29/05/2026
How I landed the role of Okonkwo in _Things Fall Apart_ still surprises me to this day.
I walked into an audition at the university auditorium with my radio program records in hand. The moment I entered, a woman from the University of Calabar looked at me and said, “If you can act, you’re exactly who we’re looking for.” Ironically, I hadn’t even read the book yet.
They handed us scripts to read aloud. After just a few lines, it was clear to everyone in the room that the decision was made. The other actors congratulated me, shook my hand, and left. We even had to reshoot the first episode because they’d cast someone else before me.
Later, Chinua Achebe himself said my performance was exactly how he had envisioned it. For me, that kind of approval means more than any trophy ever could.
— Pete Edochie
