Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
Veteran Nollywood actor Peter Fatomilola has recounted how skit maker and actor Debo Adedayo, popularly known as Mr Macaroni, surprised him with a ₦1 million payment for a single scene in a film that also featured veteran actor Pete Edochie, despite the fact that the two men had never negotiated a fee.
Fatomilola shared the experience in an interview with African A-List, also known as AfricanaList, while speaking about his experiences in the entertainment industry. According to him, the gesture followed an earlier encounter at a film location in Fiditi, Oyo State, where he had been invited to shoot two scenes. The production team paid him ₦50,000 for the job, a sum he described as inadequate. As he prepared to leave the location, Mr Macaroni approached him. “He asked, ‘Uncle Fat, are you done?’ I said yes, and that I was leaving,” Fatomilola recalled. “It was just two scenes. He escorted me to the car and said, ‘Let me give you money for fuel.’ The money wasn’t less than ₦200,000. The person I came to work for paid me ₦50,000”.
That encounter was not the end of the story. Mr Macaroni later invited Fatomilola to feature in another project in Lekki, Lagos, without discussing a fee. When the veteran actor arrived on set, he discovered that he would be acting alongside Pete Edochie, a fellow Nollywood legend. “What I saw was Peter to Peter — Pete Edochie and Peter Fatomilola,” he said. “We both did the film, and he said we were done. He said I had satisfied him.” Before the day was over, Mr Macaroni gave ₦100,000 to Fatomilola’s son and ₦50,000 to his grandchild, who had accompanied him to the set. Fatomilola said it was at that point that he began to suspect he would also receive money, even though no fee had been agreed upon.
The biggest surprise came after they left the location. Fatomilola was still in Lekki when he received a credit alert. “We never negotiated. So, we left. We were still in Lekki. I asked how much he sent. One million naira,” he recounted. The payment, for a single scene, was more than twenty times what the producer had paid him for two scenes in Fiditi.
Fatomilola’s account has drawn widespread attention on social media, with many Nigerians praising Mr Macaroni for his generosity towards a veteran actor whose career spans decades. One social media user noted that if Fatomilola had rejected the ₦50,000 job, he would have missed out on the opportunity to work with Mr Macaroni, the ₦1 million payment, and other opportunities that followed. Another praised Mr Macaroni’s character, saying, “When someone has a good heart, it reflects in all their works of life and the people they cross paths with.”
The story also highlights a persistent grievance among veteran Nigerian actors about inadequate remuneration. Fatomilola’s disclosure that a production paid him ₦50,000 for two scenes underscores the gap between the contributions of industry elders and the compensation they receive. His willingness to accept the job despite the low fee, and the unexpected generosity that followed, has been framed by many as a lesson in humility and divine reward. As one commentator put it, the episode was “another lesson learnt” about the value of patience and the unexpected doors that humility can open.
Mr Macaroni, whose real name is Debo Adebayo, has built a reputation as one of Nigeria’s most prominent skit makers and content creators. He has increasingly moved into film production, featuring veteran actors in his projects and using his platform to advocate for good governance and social justice. His decision to pay Fatomilola ₦1 million for a single scene without any prior negotiation has been widely interpreted as a deliberate effort to honour the veterans who shaped the industry he now leads. The film featuring Fatomilola and Pete Edochie, The Avengers of Nollywood, was shared on Mr Macaroni’s YouTube channel.
For Fatomilola, a veteran of the Yoruba film industry whose career has spanned several decades, the payment represents more than financial remuneration. It is an acknowledgment of his contribution to Nollywood and a reminder that respect for elders remains a cherished value in the industry. His decision to share the story publicly, framed as praise for Mr Macaroni rather than a complaint about the producer who paid him ₦50,000, reflects the grace and humility that have defined his long career. As he put it, the gesture stood out to him, and it is one he will not forget.
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