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Tag: Bob Manuel

  • Knocks as Bob Manuel claims senority over Pete Edochie in Nollywood

    Knocks as Bob Manuel claims senority over Pete Edochie in Nollywood

    Nollywood actor, Bob Manuel is currently facing the heat for stating that Pete Edochie is not the oldest actor in Nollywood.

    Bob Manuel during a recent interview with Gbam shared on Monday clarified that even though Pete Edochie is older than him by age, he began acting before the prominent actor in Nollywood.

    “Pete Edochie is not the oldest in Nollywood. I started before Pete. He is older than me but he didn’t do the first Living in Bondage with us. It’s Living in Bondage that started the business. You are not the one to say, you are not the one to choose that you are the oldest,” he said.

    He added, “You that is saying that you are the oldest, where is your own? Who watched them? As we are talking now, some people are planning to remake Things Fall Apart to be a movie… What Pete did was TV series. Both those that bring the money and those that act the movies didn’t study theatre art in the university. When I see these things, I laugh.”

    In response to the actor’s statement, netizens expressed their displeasure, arguing that experience does not equate to expertise.

    One user wrote: “Bob Manuel lied and lied and lied, why did he lied on the well respected old man, just for what.”

    Another remarked: “Misplaced priorities your country is sinking you guys are arguing about first and second on acting.”

    One user posted: “Wahala! The drama in Nollywood never ends. Experience doesn’t always mean expertise though.”

    Another user commented: “You are purely ignorant. Bob Manuel is a dreamer by saying he has been in Nollywood longer than Pete Edochie. If it was RMD, I could argue and say Yes. Nollywood can be referred to the age of television and not just home video. Pete Edochie was a lead actor in ‘Things fall apart’ which was primetime National television hit in the 80’s while Bob Manuel came to limelight in the early 90’s in Checkmate. The only people who can claim to have been in Nollywood before Pete were RMD, Clarion Chukwura and Barbara Soky. So learn before you tweet, both you and the person that posted the nonsense you quoted are ignorant and so is Bob Manuel.”

  • I dont have anything against it – Bob Manuel speaks on Idris Alba playing Okonkwo in ‘Things Fall Apart’

    I dont have anything against it – Bob Manuel speaks on Idris Alba playing Okonkwo in ‘Things Fall Apart’

    A Nollywood veteran actor, Bob Manuel  has reacted to the report that popular British actor, Idris Elba will star as the lead character, “Okonkwo” in a television adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s novel ‘Things Fall Apart.’

    Things Fall Apart’ is the first in Achebe’s celebrated African Trilogy, followed by No ‘Longer at Ease’ and ‘Arrow of God’.

    Previous adaptations have included a film and a miniseries, the latter starring Pete Edochie as Okonkwo.

    It was recently reported that the series which is currently in development, will have Idris Elba and Gina Carter serving as executive producers under their 22Summers banner.

    The development sparked several reactions as many Nigerians fear that the British actor may be unable to play the role well because he is not “Igbo”.

    Reacting, Bob Manuel in an interview with Channels TV said he has nothing against Elba playing the lead role but insisted that Nigeria has good and top class actors who can play the role better.

    He explained, “There’s this conversation about Idris Elba being cast as Okonkwo in the Hollywood make of Things Fall Apart and I don’t have anything against that as an actor but I think that we have people who are top-class actors in Nigeria who can play that role better knowing where that story is coming from but that’s another story for another day.”

    Udoku emphasised the need for collaboration across the film industries, highlighting that it is already beginning to take shape.

    “What Nollywood needs now is collaboration and it’s beginning to happen. I happen to be part of another production that involves to major actors in India and another Hollywood-based actress. We need to have more collaborations with our counterparts in Europe and north America and it’s happening gradually. The bundle of talents we have in Nigeria is awesome,” he concluded.