Every week, Culture Custodian grants you an all-access backstage pass into the lives of Nollywood rock stars. You get to hear their fascinating background, their behind-the-scenes stories, and more.
Today, we link up with Nigerian content creator, comedian, and Nollywood actor Adebowale Adedayo, popularly known as Mr Macaroni. On his YouTube channel, Mr. Macaroni is famous for his comedy skits in which he mostly plays the characters of a sugar daddy called Daddy Wa and a no-nonsense university academic called Professor Hard Life. He has also often portrayed a corrupt Nigerian politician.
Apart from being a skit maker, Adebowale Adedayo has been featured in Nollywood films such as Ayinla, Brotherhood, Anikulapo and Gangs of Lagos. From grabbing his first major role in Halima Abubakar’s Mistresses in 2013 to making a comeback with the character of Bayewu in Tunde Kelani’s 2021 biographical film Ayinla, the actor has moved beyond his YouTube skits to establish himself as a fan favorite in mainstream film.
You are considered one of the foremost digital content creators and comedy skit makers in Nigeria. How did you get into the space of digital content?
I started content creation sometime in 2019 out of frustration and depression. I was depressed because things were not going the way I wanted them to. I wasn’t feeling the social media craze at the time. Even though at that time, many people were getting into comedy skits, I wanted a unique style. As a thespian, the theatre culture which I was taught in school differed from what obtained in Nollywood. I wanted to get involved in mainstream Nollywood and I attended auditions but the industry made it seem as if I wasn’t good enough, which I did not believe. Early in 2019, I ventured into comedy skits, portraying characters such as a guy riding a bicycle, an old-school teacher, etc. Most of my followers were my friends. Soon, I got inspired to try the sugar daddy character, and the first content I created with it was spot-on. My friends confessed to me that the new character I had assumed was better than the former one. That was how I started to intentionally create content around that character.
Can you remember your first episode of the Daddy Wa character? Is it still on your YouTube channel?
I think the episode should still be on my phone. Then, I had a YouTube account, but not a channel. It took a while for me to realize how I could maximize YouTube. It’s the story of an elderly man who takes an interest in a young lady who comes to visit his wife. He starts to touch the lady inappropriately, and she slaps the man.
What did you intend to achieve with the Daddy Wa character?
I intended to use the character to ridicule men who behave inappropriately in society.
Where did you get the name “Mr Macaroni” from?
That name has been in existence since 2011 or thereabouts. It was a character from Face 2 Face, a comedy series. At first, I was playing an unnamed character, considered in the script as part of the extras. It was one of those characters usually thought of as inconsequential. In that particular scene, the director liked how I interpreted the role. He asked me to give my character a name by which he could be addressed, and I chose Mr Macaroni.
Who were the leading figures in content creation that served as an inspiration to you at the time that you got involved?
At that time, the OGs like Craze Clown, Maraji, Twyse, Taooma, Broda Shaggi, etc. were there. All of those guys are friends with me now. I was scared to try doing comedy skits because it felt silly doing so. I thought about how my friends who knew me as a great thespian with some awards to his name in school would perceive me. Looking at the OGs and what they had achieved— particularly when Broda Shaggi bagged an ambassadorial deal with Glo—pushed me to action. I think Broda Shaggi revolutionized the content creation space.
Considering how long stand-up comedy has been in existence before digital content creation (comedy skits), how would you react to the expansion?
I don’t think there was any unanimous or coordinated move to expand. It just became the natural thing to do when digital technology became popular. Technology brought about digital content. Before then, we had to attend shows or buy tapes to enjoy comedy. With the arrival of smartphones and the popularization of digital media platforms in this part of the world, comedy simply expanded as an art. The beauty of art, you know, is the lack of rigidity. You can do the silliest thing one moment and become famous the next moment.
Tell us about your family background
I was born into a family of ten. My dad is a Muslim and my mum is a Christian. My dad had three wives. I loved the diversity that came with my parents practicing different religions because it allowed me to enjoy life from both ends. Right now, I do not have a religion, but I respect and admire all religions. The center of religion is love, and that is what I believe in. My love for acting started as early as five or six when we watched Pastor Oyakhilome on TV as kids. Although we didn’t attend his church as a family, I was in awe of his charisma. I always tried to mimic him, and everyone in the house knew that. Also, my brother often told me to mimic someone from school and I would oblige. That way, my passion for acting was ignited right from home.
Having fully transited into mainstream Nollywood, can you tell us your first major Nollywood feature?
