Ejetareme Ajotubu
Michael hails from Isoko-North in Delta State. A graduate of
Mathematics from Delta State University, the petite statured Ejetareme
is plying as a standup comedian. He speaks briefly to X2 on his trade.
Why the nickname Big Mickey?
When I was in
school my friends preferred to call me Mickey-Do , it is coined from my
name, Michael. I was using the nickname whenever I go for events until
I heard a colleague in school, who was also a comedian, bearing that
same name. And because I didn’t want to be under anybody’s shadow and I
needed to create my own brand, I changed my name to Big Mickey. I
remembered the first event where I used that name; as I was introduced
on stage at Ekpoma as Big Mickey, people were expecting to see somebody
big until I stepped on stage. They saw me and started laughing. That
was when I knew the name will work. And it’s really working for me.My
height is indeed an advantage.
Why did you decide to entertain?
I went into
entertainment because I am someone that loves fun and enjoy making
people happy. While in secondary school, I really couldn’t face a large
crowd despite the fact that people love staying around me. I just
couldn’t explain why, the fright left me when I got to the university.
People were expecting so much from me because they see the likes of
‘Aki and Pawpaw’ in movies; so they wanted me to start acting.
I remembered
vividly the first time I performed in front of a large crowd. It was in
2003 at a hall week in my school hostel. I was in my 100 level then and
some friends came to me and said I must do something on stage for the
audience. I was so tensed up that day that I almost rejected the offer;
not knowing that would be the turning point for me. The moment I was
called up on stage, people applauded me to the point that I felt like a
superstar, even though I really didn’t know what to say at that moment.
But with the cheering I got, I was encouraged and I made them laugh.
And that was how comedy all started for me. I would say school prepared
me for the world.
What should your fans expect next from you?
They should expect
a Big Mickey comedy show very soon among other things. Presently, I’ve
featured in two movies. The first one wasn’t that successful because it
happened then while in school and it was not well marketed. The second
one, which I co-starred alongside Sam Loco Efe, happened recently and
is yet to be released. However, standup comedy is still my focus.
You know there is a way people think around here, they may say
because Akin and Pawpaw are acting Big Mickey too wants to act. But it
is not like that; I just enjoy entertaining people. However, I still
love comedy to be my focus. My fans should visit www.bigmickey.com.ng
for more on what’s next for me.
