Olakunle Idowu, popularly known as Frank Donga is a multi-talented entertainer. He speaks with Shade Wesley-Metibogun on his foray into entertainment and sundry issues.
How was 2022 to you?
It was an interesting year, a lot of businesses tried to pick up space again after the COVID-19 era. A lot of productions picked up in Nollywood. We saw a lot of collaborations with platforms. Personally, it was a unique year of redefining certain things in my own life and career. I ventured into some new areas. 2022 was a foundational year for me.
What were the new areas you ventured into?
I am now doing a lot of productions; being a cinematographer, a video editor and an actor. People will be seeing more of me as a director and a writer this year. I have always been doing wedding photography, cooperate video, post production supervision, documentaries, editing animation, writing for Television, social media, consulting in Agriculture. I have done a lot of those things before now. A lot of people around me know about the things I engage in. I am also behind some of the things you see on television, but a lot of people may not notice. In 2022, we restructured a few things, how the character will come out in a fresher and more matured way for the fans. A foundation was laid for all those aforementioned things. So, expect more feature films from my team, more smart comedy on YouTube and other streaming platforms. We are in talks with distributors, writers, and production teams. I am also in yet to be released movies that are coming to the cinema. There are a whole lot out there. I had an international collaboration where I wrote for a project. Like I said, expect growth, more TV series, more original contents from me, more evolution in terms of characters etc. They will see more characters that they have not seen before, my comedy series is in longer format. I started in 2012 doing full time content creation for comedy, then the job interview series. But now, we are evolving the character – what the character looks like now, has he gotten the job? As an actor and comedian, I still get requests from a lot of my fans, they tell me that they miss the good old days when they used to watch my series. So we are trying to see how we can make that appeal to the younger generation with more trendy things in terms of social commentaries. I am very heavy on political satires and social commentaries. I tend to have some people of a certain demographic in mind when doing social commentaries. I will do more in grooming the Gen Zs in front of the camera and behind the camera too.
When did it occur to you that you can make money from comedy?
I never intended to make money by making people laugh. It was not my primary goal. Value addition is my driving force. The pure joy of seeing people happy when I do something that I enjoy. That is very important to me and not the monetary reward. If money comes in the process, that is a double blessing. If I wanted money so bad, I would have been doing something else, but I just love to see people happy. The world is full of pain, fear and depression so it is important to be happy. The whole world can do with more joy and laughter, and I am happy to do that. I literally changed the course of my journey to what I do now. If I wasn’t doing this, I would have ended up as a research scientist doing molecular genetics in an international laboratory. Finding the cure for cancer or other genetic disabilities, but I saw the response and support from those who enjoy what I do, and I don’t take it for granted. When money started coming, I was surprised because I didn’t know if I was good or not. I have always done it for fun. But I have been very careful about my jokes so that I don’t make people boring or offend them but to peel the mask off the society by telling them hard truths that would wake them up about politics, relationship, faith and life generally, so it is a delicate balance.
Was there ever a time you thought of quitting, perhaps, when things did not go the way, you expected them to?
I always say that you should not venture into a career path if you are looking for accolades. Do it because it makes you fulfilled. I didn’t go into skit making because I wanted people to clap for me. I went into it because I genuinely enjoy making it. I love the creative process of making skits, not because I am waiting for the approval of the audience. Their approval is an icing on the cake for me. I also watch my skits as well so that it can remind me about the personal lesson. If you do something because you genuinely love it, it will not become a burden and you will not want to quit.
You had a short fling with journalism. Do you see yourself going back to it one day?
I worked as a Journalist for Network News 24, which was CNN’s partner. We were trained by a group led by the former Vice President of the Cable News Network, Kent Stephen. I still have a very good relationship with my colleagues till now. Most of them are doing well out there. Once a journalist, always a journalist. I love journalism and what they do. You have to appreciate the fact that it may not be the most lucrative job in Nigeria, but it is a noble profession. It takes a lot of guts and perseverance to practice the profession in Nigeria. I do not see myself as a retired journalist. I see myself as a citizen journalist, we all have to hold ourselves accountable. We have to hold our leaders accountable as citizens. The problems come when our leaders are not held accountable, there will be chaos and things will turn upside down. It reflects in my tweets. I also try to create balance, which are all elements of journalism.
