ACTSCENE: Clifton King’oo - I was conned a lot before I got my break
Clifton King'oo describes his entry in the entertainment industry as hell after what he went through before getting his first big break. PHOTO| FILE
What you need to know:
- “After I paid him, he told me he would let me know when I would go for my audition. I never saw him again and he never returned my calls,” he says.
He describes his entry in the entertainment industry as hell after what he went through before getting his first big break. Clifton King’oo Ng’ang’a thought being an actor would be easy but what he encountered shocked him.
The 22-year-old told ActScene that he has always loved acting and because of that passion and his dream to entertain people he started going for auditions in Nairobi while still in high school.
“I used to travel to Nairobi during the school holidays for auditions while I was still living up country,” said Mr King’oo.
He recalls how one day he got a call from a well-respected person in one of the top shows in television. The famous person asked King’oo for a bribe.
“I was at home and I got a call from him and he told me he had something lined up for me. At that moment I did not have the amount he wanted, so I told him to give me a few days and I would go to see him,” narrated King’oo.
He adds that he requested his grandfather to give him any manual work as long as he would pay him. His grandfather told him to dig a cesspit which he did and then took the journey to Nairobi.
“After I paid him, he told me he would let me know when I would go for my audition. I never saw him again and he never returned my calls,” he says.
That however, did not kill his dream. In 2013, he met Wilson Muirani, popularly known as Jaymo ule Msee, and after he narrated his story Jaymo gave him a chance on his popular web series show. He admits it wasn’t easy because for one year, he never made any money.
King’oo now plays as one of the main characters on the show. He has also appeared on several commercials and he is now learning how to write scripts and direct under the guidance of his mentor Jaymo.
Asked who the person who conned him is, and whether he returned his money, King’oo says he has forgiven him.
Apart from acting, he has started a digital marketing agency and looks forward to being a content writer and producing his own shows. He is still single, but at the moment he has no time for a relationship because of his busy schedule.
