Lere Paimo says he started acting in 1958, counters Pete Edochie’s claim

Veteran Nollywood actor, Lere Paimo, has said he began his acting career in 1958, putting the start of his career four years ahead of veteran actor Pete Edochie’s stated 1962 timeline.

The 86-year-old actor made the clarification during an interview with actor Kunle Afod, posted on YouTube on Monday, as a debate over seniority among Nigeria’s veteran actors resurfaced.

Paimo’s comments followed Edochie’s recent challenge to actors who claimed they began their careers before him to come forward and substantiate their claims.

Edochie had said his acting career dates back to 1962, when he was 15, citing his performance in William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice that year.

Paimo, however, maintained that he was already active in acting before Edochie began his career.

“I started acting in 1958. I met Hubert Ogunde, who was senior to me and others, and there were big movies produced back then,” he said.

The veteran actor also placed his account within the history of Nigeria’s indigenous travelling-theatre tradition, pointing to the late theatre legend Hubert Ogunde and the development of Yoruba-language productions.

“I heard from history that when he (Hubert Ogunde) started in the ’40s, there was nobody before him, and we never heard from history that the English industry, or any movie done in the English language, started before him.

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“Since we didn’t hear or read that in any history books or documentation, I believe the Yoruba industry started first.

“There was nothing like English-speaking movie production then; Ogunde started by producing movies in the Yoruba language, which he used to educate everyone who watched those movies back then. We never heard about English-speaking movies until now, when, with civilisation, we started hearing and seeing that there are English-speaking movies,” he said.

Paimo was also asked about claims that other theatre practitioners, including Baba Olumegbon, could have started acting before Ogunde.

“I don’t know if Baba Olumegbon started before Ogunde, but all I know is that Ogunde was the person I knew who started acting first. Although I have been hearing about him for a long time, I can’t say he was senior to Ogunde,” Paimo said.

Paimo’s career developed within the Yoruba travelling-theatre tradition. He worked with the Oyin Adejobi Theatre Group, established by veteran theatre practitioner Oyin Adejobi, before later joining Duro Ladipo’s Theatre Group.

At Duro Ladipo’s group, Paimo played Chief Basa in the stage production Obamoro. He went on to become a notable figure in Yoruba theatre and film, with wider recognition coming from his portrayal of Soun Ogunola in the epic Ogbori Elemosho.