Will you at any point put your degree in Animal Genetics to use?
My first degree was in Animal Science from Olabisi Onabanjo University, I majored in Animal Production. I went to the University of Ibadan for my Masters in Animal Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture. My Masters has been one of the greatest blessings to me because it expanded my scope of the fundamentals of reproductions and genetic transfer or heredity in life. I love genetics that is why I studied it and I have utilized the knowledge I learnt in everything. First of all, it makes me realize that as a content creator, that little, tiny things come together to make the whole piece. I am very conscious of the little, tiny details in everything that I do, the tiny genetic molecules that make up the content of things people do, their attitudes, their defenses and reactions. I have been consulting for people in Nigeria and outside Nigerians who want to establish agricultural businesses in Nigeria. Many times, the ideas are not even paid for, but it is my contribution to make the country a better place. I have a community of people that studied agriculture, so I use the connection and background to help people in their business. I also have a community of agriculture enthusiasts that I bring together on Twitter where we talk about common problems in Agriculture, how temperature affects agricultural produce, things to do for people in bird rearing businesses. I put our forum together, make them into broadcasts and videos and put them on YouTube and other platforms. I am also doing an agricultural documentary series that we are going to put out very soon. A lot of people will learn from it. Those are the types of things I am using my knowledge to solve.
Now that you’re enjoying fame and fortune, do you plan on going for a PhD?
I don’t know about finding fame and fortune because it can be relative. I don’t take it for granted when people greet me outside anyway. I am still interested in furthering my quest for knowledge because I am still passionate about it. That is why I don’t just create any content. I love to learn. I believe everyone should have a quest to learn. It is only a hopelessly arrogant soul that would reject knowledge. I am very open to do my PhD when I find the right topic to research on. About two years ago, I went to my former school to try and start my PhD but some of my lecturers and course mates couldn’t believe it. I am open to it very soon but it will not disturb my acting and every other thing that I do.
Aren’t you gradually turning into a jack of all trades?
Some of the greatest men in the world that made some powerful things that we enjoy today were jack of all trades. A lot of them were writers, inventors, composers, scientists, artists, philosophers. A lot of the greatest minds were not doing just one thing. We have been erroneously put to think that we can only do one thing per time to succeed. The fundamental is getting something from the beginning to conclusion. Women are wonderful creatures, they can multitask, and men also have their specialty in what they can multitask in too. You can go as far as what you believe you can do. Sometimes, we are limited by our own expectations. I try to live beyond my own expectations. It’s just one world I came to, I have determined to express and explore my potentials to the fullest, not holding back anything. It requires careful planning though because we all have 24 hours in a day. It’s about how we plan and use them. I don’t do all at the same time, sometimes I take a break from one to attend to the other.
How many languages do you speak?
Not a lot, I speak Yoruba excellently well. I speak English with a bit of excellence too. I can say that I am comfortable with it. I am comfortable with Hausa and French as well. I have a passion for languages. Some people are gifted when it comes to learning languages. I had to learn French because I love the sound of the language. I went to a book shop and I bought a French language pack. I studied it every day, an hour before I go to bed and also for about an hour in the morning. I did it for 30 days. I was casually passing by a radio and heard a French program. I discovered that I could understand what they were saying. I even answered a quiz question, I called in with my father’s phone and I answered the question in French, and I got the prize. That was in 2000.
How did you come about your gestures and mannerism?
Observation, I observe people a lot. My parents, family and friends, people that I watch on television. Acting is art and art imitates life. Every character we are told to portray as an actor is supposed to imitate the real person in life. If the audience watches it, they should be able to recognize the person you are imitating. Why do we remember all the characters you see in your favorite movies, it is because they consciously or unconsciously remind you of someone, maybe in your childhood or adulthood or even in your area.
