Kenyan teenager plays role in Nollywood movie
She is being branded as the first Kenyan woman in the United Kingdom to act in a Nollywood movie. PHOTO| COURTESY
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Tamira, who has lived in the UK since 2003, appreciated the experience.
“Now that I have acted with the West African stars, it still feels unreal to me because when I was little I would always watch Nigerian films with my mum and to actually be the one acting on it, I wouldn’t describe as luck but a blessing,” she said.
For Tamira, acting in Ibu and Adauku in London did not come without difficulties.
She is being branded as the first Kenyan woman in the United Kingdom to act in a Nollywood movie.
Eighteen-year-old Tamira Margaret (right), a daughter of UK-based gospel artist Rachel Njeri, played a role in a new Nollywood movie, Ibu and Adauku in London.
She told Lifestyle how it all started.
“Acting is something I have loved to do since I was little and I started participating in it when I went to my high school, Manning (Comprehensive) School for Girls, which was a performing arts school,” she said in a telephone interview. Tamira added: “I took part in my school shows, Cinderella, Wind and the Willows, Hairspray, and The Wiz.”
Tamira explained how she came to feature as Wendy in Ibu and Adauku in London, which was shot in the UK.
“It was because I saw an advert for an audition on Facebook, but I only wanted to audition for the hairdresser part. I then auditioned and later that day I got a call saying that I got the part,” she said.
But one week later, she got another call. “I was told the character that was supposed to play the part of Wendy wouldn’t be able to make it for the day we were shooting the film and we were tight on time and because they thought that my audition was really good, they asked me to play the part” she told Lifestyle.
APPRECIATED THE EXPERIENCE
Tamira, who has lived in the UK since 2003, appreciated the experience.
“Now that I have acted with the West African stars, it still feels unreal to me because when I was little I would always watch Nigerian films with my mum and to actually be the one acting on it, I wouldn’t describe as luck but a blessing,” she said.
For Tamira, acting in Ibu and Adauku in London did not come without difficulties.
“The most challenging part about the film was because the person who was supposed to be Wendy dropped out last minute, I had to learn the lines of the character Wendy the day before the shoot which started the next day at 5 a.m.,” she said. “Overall, it was worth it.”
According to the teenager, acting will still be a part of her future.
“I am currently studying at the Nottingham Academy sixth form and when I’m done, I plan to go to the De Montfort University [in the UK] and study drama,” she said.
