Uche is
one of the children of veteran Nollywoood actor, Pete Edochie. He speaks
about his father outside the stage with Punch, see excerpts below:
Tell us briefly about yourself.
I am Uche, one
of Pete Edochie’s children comprising five boys and a girl. I am the
second son and the third child in the family. I studied Visual Arts but I
do a variety of things. I am a painter, designer and photographer. I
also write a sex column for some Nigerian newspapers and I am into
construction too.
What memories of your growing up can you remember?
Regarding what
my father does as an actor, I can recall when he participated in the
television adaptation of the late Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart.
It was a very exciting period because we had never witnessed anything
like that. Several actors like Justus Esiri used to come to our house.
He would leave the house at night to shoot movies with his colleagues
and return early the next day with marks on his body and palm fronds
adorning his head. It was a very exciting period. There was no picnic or
visiting relaxation joints as a family with my dad. We did that more
with our mother. My father is not such a man. We united more with our
father by following him to church. He used to attend evening mass. He
does not like going out once he is home. He could be with his friends in
the compound to discuss things generally.
What are the things you recall about his broadcasting years?
I experienced my
father as broadcaster in two ways: one, the way he tried to raise us
because he ensured we didn’t speak poor English language. He corrected
us if we made mistakes while speaking the English language. The second
was through one of the programmes, Music from the Masters,
which he anchored then at the Anambra Broadcasting Service. He played
classical songs of George Handel, Ludwig Van Beethoven and so on. His
format was to introduce the music, discuss the mindset of the singer and
what he or she stood for. It was a great programme especially when one
considers the way he handled the presentation without using a script.
These were the ways I experienced him as a broadcaster. At home, he was
just dad. We never went with him to work but we did not miss his
programmes.
Did he influence your career choice and your siblings’?
Yes, my father
did influence my career choice. We have five artists in our family; my
father, myself and three of my brothers; the architect, Gene, actor; Yul
and the painter/actor; Linc. I took after my father as a visual artist.
What he tries to do as an actor, I communicate it through pictures and
paintings. At a time I wanted to study Architecture but I did not have
the requirements. I only qualified for Fine Arts and opted to stay at
home to retake the examination into the university. My father urged me
to go and study Fine Arts, saying he was sure I would excel in it.
During my first year in the school, I knew that was what I should do.
The course opened my eyes because prior to that time I was an average
student. I took different courses and learnt new things.
Did you enjoy any special treatment while in school because of who your father is?
There was no
preferential treatment for me while I was in school. There were some
people who told me about how much they love his acting. In fact, when I
was studying, he often visited me in school but it was not on campus but
outside. I had a studio outside the school because I knew I was going
to major in painting. Each time he came, he visited me in the studio and
we would talk about many things before he left.
Your father is fond of proverbs. Did he encourage his children to learn some?
I think his
interest in proverbs is more of a generation thing. Our generation does
not really speak in proverbs. I often laugh whenever people tell me some
of the rich proverbs traceable to him. None of my siblings speaks in
proverbs. My father is a very funny guy. He is being only type-cast as a
chief or ruler. He is more of a comedian. He made us laugh often when
we were living together. He however did not compel us to learn proverbs.
In movies, he cuts the picture of a no-nonsense man, is he like that at home?
No, he was not
like that now but when we were young, he was like that. As a child, if
we did anything wrong he disciplined us. He would tell us to raise up
our hands or use the cane on us if we misbehaved. I remember that my
mother who is a lawyer used to take us some subjects. There was a time
she was not around and my father had to teach us. That was when I knew
the difference between when my mother was taking the lessons and when my
father had to. I remember he was trying to teach me to pronounce some
words and I did not get the exact pronunciation. He whipped me a few
times and that memory stuck. We had lesson teachers but our parents
decided to teach us during those times. Anyway, I learnt a lot from the
way my father tried to train us. When we were young there was a tendency
to think our parents were mean when they disciplined us. As an adult,
one would appreciate the efforts of one’s father in trying to make one
become a responsible individual. It was not easy for my father to raise
five boys. He needed to be solid and strong like a soldier. We cautioned
ourselves because we did not want to offend him so that we would not be
caned.
