‘Why I don’t do skits on social media’

One of the fast-rising comedians rocking the South-West is Dr Smile. No event is complete without his presence, either as a guest or master of ceremony. With over 15 years on the job, Dr Smile has carved a niche for himself and says he wants to keep getting better. In this interview with SEGUN ADEBAYO, the chubby comedian speaks about the journey so far and how he hopes to keep staying relevant.

You have come a long way with your brand and style of comedy but it seems you are being underrated. Does it appear to you like that?

You know my perspective about life is quitedifferent from what any other person might see or understand. For me, I believe that if you jump, you will definitely land. If you handle your career well, when you get tired one day, God will lift you. I always believe in God’s time. That, to me, is the best time. I am enjoying the progress I am making with my career; it might be slow but not stagnant.

 People rate you well for your good contents. How hard does it come to create new contents?

It’s not easy for people like me who create reality and relatable jokes. Trust me, turning real issues to joke is not a joke at all. It is something that you have to take very seriously but it is also not as hard as it seems. But when the inspiration flashes, I just pause and make good use of the moment. I don’t let the moment slip by because you may never regain it again.

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 Looking at the standard you have created for yourself in the last five years, can you say you have got to the stage where you no longer need to struggle to create new contents?

I have been doing this for over 15 years, and despite the number of years I have spent on the job, creating jokes does not come easy; it’s a lot of hard work and reasoning. As you grow on the job, the zeal and hunger would ultimately reduce. As they always say, that comfortability is an enemy of creativity. Some jokes will come easy and some come hard like rain in the dry season.

 Fifteen years on this job, are you truly living your dreams or merely surviving, as some of your colleagues would say?

Sincerely, I am living the best of my dreams. I enjoy what I do because I make the decisions and I have the time to myself. Surviving is part of my dream and I will keep surviving.

 How successful has your brand been and what do you see about the journey of the last 15 years?

I am neither rich nor poor but I am very comfortable. I am happy that I can take care of myself and I am grateful that I can also take care of my family and even those around me. I contribute to the lives of others around me meaningfully and this gives me so much joy. Richness to me is not millions I have in my bank accounts; it is about the number of people I can touch positively with what God has given me. I always tell people I lived one year repeatedly for 10 years, but not wasted years because it was a learning experience for me.

 What exactly pushed you into comedy?

My journey into comedy was accidental, but a divine arrangement. It started at my sister’s birthday and the master of ceremony disappointed her. I was forced to anchor the event since the real anchor (person) failed to show up. I did some random jokes then. After the event, I was called to anchor another event which turned out to be the one that event which opened my eyes to the talent I never knew I had. The rest is history today.

 They call you the Abeokuta comedian like they call others Lagos comedians. How has this affected your rise?

People call me Abeokuta comedian because of where I am based, not by the virtue of the delivery or standard of my jokes. It will interest you to know that I charge higher fees than the Lagos comedians. I also work more in Lagos. Odunlade Adekola is based in Abeokuta and still rules everywhere; same with Yinka Ayefele, who has been in Ibadan and has done well for himself despite the Ibadan tag they attached to his name. I think things are fast changing and people are beginning to see that it does not matter where you are coming from or where you operate from, as long as your delivery is great and you are loved by the people, nothing will stop you. As a matter of fact, a majority of the clients are not aware that I am based in Abeokuta.

They call you Dr Smile. What brought about the name?

It was coined from my real name Olunwapamilerinayo and the doctor attached to it was a mistake. I wanted to make a business card, so I told an old friend to make one for me. Then, I was known as MR SMILE, but the guy was busy at that time, so he gave the job to another guy, who made the mistake. He added DR instead of MR. When he delivered it, I was mad at him but people around said it’s better than Mr Smile. Since then, I have stuck to the name

 Let’s talk about your show and how it is fast gaining momentum. What do you make out of it and how big has it become

The idea of the show came six years ago when I was coming from AYLlive Show. I stopped at interchange to ease myself, then I noticed over 10 cars left Eko hotel with me. So, I decided to create a brand that will give them what is close to what they get in Lagos. To the glory of God, it’s getting better and bigger. We are not close to where we want to be, but success they say is a journey and we are ready to ply the road.

 The industry is expanding by the day with every comedian making efforts to outshine one another. How are you making sure you are not left behind in the race to be on top of your game?

Nobody can take my shine and I can’t take another man’s shine. My style of comedy is different and there can never be another me. Three things will keep a man on top of his game all the time: hard work, more work and grace of God. With these three, I am unstoppable.

If there is something that makes you sad about the structure and the players in the industry, what could that thing be?

The only thing that saddens my heart is that the industry is full of hypocrites and lack of genuine love. I have seen situations where the young colleagues will pray that the older ones have a bad day at their job. It is so demoralising. This is not peculiar to comedy industry alone, but the comedy industry is crazy

You don’t do social media skits like some of your colleagues..

I don’t do skits. I don’t belong to that school of thought I can do it, but not because everybody is doing it.. I do my thing my way.

What would you say has sustained your brand till this moment?

I don’t listen to hearsays. When you give too much of your time to what people will say or may say, you are likely to be sad because you are likely to always wait for them to decide your flow. That to me, is recipe for failure. I focus on my job and how to get better at it. I also try to be real to myself. I tell myself the truth and respect the elders .

 You have appeared in a couple of movies too is acting something you really want to do?

Acting is something I do at my leisure time I love acting and I sincerely will love to be part of those who make it happen there. It is my second love.