I’m More Of An Actress Than Comedienne – Kemi Ikuseedun

Content creator cum actress, Kemi Ikuseedun, also known as ‘Mummy Wa’, speaks with SHADE WESLEY-METIBOGUN about skit making and its attendant challenges. Excerpts:

How did your journey into acting begin?

My journey into acting started in the church and my school’s drama group. I got my first Christian movie role from the church. From there, I got hooked on to acting. Later, I started creating content because the auditions I attended didn’t take me far. It wasn’t really easy for me. Out of like 10 auditions, I probably got one or two movie roles. It was really crazy out there. It is still crazy. So, I started shooting movies with my cell phone, I started with monologues, just doing monologues on Instagram before I started posting normal comedy skits.

2022 must have been a fantastic year for you. How would you describe your experience?

2022 was very interesting for me. I started doing a lot of things that I had always wanted to do. I will say that it was one of my best years. I made new friends, connected with old ones and I was able to achieve a lot of other things. It was indeed an incredible year for me. I don’t know how this year will turn out, but I am hopeful that it will be a very good one as well.

Were there things you wanted to achieve and you couldn’t last year?

I think I was able to achieve all that I set my heart to achieve. The things I couldn’t achieve were planned for 2023.

What are your plans for this year?

I don’t want to blow my trumpet. Let us just wait as things unfold. People will see it as it unfolds.

When exactly did it occur to you that you could make money from skit making?

I think it was when fellow skit maker, Debo Adebowale, a.k.a Mr Macaroni, started using me for the ‘Mummy Wa’ character. But the truth is that I am not really into comedy. Mr Macaroni is always saying that I should infuse comedy in what I am doing. I think I am more of an actress really.

Did you at any time think of quitting because you felt you should be more involved in mainstream acting than skit making?

Many times. Sometimes I feel that I am not where I am supposed to be, that I am not doing as much as I am supposed to. You will probably just feel like quitting. As for me, once I sleep and wake up, I just move on as if nothing happened.

How did you meet Mr Macaroni?

We met when I was acting in my estate. I had started my own YouTube channel then. He saw me in my costume and invited me for a shoot. He insisted that I come in the same costume. That was how it all started. While we were on location, he called me ‘Mummy Wa’ and I also responded by calling him ‘Daddy Wa’. That was how we started using the name.

How has it been working with Mr. Macaroni?

It has been really beautiful for me. I’m forever grateful to him. I’m happy that I’m still working with him. The journey has been beautiful and I’m so happy to be a part of it. God bless the day I met him.

What are the challenges of being a female content creator?

A lot of women are not really seen in the industry. It is only a few that are visible out there. Maybe it’s their idea or maybe people don’t connect with certain contents we put out there. Speaking for myself, I will say that I don’t really have any challenges because I work with Mr Macaroni and for myself as well. Life is good.

How do you cope with advances from men?

I think it relates to all ladies. It’s a normal thing. We are coping. I just say thank you whenever they make advances at me. As a woman, if you don’t receive advances, you might be worried a bit about yourself because they are part of the life of a woman. On a serious note, it is not about being rude to men; it’s a way of appreciating you. So the best thing to do is thank them, except the person is going beyond his bounds.

You have acted in ‘Fate of Alakada’ and a few other movies. When should we expect to see more of you in mainstream acting?

The truth is that I try my best to put out some acting videos to create more visibility for my acting skills. At least more producers can see and recognise my passion for acting. Hopefully, 2023 will be a better year in that regard.

A lot of people believe that the content creation industry is a get rich quick place with the way skit makers buy cars and build houses. What is your take on that?

I think it is the people in the oil business that get rich quick. I believe that whatever you lay your hands on, God will bless it. There is nothing like quick money. As for my colleagues who showcase material things, such as cars and houses out there, most of them have been in the industry for a very long time. They have been putting in all the hard work right from day one. Some of them have spent more than five years in the industry. They have been acting for more than five years, creating content maybe for one year, so you can’t really say it is quick money, no. They have been there for a very long-time hustling. There are some content creators that came into the industry just last year. They are there now, hustling and putting in the hard work. If in the next three years, they start displaying their material wealth, some people will say that they made it overnight. I feel that when you have something and you are happy about it, you can flaunt it. It all relates to your personality. Some people want to show off what they have and there are some people in the corner of their houses that are just thankful.

What is your opinion about the content creation industry?

I think we are trying. Most of us are hustlers. We are actors. We have been going for auditions as often as possible. It is acting that brought most of us into the content creation industry. More than half of us are actors.

Don’t you think the industry needs stakeholders to regulate it because of sex for roles allegations and other controversies surrounding it?

I think it is a general thing, though I also believe there should be a regulatory body, but those allegations happen everywhere. In the movie industry, some directors and producers ask for it. It is not just content creation, it happens everywhere, the banking sector inclusive.

If not content creation, what would you have ventured into?

I would have been an Accountant or a lecturer.

Are you planning to make use of your accounting certificate anytime soon?

Yes, I use accounting even in this content creation that I am doing. As regards management and accounting, I feel that they are general things that you will always need in every field. I am already using it for my personal business as well.

What is your relationship with other content creators and who are you looking at working with?

I have a good relationship with all my colleagues. We all love each other. I look forward to working with almost all of them.

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