Brenda Wairimu reveals how she performed in her KCSE exam

And when it comes to people who are able to portray a character beautifully onscreen a lot of people assume that they had honed their skills earlier, like in secondary school or church. But for Brenda, she landed into acting by a stroke of luck or thanks to cruel twist of fate, depending on how you look at it.

During her interview with ‘Talk Central’ Brenda opened up about how she passed her KCSE but did not make the JAB cut to pursue her career of choice. And so she had to abandon her initial dream altogether as she didn’t have the recourses to get on the parallel program. Fortunately, she got sponsorship to join USIU where she discovered her passion for acting while looking for some pocket money.

“I started acting in 2009/2010. The only ‘acting’ I had done beforehand was music festival, choral verses. I didn’t do drama. I joined then I pulled out because I was like ‘Eeh, I won’t have enough time to study, you know I was like a kachoppie. I was index one, and in Form 4 (KCSE) I was number 3 in Coast province so don’t just see me like this.” She revealed.

But despite passing her exams she couldn’t pursue her dream of being a vet as she didn’t make the JAB cut and didn’t have the resources to ‘do para’. “I really wanted to be a vet, I love animals. But I didn’t get called for what I wanted to do and I didn’t have the recourses for enrolling in the parallel program so I just went where I could. I got a sponsorship and I joined USIU where I studied International Business Administration and Journalism.”

While at USIU an opportunity to join the acting industry came. At first, she wasn’t looking to get into the industry, she wanted to make some money as she had no pocket money because her sponsorship only covered the fees.

“I was broke and I was on Facebook and saw an audition. I have always loved film and TV and when I watch them I am not just watching, I am looking at very tiny, fine details but I didn’t know that this is what I wanted to do. So that time I was broke since the sponsorship was for the fees so I didn’t really have pocket money or what not and I saw that they were auditioning for ‘Changing Times’. And I think I was more adventurous than I am now and so I went for the auditions and I spent an entire day there because like 800 people showed up. Some of the friends that I had gone with gave up and left but I stuck through it and I went into the audition room and yeah!” Brenda narrated.

Also Read: Why I left my show on Ebru TV- Brenda Wairimu

Her acting career was off to a rocky start as in her own words ‘she was a terrible actress.’ But ‘Changing Times’ producer Jennifer Gatero didn’t give up on her. “First of all, in my first acting job, I was terrible. I was bad, it was really terrible. I got better with time and that is why I will always be grateful to Jennifer Gatero. I don’t know what it is that she saw in me but I was supposed to be there only for a short while and she developed my character, she even gave me a family and I was like what? And that is how I started.”

Her role as ‘Shariffa’ in Changing Times opened more doors for Brenda as she landed more roles as ‘Lulu’ in Mali and as ‘Pamela Oyange’ in Kona and as ‘Dala’ in MTV’s Shuga.

She currently stars in ‘Disconnect’ which is possibly Kenya’s first rom-com and as ‘Monica’ in an upcoming show with the same name.