I was a Medical Lab Technician before Moving to Comedy, Skits: Mr Aloy’s Speaks on Rewarding Career
Between the two galloping sides of life, Emmanuel “Mr Aloy” Chinedum Okonkwo has found his voice in the sea of destinies, sailing through the odds to become a household name in highly-competitive Nigeria’s entertainment industry.
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For the medical lab technician-turned-actor, comedian — and now skit maker, life was not a bed of roses at the beginning. He was born into a family of three, lost his mother at a tender age and grew up in the open arm of close relatives.
Source: Original
But as a resilient dream pusher, he did not allow his upbringing to take him off the track of purpose. He can be referred to as a child of destiny, having run into different paths of life only to find his purpose in a sector built on glitz and glamour.
In 2007, he graduated from the Anambra State College of Health Technology as a lab medical expert. He then moved to Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre, in 2008 in search of a life beyond the testing kits of the medical lab.
“Moving to Lagos, I had to leave my comfort zone and open a business that imports medical laboratory equipment and offers services. Funny enough, the N300,000 I used to start the business was initially planned for my visa to Europe. Thank God that it did not work out. I wouldn’t have been impacting life the way I am doing if I had moved out,” he to LEGIT.ng in a conversation.
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With a strong academic certification in medical studies, Emmanuel’s initial plan was to taste new water in Canada. But having been discouraged, he later started acting in church. It was there he found his purpose after his pastor told him to commercialise his talents.
Finally, delving into acting
Emmanuel joined Nollywood, having won in the body of Christ from the church, and started going for an audition in Surulere, Lagos. It was there she met top stars in the industry.
“I paid my dues. If you see anybody doing well in the industry by kickstarting their career from the audition, they have paid their dues. The industry is not a playground, not for fun, as some people say. My first movie was in 2011. I worked in the industry for more than two years before I got my first N2,000,” he added.
Coming in as a comedian in the industry was not that smooth, especially for Emmanuel, whose mentor was the legendary Usofia. But a life-changing experience came when he got featured in the movie “My Kiss and I.” It was there he got the name Mr Aloy, a pseudonym inspired by his grandmother's husband.
The movie, which was meant to be a one-time production, later became a series widely accepted by the audience.
Mr Aloy became a household name in the process.
Navigating skits and role as an actor
With the skit-making finally taking over regular movie production in Nigeria, Emmanuel began looking into that direction, though his fans suggested it. They wanted more from him. But for someone whose faith is deeply rooted in the church, there was a hindrance: the skit industry is dominated by a clear obsession for bosom “bumbum (backside)” which contributes to female sexuality.
“I started my skit with bumbum and bosom. But you cannot survive with it on Facebook. My page was flagged and my monetisation was removed. I started coming up with ideas, meditating on how my work can be more impactful, like reminding people of how they can take care of their parents.
“When my first shoot came out, it went viral, and I started receiving commendations. Before I knew it, people started following us —not because of “bumbum” this time.”
Emmanuel’s decision to switch from the bosom and bumbum content was rewarding. People now learn from his works apart from getting entertained. With a wonderful team, including skit writers and other people who help interpret some assigned roles, production is easy, though it is not all fun.
Skit making finally paying off
The difference between Nollywood acting and skit-making is that the latter is massively rewarding with just a little effort. Within some years after Emmanuel switched to skit on Facebook, he was able to put money together and live the life he had always dreamed of —and even extend the opportunity to his workers and close allies.
His page, Emma Chinedum Comedy, currently has 4.2 million followers, while his Youtube channel boasts 29,000 subscribers. He is doing well also on both Instagram and Tiktok.
“I bought a house at Lekki with N115 million. It is not yaho yahoo, information is the key. Today, here I am. I thank god and the holy spirit for giving me the information,” he said, though it is easy to be a movie producer than a skit maker.
According to him, one must keep uploading content daily to keep and grow audience. Apart from this, one has to edit and develop ideas as fast as possible. The whole process is tedious and involves mental stress.
Juggling between work and family, man
Despite the demanding commitment required in the skit-making process, Emmanuel said he is able to navigate through the responsibilities of being a breadwinner, husband and father.
Emmanuel currently has two handsome kings and a wife who understands his job perfectly. But when he is not on set, Emmanuel said he loves spending time with his family.
On Emmanuel Chinedum the comedian and the real-life personality, the ace comedian said he does not mix his work with pleasure. He may be a comedian to his fans, but his personality in real life cherishes hardworking and self-discipline.
“I am a very serious-minded person. I don’t mix business with pleasure. My team knows that. Last year I spent over a million naira hosting my team. That’s a pleasure. But when it is time to work, I am always serious.” he emphasised.
The many sides of Mr Aloy fans may not know
Not many people know that Emmanuel Chinedum Alloy is a certified medical personnel. Off the screen, he is still into his medical laboratory business. Apart from this, Emmanuel is equally a “very strong Christian.” who does not joke with his faith. His faith reflects in his works.
“I don’t joke with the things of God. In my skit, you will never find me using sounds like “Jesus”. I cannot make mockery of God, Holy Ghost fire because I want to make a skit,” he said.
Emmanuel has many movies to his name and many skits, also. He said his craft is unique because his works are always channelled towards making impacts, rather than the fun side of it alone.
Source: Legit.ng
