Veteran Yoruba actor Lere Paimo has asserted that his acting career began in 1958 — four years earlier than the date cited by fellow industry legend Pete Edochie.
Speaking in a recent interview with actor Kunle Afod, which was shared on YouTube, Paimo responded directly to Edochie’s account that he started acting in 1962 at the age of 15. The veteran insisted he was already active in theatre by the time Edochie made his entrance.
The exchange follows Edochie’s recent public challenge to actors who claim to have begun their careers before him, urging them to present evidence. Edochie has pointed to his performance in William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice in 1962 as proof of his early start.
Paimo, however, maintained a different timeline. “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.
He further emphasised the longer history of Yoruba travelling theatre and the pioneering work of the late Hubert Ogunde, arguing that indigenous Nigerian theatre was already thriving well before the rise of English-language film productions.
The contrasting claims from the two veterans underscore the distinct traditions and overlapping timelines that shaped the early development of theatre and acting in Nigeria.
