I started off as a model – Chidi Mokeme

Popular Nollywood actor, Chidi Mokeme, has revealed that he started as a model before venturing into movies.

He also noted that his father didn’t support his decision to become an actor.

Speaking in an interview with media personality, Chude Jideonwo, the Chidi 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.”

He said his breakthrough came after he abandoned his examination to play a sub-lead role.