Zimpapers Logo

Arts Reporter

comedian and athlete Gracious Mangei, who is affectionately known as Dan Grego in the arts fraternity, says life as a celebrity is about luck. 

Born and bred in Karoi, Dan Grego delved into the comedy industry when he was in Form Two at Vuti High School and his journey to fame was not easy.

It took him over 20 years to introduce himself to the world. 

Luckily, he rose to fame in 2022 when he joined forces with Zim Talent Films on the two seasons called “Nherera” and “Takunda that were streamed on ZBCTV. 

In an interview, the 40-year-old comedian said fame had a positive and negative impact. 

On the negatives, Dan Grego said now he feels shy to usepublic transport like boarding a commuter omnibus because the public expects him to drive his car. 

“So many people think that it’s a must for a celebrity to have a car, you can have fame without money.” 

“Now I cannot feel free to join a queue to board a commuter omnibus because people will laugh at me,” he said. 

Dan Grego also lamented that as a celebrity he cannot walk freely in the streets as he is always in the limelight as many people would want to follow his movements. 

“In the streets, you cannot walk freely, I love drinking beer, so now my challenge is if you go to a pub many people would expect you to drink expensive beer. 

“Even going shopping it is now difficult because many people would expect you to buy fancy things. Just imagine if you could be pictured buying a half loaf of bread, that picture would go viral and I would be mocked by the whole nation,” he said. 

On the positive, Dan Grego said that through comedy you can put food on the table by monetising social media platforms like YouTube and Facebook. 

“Our main advantage as comedians, is we are feeding our family through that trade, if you have more viewers on your social media pages you can pocket a decent amount of money. 

“YouTube pays US$1 200 to US$6 000 for 1 million viewers, meaning that if you work hard and have millions of viewers, you cannot starve,” he said. 

Other than monetising social media, there are also endorsements which are now a major cash cow for so many comedians. 

“My work as a comedian has helped me to get some endorsements from big brands like the ZB Bank, Stanbic Bank, and also Bakers Inn. 

“Through those endorsements, I have managed to buy a new car and also a residential stand in Harare,” said Dan Grego. 

He advised any comedian in the game to balance his/her life so that he can earn a living by not being famous only. 

“As comedians we must utilise our fame very well, not just have it without any benefit. 

“The negatives should be limited than the positives and you can enjoy your life as a comedian,” said Dan Grego.