My comedy’s to help youths overcome fear of job interviews – Frank Donga

With a Twitter followership of over 15,000 and equally large fan base on Youtube, Facebook and Instagram, Kunle Idowu is the man behind ‘Frank Donga’ of  the hilarious The Interview skit. In this interview with KUNLE FALAYI, he speaks about his social media fame and how it all started

You have an unusual style of comedy, when did you make your first comedy and what was it about?

I have always loved comedy. I would say I started from making comic books and selling them to my classmates in primary school. I would sometimes stand in front of a mirror to draw myself making a funny face. Later on, I started making short animations and videos. It is difficult to remember which is the very first but the one most people know is The Interview series that I created sometime in 2012. The first episode was published on YouTube in May 2013.

 What inspired The Interview?

My personal experiences and those of my friends and family inspired The Interview. I was with two of my very good friends – Femi Bamgbetan and Mohammed Atta – when the idea hit me. I shared it with them and they could not help laughing uncontrollably. Together, we plotted how to shoot the very first episode. Before then, I had always thought about making educative comedy videos about the struggles of the youth in Nigeria.

I knew how much fresh graduates dreaded job interviews. I have always been aware of how much many Nigerians feared visa application interviews. It made me very sad to see people get rejected at interviews because of poor preparation, low self-esteem and poor communication skills. I believed I had a recipe that worked well for interviews and I wanted to share it. This is the recipe: One, do your homework and find out as much as you can about the job or company you’re going for. Two, be honest, don’t lie about your qualification, experience or skills and don’t say what you don’t know because you will look silly. Three, be very calm and confident when you answer questions at any kind of interview. Look straight into the interviewers’ eyes. Be in control! They can’t eat you. It is just a chat, a job chat. I am very passionate about youth empowerment and entrepreneurship. I wanted to do something about the high rate of unemployment in the country. That is the driving force behind all the skits.

 What was your course of study in the university?

 I studied Agricultural Sciences and majored in Animal Production for my first degree. I also have a Master’s Degree in Genetics.

Were you known for comedy in the university?

Oh, yes! My classmates can testify to that. I would constantly do impressions of my lecturers and friends just to amuse the class. A very good friend and classmate of mine, Yomi Banjoko, was my accomplice. We perfected the art of mimicking our lecturers together. The whole class would be in tears watching us imitate the gestures and voices of even our most feared lecturers.

 Did you imagine becoming such a big name on social media while in school?

 No, not at all. Back in school I thought I was going to be a farmer or a research scientist. Even when I started making skits, all I wanted was to “edutain” people. To help young graduates overcome the phobia of interviews and unemployment by some sort of reverse psychology through my style of comedy and humour. I had no idea things were going to turn out like this. I’m grateful to God and everyone that has been part of the success story, especially those that love and support my work.

 Which of your videos would you say was the most popular in terms of the feedback you got from followers on social media?

 When we started the skits, a lot of people said that they thought the Visa Application episode was real. It featured the very talented Folu Ogunkeye (Folustorms) as the interviewer. Many people also thought the Salary episode was real. It got a lot of people talking on YouTube. Then The Abroad Hustle episodes filmed outside the country came out and did very well. But when I wrote the first Instagram skit that featured another online sensation, Falz thebahdguy, it went totally viral.  I would say my Instagram and Twitter videos are more popular now. They’ve reached a whole lot more people.

What was the naughtiest reaction you got from a fan?

 I cannot say they were “naughty” reactions. They were just reactions of love. I have got several love reactions from fans. One of the most humbling one was when a female fan spotted me sitting with friends at a mall, ran boldly to me, pecked me, turned around and ran off.

 Do you handle the scripting of your comedy videos like The Interview alone or you get help from friends?

 I generally script and direct all my skits myself but I could not have come this far without the support and input of my very talented friends. I cannot forget Daniel Effiong and Seun Ajayi who are both excellent actors and producers. They worked hard to make many of my skits happen. They always had good suggestions and kept encouraging me to go on.

 Your videos make it evident you will make a good actor, any interest in pursuing that line of career fully?

 Yes, my journey as a comic actor has been interesting.  I have featured in sitcoms, movies and shows. One of such is The Wedding Party, directed by Kemi Adetiba which was selected by the Toronto International Film Festival, and Hakkunde, my first lead role in a feature. It was directed by Oluseyi Amuwa (Asurf) and features big names in the industry; Toyin Aimakhu and Ali Nuhu. I’m also working on my comedy television series that is going to be both entertaining and educative.

Have you ever actually attended a real job interview before?

 Yes, I have. Not only job interviews, several kinds of interviews too. My experience from them is what I sometimes use in my skits.

 Where did the name ‘Frank Donga’ come from?

Actually, I made the name up. I wanted something Africans and non-Africans could relate with, and that was the name that dropped into my heart. So, imagine how I felt when I met a Mr. Donga in real life. He flew in from South Africa to work on a project in Nasarawa State.

How long did you have to practise till you mastered your signature expression or is it something that comes naturally?

Those expressions are natural. I think it is a gift from God. They are mostly the facial description of the sarcasm going on in my head. Sometimes, I don’t even understand how or why my expressions make people laugh, I’m just happy it does make people happy.

How long does it usually take to produce each episode of your comedy videos

It depends on plot, location, cast, props and of course funds. It can range from a few days to weeks. That’s from planning to execution.

 What kind of reactions do you get from fans when they see you in public?

It’s always refreshing meeting people who like your work. Some tell me how much they enjoy watching my skits or following my social media accounts. Others smile or laugh or hug me. I appreciate all my fans very much.

Have you ever done anything apart from comedy?

I used to work as a journalist and news anchor. Now, apart from acting, I run a production company. People consult me to make content for web and television. I also make television commercials and do photography for different clients.

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