Mikael Melo went viral on TikTok after he created videos parodying the Ontario government’s response to the pandemic.
The Cambridge native's video showcasing him dressed as an Ontario government worker answering a hotline has amassed more than 70,000 views. Since then, Melo has become a producer at Entertainment Tonight Canada and made an appearance on the Crave show 1 Queen 5 Queers.
How has your life changed since you went viral?
So much has really changed for me; TikTok definitely opened a lot of doors. I was on the TV show 1 Queen, 5 Queers. So, that was like a super fun experience to be on, especially as someone within the LGBTQ community. Now, I'm currently a digital producer with ET Canada, so I would say a lot of doors and career opportunities kind of opened after my discovery and love for content creation on TikTok.
How was your experience on 1 Queen, 5 Queers?
It was absolutely incredible. It's crazy to think back because I think we shot it in like June or July and we shot for like six hours, so it's incredible to kind of see how they are able to condense six hours and beautiful conversation into this really great jam packed 35-minute episode; but it was such a good experience. I loved all my cast mates and incredible team. It was definitely a highlight of my 2021.
You were talking about body image on 1 Queen 5 Queers. Has this been something that you’ve struggled with historically?
I've spoken out about body image for quite some time. In university, I did a body positivity project called Body 365, where we shot 365 different people stripped down as comfortably as they felt as they described their body insecurities. I think for me, I've always been super hyper-aware that, like, no matter who you are, it doesn't matter what you look like. Everyone kind of faces some sort of insecurity with their body, and to be able to be one-on-one and talk about a topic I feel so passionate about with such an incredible opportunity — especially intertwining with like queer culture and what it means to be queer and body image — is great.
You wear a lot of different hats as a content creator, TV host, writer and actor, where do you see your career going?
I've always loved the idea of a buffet-style career. I don't think I'll ever want to be just like a one-trick pony. I like wearing multiple hats and having different things. So my dream would be being a talk-show host of some sort, but also having a Netflix comedy special and producing on the side and having projects in development. I think for me, I want to be taking on multiple projects and exercising all of my passions and skill sets because I think, you know, as humans, we aren’t one dimensional. So, I want to kind of reflect that in my career as well.
What kind of TikTok content do you plan on creating once the pandemic is over?
Politics will always be a topic for comedy. I definitely think I'll still touch on Canadian politics and Ontario politics, especially with the upcoming provincial election. But I also just want to do everyday life comedy and touching on things that are timely, like being single for Valentine's Day or re-gifting a Christmas gift or things like that. Even right now, I'm going to dive into a lot more generic comedy for people from all walks of life.
