Casting bias limiting Kenyan actors according to industry insiders Shirleen & Isaboke

In April 2025, actor Dedan Juma went viral after urging casting directors to consider him for roles beyond the gangster character he has been repeatedly assigned.

Audiences adored him, but casting directors boxed him into one personality. His experience ignited conversations across the industry about how Kenyan filmmakers often recycle familiar faces for familiar roles.

That same frustration echoes in the stories of actress and filmmaker Shirleen ‘Shish’ Wangari and fellow creative Isaboke Nyakundi.

Speaking to Celestine Ndinda, the duo said the acting pool may be full of talent, but outdated assumptions continue to shrink opportunities instead of expanding them.

An Industry that Loves familiarity - Even when it hurts it

Shirleen Wangari’s career began with promise, theatre, international projects, and spots on major productions.

Yet, when she tried to transition into certain local roles, she found herself repeatedly overlooked. The problem was not her skill, it was perception.

Initially, I couldn’t get cast locally because producers had preconceptions about me.

Those assumptions, often made without auditions, locked her into a particular identity based on past roles or industry gossip rather than her actual ability.

This pattern is common. Casting directors frequently choose comfort over curiosity, relying on faces they already associate with specific archetypes.

It makes casting easier, but creatively lazier. That tendency reduces actors to one dimension and restricts the industry’s growth, especially when the same faces appear in similar roles across dozens of productions.

The silent cost of being a ‘known face’

While being recognisable seems like an advantage, it can work against an actor. Dedan Juma’s viral frustration wasn’t just personal; it highlighted how being known can become a creative prison.

Similarly, Shirleen’s experiences show how industry bias can shadow an actor long after their breakout role.

Typecasting also affects pay, because actors cannot negotiate from a position of diversity if they’re viewed as replaceable in their lane.

It forces creatives to adapt rather than evolve, often pushing them towards producing or writing as a form of escape. Shirleen eventually realised waiting for local casting directors to see her differently was futile.

“I had to take matters into my own hands, produce my own work, and invest in my projects,” she said. That pivot came not from ambition alone but from necessity.

Isaboke’s parallel reality: New faces, same biases

Interestingly, the problem affects newcomers too, just in a different way. For Isaboke Nyakundi, the issue wasn’t being cast as the same type of character, but not being considered at all.

“There were times when even my scripts or ideas weren’t valued,” he explained. The rejection didn’t come from his lack of versatility but from an industry that defaults to the familiar, leaving emerging talent fighting for visibility.

While Shirleen battled preconceptions shaped by her earlier work, Isaboke collided with preconceptions shaped by his lack of perceived status. Both forms of bias come from the same place, fear of risk and discomfort with newness.

Shirleen and Isaboke’s latest film is stepping into the festive spotlight just as Kenya heads into the holiday season.

'Cards on the Table' A Christmas movie, a nostalgic, character-driven dramedy set in 1992 Nairobi, will make its world premiere on 29 November 2025.