Seasoned Nollywood actor, Chidi Mokeme, has revealed that his father opposed his decision to explore acting as a career.
The 51-year-old thespian made this known in a recent interview with media personality, Chude Jideonwo, noting that he started as a model before switching to acting.
Mokeme said that when he started going for shoots and returning home late, his father would tell him to return to wherever he was coming from.
According to the popular actor, the man’s refusal to support his choice forced him to abscond from home to focus on his acting career.
The ‘Shanty Town’ star said his breakthrough came after he abandoned his examination in school to play a sub lead role.
Mokeme said; “You couldn’t even say you want to be an actor before you will hear that he [my father] didn’t want you to be an actor [laughs].
“So, I knew in my mind. I started by sneaking out to go do these things. Luckily I started off as a model. Back in the days before the home video industry, I did a lot of commercial modeling, runways, TV commercials, calendars. So it was way easier. You can go in daytime, do a quick shoot and come back home. And my father is unlikely to see it because he is not in the world of that.
“But many occasions when I came back late from shoots, he asked me to go back to wherever I was coming from. From all the sneaking out and of course, there was passion. I just knew that I was happy when I’m in this [entertainment] space.
“And I think what broke the camel’s back, eventually, I tried to read pharmacy but it wasn’t happening then I eventually went into computer science. But when I got to school, there were no computers. There was just one computer in the entire department and that computer sits on the table of the lecturer. So I left because it wasn’t interesting anymore.
“Then, I took a decision to leave home. I didn’t just pack my bags and leave, it was from all the experiences of ‘go back where you are coming from.’ I started committing more so that me dad would say I should go back to where I am coming from.”