How does he like to relax?
Once he is back home, he will lie down and play classical music. Once he is in that position, nobody dares disturb him.
How has his name assisted you?
My father urged
us early in life to struggle to make meanings out of our lives. He told
us not to depend on anybody. We do not live on his name. All of us are
self-made. Self-made in the sense that we decided what we wanted to do
and pursued it. The support we got from our father was the support that
should come from any good father. He gave us some money while we were
yet to start earning a living. Otherwise, if one is looking for a job
one will have to go job-hunting by oneself. He would even be the one to
say, ‘join the queue.’
What are the values you learnt from him?
I do not drink
because I recall that my father is not a lover of alcohol. I do not
smoke because my father does not smoke. I do not womanise because my
father does not do so. He is someone that can account for everything in
his house because he laboured to get them. I can also account for all
what I own today because I worked hard to acquire them. If I am in any
organisation today, I can boldly say I cannot mismanage funds or steal
money. My father is a man of integrity and we have imbibed many values
from him. When I was living with him, there was no day anybody knocked
at our door to say he owed him or stole from him. He is a man of honour.
We all emulate his great ideals.
How does he handle misunderstanding with your mother?
They are so
close and discuss maturely. Once in a while they can argue. But they
have a way of settling it in a mature way without the children being
aware. They love each other so much. They do not take each other for
granted.
What is his favourite meal?
He likes eba and egusi soup
What is his best drink?
My father takes
water. For a long time when I was growing up he did not drink. After
some time, he started drinking but it was little and in moderation.
Who are his friends?
My father has a
lot of friends. He is 67 and he told us that most of his friends had
died. Many of his friends are from the broadcasting circles. He has very
regular friends and he is faithful to them.
How does he like to dress?
He likes native
and English dresses depending on the occasion. But since he left
broadcasting for Nollywood, he wears more of native attire.
How close are you to him?
We do not talk
often but any time I speak to him on the telephone, It will be as if we
spoke a day before. The same relationship exists between me and my
brothers. We do not call ourselves just to say hello without having
something cogent to say. Maybe it is because we are boys. The best way
to describe my relationship with my father is that we are close without
being too close. We are however close enough.
Which of the movies he acted in do you like most and why?
It is Things Fall Apart.
I am not disparaging the Nollywood industry but I think many of the
movies today are hurriedly done. It is not because it is what I feel. I
know that many people who are familiar with the industry feel that way
too. When Things Fall Apart was shot, it took a year and the
post-production gulped a year too. When the film was eventually
released, it was, for me, a perfect Nigerian movie. I cannot say that
for the other movies he acted in not because they are not good. I think Things Fall Apart stands out any day. There is always one thing one does in life that stands one out. I think Things Fall Apart is the best film my father has ever participated in.
How did he
react when the industry’s leadership banned him alongside some popular
stars for charging what it termed ‘outrageous fees’?
It was a
difficult period. The top earners in the industry earn maybe half a
million or a million. It is little to what is offered in Hollywood. I
felt it was unfair because if those banned from acting then were
charging high fees, other persons could be called upon to take up roles
rather than banning those accused of charging ‘high fees.’ I never
understood the idea of banning the entertainers when they were not doing
things to shame the industry. The period also allowed him to explore
his creative part as a producer. It was later that the matter was
resolved.
How did his family handle the situation when he was kidnapped in 2009?
I was in a
cinema with my family when I received a call that my father was
kidnapped. I was confused and hurriedly left the place with my family.
My brothers called and we decided to grant the request of the kidnappers
to save our father.
Does it mean the family paid to secure his release?
There was no way
we could get him out if we did not do what the kidnappers wanted. We
even had to do it quickly to secure his release.
Is he as rich as he appears in some movies?
All I can say is that my father is comfortable.