Nollywood actor and comedian Charles Inojie recently shared his admiration for the late senior colleague, Sam Loco-Efe, whom he considers the smartest Nollywood actor to have ever lived.
Engaging in a conversation with the well-known media personality Chude Jideonwo, Charles Inojie took a moment to reflect on the remarkable career of Sam Loco-Efe, praising his intelligence and unique approach to acting.
Sam Loco-Efe, whose illustrious career spanned three decades, sadly passed away on August 7, 2011, at the age of 65. Inojie reminisced about the late actor, highlighting how he stood out by memorizing scripts effortlessly, needing only one read-through.
“Uncle Sam (Sam Loco-Efe) was perhaps the most intelligent Nollywood actor that ever lived. He can be here smoking cigarette, and people are rehearsing that way, you won’t know that his subconscious mind is where they are rehearsing. He would be correcting you from afar, you won’t even know he is talking to you.
If you have a scene to play with him, Uncle Sam would only read with you once. He would ask the others to rehearse their lines. He would read that scene just once. He would say his lines, and when you missed yours, he would tell you your lines. Since I’ve been meeting people, I haven’t seen that type before. Uncle Sam was from another planet.
But the country we live in, how can anyone imagine that Uncle Sam died without a national honour? In a country where national honours are being given to neophytes, greenhorns. Uncle Sam died without a national honour.
One of Nigeria’s entries to FESTAC 1977, I think that was ‘Lambodo’ where Uncle Sam played the lead role. He got a special mention from the Queen as the best actor in Africa. That kind of human being, even in death, he deserves posthumous awards.”
Charles Inojie's heartfelt reflections shed light on the extraordinary talent and impact of Sam Loco-Efe, emphasizing the unfortunate absence of national recognition for the legendary actor.
English (US)