters to steal
mangoes and carrots. We were pursued by the White people. We would even
jump into the river to escape, but they would wait for us till we came
out. I did very funny things. If you are not mischievous, you can’t be a
good actor.
What are your hobbies?
I listen to classical music and watch
television. I did boxing for sometime and I watch sports because I was
in charge of sports for a long time. I read a lot, especially when I
listen to my classical music in the background. If I am not reading
materials within the country, I am going from one television station to
the other.
In your years on earth, what would you say you have learnt from life?
Life has taught me to be useful to
fellow human beings. It has taught me that we all belong to one family
and that God is the head of the family, so we should at all times
consider the feelings of other people. The first time you meet somebody,
try to understand … because we are like fingers of one hand; the moment
you cut off one finger, the whole hand feels the pain. Life has taught
me to get along with people. You can hardly find me quarrelling with
people. We can have intellectual disagreement but not market-women
quarrels.
You have a phobia for flying? What was the experience behind it?
Yes I do (have a phobia for flying). I
went to Egypt in 1975, we flew out from Kano and we flew for hours until
we got to the Sahara desert, and it was sand all through. Someone who
was sitting next to me said “Eh, so if something happens to this plane
and it crashes, nobody will know where we are.” From that moment, I
developed that phobia. I am also claustrophobic. If you put me inside
this house now, I won’t be able to stay. I was stuck in a lift once and
it was a very harrowing experience. Also, if I stand on the ground and
look at a very tall building, my head would begin to swing. I don’t like
heights at all.
You once said the women are the stronger sex. Have you ever been tempted by a woman?
Why not? Am I not a human being? I say
to myself: you have a wife who honours you, Pete; why must you go out to
mess yourself up? I have been married for 45 years and can say that my
marriage is the longest standing marriage in Nollywood.
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