I’ve been around since 2013. I got my first major role in Mistresses produced by Halima Abubakar and directed by Ifeanyi Ogbonna. The film featured stars like Moyo Lawal, Yvonne Nelson, and Halima Abubakar, amongst others. I got picked via an audition. Around that time, I was also featured in Super Story, Papa Ajasco, and others. Some months back, even Wap TV posted a throwback of me in those two shows. I also got into several Yoruba Nollywood productions. My first Nollywood comeback, after Mr Macaroni became a brand, was in Tunde Kelani’s Ayinla.
As Mr Macaroni, you created other characters such as Professor Hard Life and a typical Nigerian politician. How have you been able to manage these personalities and what’s the inspiration behind them?
My society inspires me. Society provides the raw materials for content creators. As an actor, you should be able to interpret as many roles and characters as you want. So, Debo Adedayo as an actor can create different characters that he seems fit and necessary at the time. To correct an anomaly in the educational sector, for instance, a character like Professor Hard Life comes to life through me.
In the buildup to the Nigerian general elections, you created content based on corrupt Nigerian politicians. In a similar vein, you have been vociferous on Twitter concerning the elections. Have you received backlash or have you been attacked due to the kinds of content you create?
Certainly. It would be naive of me not to expect a backlash from my content. When I started making content to ridicule Nigerian politicians, some of my fans who happened to have ties with the politicians turned their backs on me. Perhaps I am even the most attacked content creator, especially when it comes to the political space. However, it is in my nature to use my platform to pass vital messages to the public regardless of who is affected. I learned this from one of my lecturers from Theatre Arts, Ahmed Yerima, who believed that theatre must not only seek to entertain but also to inform.
Considering how involved you were in the 2020 EndSARS saga, how has the experience further influenced your personality, either positively or negatively? Is there any unforgettable experience you would like to allude to?
I have always been intentional about my content even before ENDSARS. However, since that experience, I have had more friends and more enemies. I have no regrets about it. But my unforgettable experiences revolve around my arrest, torture, and dehumanization by government security agents. It was a troubling period for me, but it has made me even more courageous.
What is your relationship with Omotunde Sogunle (Motunde) and Kemi Ikuseedun (Mummy Wa) like outside the business space?
Cordial and respectful. I’ve known Motunde even before I started to create content. We both graduated from Redeemer’s University. She finished about four or five years before me. We first met on a movie set, and that was even before I started creating content at all. One day, I wanted to create an ad that required that Daddy Wa have a daughter. That was how I got her involved. I respect both Motunde and Mummy Wa as wonderful women who are doing great.
What impression do you make of AMVCA 2023?
I think the AMVCA keeps getting better every year in terms of what it has to offer. I am happy for our Mother in the industry Mama G who was acknowledged at the event. I have created content with her about two or three times, and she’s always been receptive to me. I am happy for the other winners as well. I was involved in some of the productions that won big at the event. I believe that when people are nominated for awards, they deserve it whether or not they eventually win it. Who wins the award category at the end of the day doesn’t matter because others are equally deserving of it. So, when I receive an award, I say that I receive the award on behalf of other nominees as well.
In a recent Nollywood Stakeholders’ Forum, it was insinuated that Nollywood was yet to amass a global reception as Afrobeats. What is your reaction to this?
For Nollywood, a lot still needs to be done, especially in terms of production quality and funding. The industry is growing, as there is a huge improvement in recent Nollywood productions. Also, collaborations with platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime are helping us step up our game.
What is that thing about the Nigerian film industry you would like to change?
It’s the way upcoming talents are treated. I find it worrisome, and that’s why I like to get involved in industry associations and know what they are doing about it. I strongly believe that upcoming actors deserve to be treated with more respect. They should be encouraged. Interestingly, some production companies are trying to get it right with upcoming actors.
Do you have plans to help nurture talent?
Mr Macaroni as a brand is heavy on collaborations, whether with superstars or upcoming actors. This is evident in the characters we have produced, including Mummy Wa, Motunde, and Korexx. Aside from that, I am working with my team to set up something different from the Mr Macaroni brand. It is a platform for people to come together and create, and then we pay them.
You seem to be a lover of literature, which is not unexpected for a trained thespian. Are there plans to adapt any of these texts on your shelf into a film?
I am working on one of Ahmed Yerima’s plays.
What’s your advice for others out there willing to get into the industry?
They should continue to create and explore different options. It is only when you do nothing that you do not have a chance.