Sam Loco Efe: Nollywood Legend and Comedy Icon

Sam Loco Efe: The Untold Story of Nollywood’s Timeless Comedic Genius

This article delves into the biography of Sam Loco Efe. Let’s get started.

Table of Contents

Sam Loco Efe’s Early Life

This legend is known to many by his stage name, Sam Loco Efe, but his real name is Samuel Arase Efeimwonkiyeke. He was born on December 25, 1945, into a family that struggled to make ends meet. His father worked as a warder while his mother was a trader.

Unfortunately, Sam’s father passed away at a very young age, putting him in a position where he had no choice but to help his mother in her business. This incident delayed his education, but he remained unfazed.

After his mother raised some money, part of it was used to pay Sam’s school fees. This was when he began attending a primary school.

Sam was very good at acting, and his teachers knew of this. This was the reason why he was always allowed to participate in different plays and dramas.

During his primary school education, his school participated in an acting contest. Out of all the pupils present, Sam and some other talented children were chosen to represent their school in the contest.

His school tried its best, but it didn’t attain the first position at the end of the contest. Sam performed well when his school took the stage. His performance caught the eyes of the event organizers, prompting them to award Sam a scholarship, which would provide support for him throughout his primary school education.

Early Acting Career

When Sam was still very young, he struck a balance between acting and his education. He played different roles at the time, including “The Doctor in Spite of Himself” and “Vendetta”. He also had a knack for football. The skills he displayed on the field earned him a special name among his friends. He was given the name “Locomotive “, which was shortened to “Loco”.

After the Nigerian Civil War in 1967, Sam traveled to Benin City. This was when he formed a group called “Ovonranwen Theatre Group”. It was not long after this group was formed that their first stage play, “Obaiwape,” was performed. Sam performed in the play, marking his first professional move in the acting field.

Rise Into Fame

Due to the financial difficulties he was facing in the early 1970s, Sam decided to travel to Lagos in search of employment. He later got a job at Michelin Tyres. It was not long after this that he secured another job as the senior sales representative at Dunlop Tyres.

While working, he continued acting until he achieved his breakthrough role in 1977.

In that year, Sam played a role in a play titled “Langbodo”. The play was performed at FESTAC ’77, a major cultural event in Nigeria at the time.

He performed so well in the play that everyone started to notice and commend his talent. Recognition grew quickly.

Following his breakthrough in 1977, Sam traveled to Ibadan, where he joined the University of Ibadan Theatre Group to further his acting career.

Sam Loco Efe’s Movies

After the breakthrough acquired during the FESTAC event, Sam decided to fully focus on his acting career. This became his life’s work.

He has acted in over 500 Nollywood movies and classics. Some of them include:

Things Fall Apart (1987)

Nneka the Pretty Serpent (1994)

Ukwa (1995), Osuofia in London (2003)

Tom and Jerry (2003)

Final World Cup (2005)

Old School (2002)

I’ll Take My Chances (2011)

Sam Loco Efe’s Personal Life

When he was alive, Sam married twice. His first marriage, unfortunately, ended in divorce in 1985. He and his first wife had three children together. Later, he married a lady from Anambra state named Nkemdilim Udeh. Together, Sam and Udeh had two children, making their total number of children five.