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MARVELOUS Nakamba look-alike-actor and comedian, Gracious Mangei, says people often mistake him for the Luton and Warriors captain.
Better known as Dan Grego in the film sector, the actor believes he has a lot to offer for the industry.
H-Metro’s Trust Khosa (TK) had a one-on-one interview with the actor (DG) and he opened up about his career. Read on…
TK: How do you feel when people mistake you for Marvelous Nakamba?
DG: At first it was awkward to me but I have since accepted it. To be honest, I didn’t know that I was Nakamba’s look-alike until I met him in person when he was still playing for Aston Villa.
He took a photo of us together and I was humbled by him.
TK: Are you still in touch with Nakamba?
DG: We used to talk a lot until I lost my phone which had his contacts. As a mature person, I have realised that there was a need for me to respect his privacy. From the few moments I had with him, we had fun and I still keep our photo.
TK: How best can you describe your craft?
DG: I describe myself as a complete actor. Of course, I do skits with others but I feel I am just a complete actor. If you call me a comedian it would be a plus to me.
TK: Can you tell us when you venture into acting?
DG: I started in 2020 when I was auditioned by Timothy Tapfumaneyi, better known as Timmy of the Timmy na Bonzoi series. He wanted to shoot a film and I easily passed the test. It’s quite unfortunate that we did not proceed to shoot the movie. It was during the same time that I got an opportunity to feature for Zim Talent TV which was owned by Pfugari Properties in 2021. I also featured in the film Nherera Volume 1 and 2 which was shown on YouTube. My doors opened when I was featured in another television production called Manyara and Mujolo as Dan Grego.
TK: What is your vision?
DG: My vision is to change many people’s lives through acting. For instance, I have featured in several productions including Dear Natasha, which I acted with a UZ student and it got 100K views within two days. We tackled serious issues faced by students and, to me, that is part of my vision to change many lives using my talent.
TK: How is your relationship with other comedians?
DG: Well, I can safely say I get along well with others. I have done productions with the likes of Mai Jilimbi, Comic Pastor, Comic Elder, Gamu, Bee Wezhira, Mukoma Nijo, Redhikurasi, Mbuya Pearson, Lorraine Guyo, Mama Vee only but to mention a few.
TK: What have you achieved in film?
DG: My biggest achievement is that I have managed to build a big fan base with more than 8000 subscribers on YouTube. I have managed to acquire some cameras that we need for our job but I can tell you that we have been doing most of these productions using a cellphone.
Online Reporter
