Veteran actor, Kanayo O Kanayo has revealed that he started acting in Nollywood before esteemed colleague, Pete Edochie. He made the claim in a recent interview with Afia TV. Kanayo O Kanayo also stated that individuals of his caliber, including Pete Edochie and others, must not be omitted from the annals of Nollywood history. According to him, the achievement of legendary filmmaker Kenneth Nnebue in the 1990s cannot be undermined.

He emphasized Nnebue’s pivotal role as the first filmmaker to professionally produce home videos in 1992. Expanding on his argument, Kanayo highlighted that he and fellow actors who graced the screens in the 1992/93 Nigerian two-part drama thriller film, “Living in Bondage,” were among the pioneers who ventured into Nollywood as true professionals before anyone else.

Kanayo firmly contended that the renowned 1971 Nigerian movie, “Things Fall Apart,” featuring the esteemed Pete Edochie, was indeed a cinematic project and not a home video production. The iconic actor asserted that if anyone, including his colleagues, posits that Pete Edochie preceded him in starting Nollywood, he is prepared to challenge such a notion.