‘I Started Acting in 1958’ – Lere Paimo Responds to Pete Edochie’s Claim

Image:X

 Veteran Yoruba actor Lere Paimo has provided a different account of his entry into acting, saying his career on stage began as far back as 1958.

Paimo made the revelation while speaking with fellow actor Kunle Afod in an interview shared on YouTube. His comments came amid a discussion about how long some of Nigeria’s most respected actors have been involved in the performing arts.

The veteran actor’s claim places the beginning of his career several years before the period cited by fellow acting legend Pete Edochie. Edochie had previously said that his acting journey dates back to 1962, when he was 15 years old and performed in William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice.

Paimo, however, maintained that he was already involved in acting before Edochie began his own journey.

According to the Yoruba theatre veteran, his early experience was closely connected to Nigeria’s indigenous travelling theatre tradition. He recalled encountering Hubert Ogunde, one of the pioneers of Nigerian theatre, whose productions helped establish a foundation for Yoruba stage performance.

“I started acting in 1958,” Paimo said during the interview, adding that Ogunde was already senior to him at the time.

His account also draws attention to the distinction between the beginnings of stage theatre and the development of Nigeria’s film industry. While some actors may date their careers to specific film or stage appearances, Nigeria’s indigenous theatre tradition existed long before the modern Nollywood era.

The debate over seniority emerged after Edochie challenged actors who claimed to have started their careers before him to provide evidence supporting their assertions. Paimo’s latest comments therefore add another perspective to the conversation about the early years of professional acting in Nigeria.

For decades, Paimo has remained an influential figure in Yoruba entertainment. His career spans generations of performers and a period when travelling theatre was an important part of Nigerian popular culture.

His recollection of starting in 1958 also offers a glimpse into an era when theatre companies travelled between communities to stage performances before cinema and television became dominant forms of entertainment.

The discussion ultimately highlights the rich history behind Nigeria’s acting industry, which developed through different theatrical traditions before evolving into the film and television sector widely associated with Nollywood today.

Paimo’s account places him firmly within that earlier generation of performers and reinforces the role played by indigenous theatre in shaping the country’s entertainment landscape.

#ViralContent 

#ExcluisveUpdate