Blessing Lung'aho opens up on his role in Igiza and plans to venture into comedy

Celebrated Kenyan actor Blessing Lung’aho has revealed that he is now ready to make a debut in the comedy industry after successfully rubber stamping his name in the film industry.

According to the talented actor, he wants to push himself out of the comfort zone and try his hand in comedy because he believes he is funny.

“For years I’ve been trying to convince people that I’m very funny. I would love to showcase this funny side on screen because you’ve all seen variations of my dramatic acting. Now if I get a comedy role, I'll get to show you guys how much range I have,” Blessing Lung’aho said.

Actor Blessing Lung’aho Actor Blessing Lung’aho Pulse Live Kenya

In only three years, Blessing Lung’aho has made a name for himself with his roles in two of Kenya’s most popular telenovelas - Maria and Zora.

Recently, he made his debut in Showmax original thriller series Igiza, where he plays the character of Dom, a role that is different from what he is used to.

Launched in May, Igiza follows Serah Ndanu as Linda and Nicole, twin sisters caught in an unending bitter war.

Lung’aho’s Dom stands on one side of this sibling rivalry as Nicole’s accomplice, the man on the outside who helps her set her plans in motion.

His mother Salome (played by Sheila Ndanu, Maria), is serving a life sentence, and is Nicole’s ally in prison.

Actor Blessing Lung’aho Actor Blessing Lung’aho Pulse Live Kenya

“His mother was wrongly imprisoned. And because of that, she had to give birth to Dom in prison. He (Dom) has lived his entire life trying to vindicate his mum. So we start the story when he has finally come up with a plan that might actually work,” Lung’aho says.

This plan starts with Nicole escaping from prison and taking over Linda’s seemingly perfect life, with Dom as her connection to the outside world. Both will stop at nothing to take back what they’re owed.

“The most interesting thing about playing Dom is that he’s a very motivated individual. You know how all of us just want to make our mothers proud. That’s it for him. It’s exciting playing someone that driven,” Blessing Lung’aho stated.

Showmax hosts exclusive screening of Igiza at Nairobi Street Kitchen Showmax hosts exclusive screening of Igiza at Nairobi Street Kitchen Pulse Live Kenya

“He's the only guy whose integrity is firm. If Dom tells you to do something, you’ll do it,” he says.

Before he got this role in Igiza, Lung’aho had just wrapped playing Sarah Hassan’s wealthy heartthrob in Citizen TV’s beloved telenovela Zora.

Dom is a new challenge for him and he admits; “It’s unlike anything I’ve played before,”.

“The stakes are very different between playing Alejandro in a telenovela and being Dom. In a telenovela, the worst thing that can happen to my character is that he won’t find the girl in the end. So the audience experiences this world through my emotions and through the romance that is supposed to happen, the will-they-won't-they,” Lung’aho posed.

In Igiza, the stakes are very high because, at any point (spoiler alert), anyone can die. So every second counts, unlike in a telenovela where the story can be stretched.

One of his preparations for the role was to gain weight to fit into what the director, Abdi Shuria, had in mind.

“I was a bit skinny and toned at the time because of being Alejandro but the moment I wrapped that role, I have been eating nothing but chips, breakfast, lunch, supper,” he reveals.