Chinonso Ukah popularly known as Ada Jesus or Non Miraj is an actress, skit maker, content creator and brand influencer. Within the industry, she has worked with popular comedians and actors such as Kanayo O. Kanayo, Broda Shaggi, Zicsaloma, Peruzzi, Denrele Edun etc. In this interview with Weekend Magazine, Chinonso narrates her experience on her journey to stardom.
Weekend Magazine: Have you always wanted to go into comedy?
Nons Miraj: Not at all. It was something that overtime just came. When you notice people are interested in your craft, you are encouraged to do more. My dream had always been acting but when I saw people responding positively to my skits, I decided to go into it full time.
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WM: What’s the story behind the character you portray?
Nons Miraj: In my family church as a child, I used to act a lot. My sister was given the angelic roles while I was given the mean roles like a bad step-mother etc. I had the facial expression, loud voice and charisma for it. So, I was always playing the mean roles and people often called me Patience Ozokwor. In the process of breaking into the industry, I took up many personalities which didn’t sit down well with me and then I remembered I was good at playing mean roles so I took that up and pushed that personality as my brand.
WM: Did family and friends ever try to talk you out of comedy?
Nons Miraj: Not really but my dad tried to talk me out of acting. They saw how much I strived to be an actress and kept reminding me how actresses aren’t married and often get divorced and all other sorts of things. I had already received enough backlash for wanting to be an actor so when I ventured into comedy full time, they saw nothing to complain about again because in their opinion, I was just trying to make people laugh while making ends meet.
WM: In Nigeria, comedy is a male-dominated field, how does it feel being a female comedian?
Nons Miraj: I just go with the flow. I won’t necessarily tag myself a comedian instead I’d prefer to say influencer and content creator. However, the beautiful thing about the skit making world is that there’s no bias. It’s an open ground for everyone to come in and showcase their talents and characters whether you’re male or female. As far as you’re giving a good performance, there’s room to excel.
WM: How do you come up with content for your skits?
Nons Miraj: Well, sometimes I like to watch horror films, sometimes I watch old Nigerian movies and that’s where my inspiration comes from. Sometimes I also look around to see things that are happening and what people can easily relate to and then put them in my skits.
WM: What do you enjoy most about comedy?
Nons Miraj: What I love the most about comedy is that I can be me, I can be anything I want to be without being judged. I can decide to be like a mad person and no one will castigate me for what I’m doing.
WM: How much did you charge for your first paid skit?
Nons Miraj: For my first paid skit, I charged N50,000 and then I started N100,000 and the price just kept going up from there.
WM: What’s your approach to negative reviews about your work?
Nons Miraj: Like they say whether negative or positive, every publicity is publicity. Even if people speak bad about my brand or the work I do, it not only drives conversations around my name but also gives me room to improve myself and put out better work.
WM: Is there any celebrity you’d like to collaborate with in the future and why?
Nons Miraj: Yes of course, I will like to work with Patience Ozokwor, Genevieve Nnaji, Omotola Ekehinde and Mercy Johnson. I admire the work they’ve done so I hope to collaborate with them soon.
WM: Asides comedy, what other profession would you like to explore?
Nons Miraj: Well, I’m already a business owner. I have a lot of businesses I run but people don’t know they belong to me. I do that because I want the brand to grow organically rather than people patronising because it’s me. So, if not comedy, it’s definitely going to be business because I have a lot of business ideas.
WM: Are there any new projects you’d like to disclose to your fans?
Nons Miraj: Yeah, I have a few things I’m working on at the moment but can’t disclose them yet. I’m still trying to put some structures in place but when I’m done making plans, then I’ll reveal it.
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