Nigeria is a nation blessed with all sorts of talents. We are in an era where people show what they are good at online and if it’s something that appeals to the masses, the individual could become a media darling.
OduDiscover has unearthed one of such persons. He is passionate about what he does and he wears it like a second skin. He is known for the words “You’re doing well” and though he plays a wide range of characters, he is particularly known for portraying a middle-aged man whose escapades (especially with the opposite sex) often find him in hot waters.
Those who are familiar with his work know that he is a man blessed with the gift of turning an uneventful day into an exciting thrill ride of comic proportions.
He is known professionally as Mr. Macaroni and his craft has been making a lot of lives more colorful.
Born Debo Adedayo, Mr. Macaroni is a thespian and all-round entertainer who sings, dances, hosts and organizes events. As a matter of fact, he is involved in almost anything that has to do with entertainment.
BUILDING THE ACTOR WITHIN
Mr. Macaroni started his profession in 2014 when he left school to attend Wale Adenuga’s PEFTI Film Institute (a private film and television production company that creates opportunities for aspirants and practitioners).
As someone who has always had an affinity for acting, Mr. Macaroni decided to pursue his dream of being an actor and at PEFTI he was trained in the art, improving himself and becoming better at it.
In the world of entertainment, presentation is everything and Mr. Macaroni learned how to package his craft for his targeted audience and give it to them in a way that they can’t resist.
He believes in his undisputed talent as an entertainer and says that God gave it to him so he works on a daily basis. He does both English and Yoruba movies and can’t pick any as a preferred choice.
In the words of the physically imposing performer: “Entertainment is where I see myself. So I know whatever the structure of the industry is, it doesn’t affect me showcasing my craft and my talent to the world.”
Mr. Macaroni says that the important thing is an environment where he can work and showcase his craft without ‘petty politics’.
According to him, there has never been a time when he has regretted being what he is because his ability is inbuilt. Acting is something he has always wanted to do.
He has stopped going for auditions now because now he gets phone calls wherever he is for roles.
THE INSPIRATION AND THE CRAFT
Mr. Macaroni is an opportunist who believes so much in the computer age we are in right now; the fact that people can record stuff on their phones and upload it online for audiences around the world to see (thereby getting massive followership).
This is why he uses social media as a powerful tool to show his work to people and so far the journey has been very rewarding.
He cites the people and things around him as his primary source of inspiration. Society generally plays a major role in his work.
What he does is that whatever character he is to portray, he picks that character from the script and puts another character from within the society, giving him his consciousness as an actor. In doing so, he merges the actor and the character to become one.
Mr. Macaroni has revealed that he is stage-trained. He combined his natural acting talent with developing it on stage by studying Theatre Arts in the university where he was tutored by the writer Professor Ahmed Yerima.
He also picks a few things from other actors but didn’t train under any of them.
THE ACT
Mr. Macaroni has distinguished himself by his comedy skits in which he is seen wearing a crimson-colored Agbada outfit as a prominent individual in the society.
As an entertainer, his facial expressions and gestures combined with the required comic lines come together for a successful ensemble to produce the right stuff to make fans crack up in laughter.
His characters are usually hypocrites who don’t practice what they preach and usually don’t mean what they say.
But the best thing about Mr. Macaroni’s skits is the message they carry. They are all didactic in nature (and this is one of the actor’s most important functions).
His videos always focus on the ills and vices that are prominent in the society and he uses hilarious situations to show that such things are detrimental to those involved.
Things usually end on a sour note for the characters he plays as the wrong choices they make result in catastrophic results.
THE MAN
Mr. Macaroni says that there is no stopping anybody that grace has found. How right he is as he is a living example with his increasing popularity in the industry and his work adding to his reputable status as one of the fast-rising actors.
Listening to him speak about his work, one would know that he is someone that was born to act and his passion for what he does is as evident as his commitment.
He doesn’t like the words ‘Yoruba actor’ or ‘English actor’ and wouldn’t use any of them to refer to himself as he believes that the word ‘actor’ encompasses both and transcends languages.
His advice to fellow actors in the industry looking up to him is to always be themselves. He says that it’s either you stand for something or you sit for nothing.
People like Mr. Macaroni are the ones that make us forget our daily challenges and at OduDiscover we can’t thank him enough for the good work he is doing.
Bringing joy to the hearts of your fellow humans is something that the world desperately needs and Mr. Macaroni selflessly does it and his reward is knowing that his craft is changing lives. More power to your elbow, Mr. Macroni!
