Debrah – I’m ready to take on the World

At 19 years old, Debra Attila Seruya, is ready to take on the film industry. PHOTO| COURTESY

What you need to know:

  • I’m a panelist in a weekly web series called Girl Talk led by Jaqueline Karanja aka Miss Nibs. It is a group of 10 women who sit and talk about problems which affect girls and women. The show is under the ENTV platform online.
  • I hope to have a film under my belt in five years. I’m a first year student. I’m majoring in Film production. Sometimes it gets frustrating to be directed while you have your own ideas but no one listens to you. That is why I want to write and produce my own film in the future.

At 19 years old, Debra Attila Seruya, is ready to take on the film industry. She was a regular on a television programme before moving to a web series. The Technical University student talked to ActScene about her passion for acting that began when she first stepped in drama class while in high school.

Immediately after high school, I joined Talanta Premier Africa which identifies, nurtures and promotes fresh African talent. That is where I honed my skill.

Professionally I started acting two years ago after I was called to appear on Jaymo Ule Msee’s show which used to air on K24. I did the show for a year. The network did not renew it so it went back to being a web series. Because of conflicting schedules we do not shoot as often as we used to.

I’m a panelist in a weekly web series called Girl Talk led by Jaqueline Karanja aka Miss Nibs. It is a group of 10 women who sit and talk about problems which affect girls and women. The show is under the ENTV platform online.

I hope to have a film under my belt in five years. I’m a first year student. I’m majoring in Film production. Sometimes it gets frustrating to be directed while you have your own ideas but no one listens to you. That is why I want to write and produce my own film in the future.

At Talanta, they have been teaching me how to script. I have so far written one script called Madam Chief, which people can watch online. Everything I have been doing has been online and I haven’t yet got any other opportunity to appear on another TV show. It will hopefully happen soon.

My dream is to be like Tyler Perry. I think what he does is genius and I hope to work with or alongside him one day.

I dream of one day attending the Oscars and representing Kenya with a Kenyan film shot, directed and acted by Kenyans.”

My parents are now accepting what I do. Before I had a curfew and I had to be home at a certain time which was frustrating because sometimes the shoot went on till late. But after I showed them what I was doing they started to support my work.

I am the first born in a family of four girls. Sometimes I think we might be excluding my dad in our conversations because the house is full of women.