How were you able to coin the name Frank Donga?
My birth name is Olakunle Idowu. I am from Oyo State, Ibadan to be precise but I decided to come up with a character that will not represent any tribe in Nigeria. It doesn’t look Igbo, Hausa or Yoruba. You will have to wonder where he is from. That was my intention anyway. It was just me trying to pick a name that didn’t sound like any particular tribe. I wanted it to appeal to people who are not Africans. I wanted a first name that was easy to pronounce and remember. Something that would not identify with any tribe. I played with many names in my head until I came to Frank Donga.
You once said you are a shy person. How were you able to overcome that in order to make people laugh?
Who I am now is out of necessity because I realized that I have a gift which I enjoy tremendously. When I was growing up, I used to keep to myself a lot. I always try to be alone. I had to work on myself, learn how to talk in public, and look over people’s heads in the crowd. I give public speeches with ease now; it is like second nature to me now. But I used to be very shy.
Do you see yourself engaging in stand-up comedy anytime soon?
Before acting, I had done Mc jobs. Those are the type of things that stand-up comedians do but I am yet to explore going with prepared jokes to an audience just to make them laugh. I don’t have to prepare for my jokes, I am more of a spontaneous person.
What are the things that can be done to make Nollywood a better creative industry?
It may not be fair to compare Nollywood to other industries because of the way we started. We started with our folklores, people gathering around the fire to tell and enjoy stories. That was how our storytelling started. We must not forget that our culture has an influence on how we tell stories. Our story telling follows our pattern of making loud jokes with a lot of laughter. We need to have a way of having our own identity which will define our story telling. Our story telling is new and peculiar to use though there is need for improvement. Even abroad, there are changes. The way stories were told and presented ten years ago is not how it is presented now. I don’t have a formal education in film making but I read up for myself to learn and improve on my craft. We need to constantly learn and add skills in knowledge. We can all learn to do better. The structure can improve, we are coming from a background where someone does almost everything. Though I must say that we don’t have the kind of structure and investment other countries have. Funding is another aspect to look at. I think it will become a cliché to continue talking about funding, it wouldn’t take us to where we are going. Knowledge and skills are more important. There is a science on how to make good videos, there is a science on how to use colour, fabrics to tell stories with characters. The more we understand that science, the more we can increase our production value to international standards. I think we are evolving but the more we take interest in learning, the better we become. Most of the studios we are trying to compete with have their own film village. For example, Universal studio is an entire neighborhood. I have been there before. They can have a whole street and design it how they want. Make fake buildings which will appear real. Of course, it requires a lot of funding to get there. Most of them over there are paid well, they don’t struggle with electricity, noise pollution and more. We are getting there. Even if we invest so much money just to meet international standards, do we have enough cinemas or enough people to pay for the movies? Some Nigerians feel they don’t have to pay to watch what they can easily download or stream online. People in Nigeria don’t like rewarding creativity, as long as you have some people feeling that way, how will investors make back their money? So, it is encompassing but as I said, we are evolving.
Which among the things you are involved in is your favourite and why?
I am not sure there is anybody in my condition that will be able to answer that question. It’s like asking a man who his favourite child is. It is difficult. I am a multi-faceted human being and I enjoy life in all facets. I chose to enjoy every single thing that I have done. There is a purpose for each and every one of them. All of them are equally important.
How was growing up?
I grew up in Ibadan, Oyo State. I don’t put my personal business out there. Judging from those who have put it out there, fans will not be satisfied and will want more. It will put pressure on me. My personal struggles and victories should be for me alone. Growing up in Ibadan was fun. I have good childhood memories. My parents are retired teachers. They inspire some of my skits. My father is the king of sarcasm. My mother has the most thought-provoking poker face that I have ever seen. My mother is a character, she is extremely loving, she has taught me how to give, to be self-motivated and how to create balance in life.
