Veteran Nollywood actor, Yemi Solade, has claimed that he began his acting career before legendary actor, Pete Edochie. Solade made this revelation while speaking about his journey in the film industry during a recent appearance on the show Father’s Path with Tope.
According to Solade, even though Pete Edochie is older in age, he (Solade) had already started acting by the age of 17 in 1977 and has now spent 48 years in the industry.
“I’m senior to Pete Edochie. I started acting before him, though he’s older than me. I was 17 in 1977 when I represented Nigeria as the youngest actor,” he said.
He also spoke about the early days of the Yoruba film industry, stating that despite their significant contributions to Nigerian cinema, the Yoruba industry failed to properly document its works in the early years. This, he said, allowed other regions within Nollywood to claim they started the home video movement.
Solade pointed out that pioneers like Ade Ajiboye (popularly known as Big Abass), Hubert Ogunde, Baba Sala, Ade Afolayan (father of Kunle Afolayan), and Dr Ola Balogun played key roles in developing Nigerian cinema, long before home videos became popular.
“The Yoruba industry didn’t document anything. That’s why others claim they started Nollywood. But people like us are here to say, ‘Hey, shut up. You didn’t start anything’,” he said.
Solade added that while the Yoruba actors were deeply involved in performance and drama, they paid less attention to media and publicity, unlike others who engaged with the media early and gained visibility.
The actor, known for his work in both English and Yoruba-language films, also noted that figures like Adebayo Salami and Jide Kosoko, who are still active today, can testify to the early contributions of Yoruba actors to Nigerian film history.
Yemi Solade remains a respected figure in Nollywood, with nearly five decades of experience on stage and screen.
