Nollywood actor and comedian Charles Inojie recently spoke highly of his late senior colleague, Sam Loco-Efe, labeling him as the most intelligent actor in the history of Nollywood.

In a recent conversation with popular media personality Chude Jideonwo, the veteran actor commended Sam Loco and reminisced about his illustrious career during his lifetime.

Sam Loco-Efe, who enjoyed a three-decade-long career, passed away on August 7, 2011, at the age of 65. Inojie praised the late actor, describing him as being on another level, as he had the unique ability to memorize lines after reading the script just once.

Unfortunately, Inojie added, the esteemed actor left this world without receiving a national honor.

Charles said;

“Uncle Sam (Sam Loco-Efe) was perhaps the most intelligent Nollywood actor that ever lived. He can be here smoking a 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.”

He truly was. He was my grammar tutor

True