Acting pays my bills: Mugambi Nthiga

I assume you had amateur acting gigs before landing your first professional project. Is there any specific difference you saw between amateur acting and what the professionals did?

Definitely. Although being a "professional" doesn't necessarily make one a better actor, we know a little more. We're more efficient, less afraid, and we've developed an instinctive knowledge on how the camera or stage works.

The downside is that we can get a little familiar with our work, and it ceases to hold the wonder it did when we were starting out. It's necessary to stay foolish.

Did you have to break the news that you were going into acting as a career to your guardians?

Yes, I had to tell them I was leaving the advertising industry to pursue acting full-time.

How did you break it to them?

I introduced the idea slowly, and invited them to participate in the decision with me. I'm still glad we did that, because I need their moral support constantly.

What is the best project you have worked on up to this moment, and why would you consider it your best?

Nairobi Half Life holds a dear place. We were aware that we were working on something special. It was a first feature for most of us. The mentors were excellent, and every single person on set (and in post-production afterwards) was committed to making it an unforgettable experience.

You have made consistent and regular appearances on the screen from 2010 to-date: Oh-Bama and New Beginnings in 2016, Stories of Our Lives in 2014, The Buni Comedy Series in 2013, Nairobi Half Life in 2012, Changes in 2011-2012. You must be feeling like you are on a stable course...right?

It's never, ever stable. Not with industry models changing the way they are. We still haven't recovered from the shift of viewership culture from TV screens and cinemas to computers and phones. And we're still reeling from the proliferation of digital TV and YouTube.

This is not just a Kenyan thing. It's global. People want to be entertained, but they have unprecedented access and control. It's a brilliant thing, but it makes our base a little unstable. You have no idea how many times it feels like I'm starting over again.

Every creative person has their own (quirky) way of getting ready for their work. You know, to get into the zone. What's yours?

I listen to music (a select four or five songs) and meditate. You can do all you want to get in a certain mood or head space, but when the cameras roll, you become subject to the technicalities of shooting. You have to hit marks, and remember lines, blockings, actions and notes. The important thing is to keep delivering authenticity in every take. To me, music and meditation take me there.

In order to bring out the best in a part they are playing or the best out of the character they are playing, actors are known to go to extreme lengths in some cases. What is the most extreme thing that you have done in order to bring out the best in a specific project?

The final episodes of Changes Season 3 had my character get arrested and put in solitary confinement. To play him, I secluded myself from people for a few days, which was prudent because I forewent showers. In another role, I had to drastically lose weight - a depressing juice fast, going off carbs all the works.

I didn't get the role, but the madness worked and I dropped a few kgs. The guy who ended up netting the role was perfect.

You are part of the movie industry in the country and continent at the moment, what do you really want from the industry (glory, fame, wealth-that kind of thing?)?

I want what most Kenyan actors want but have little access to: unforgettable work that challenges us to be better practitioners and better humans, and audiences to enjoy that work. That's what defines a great career. The money and fame are stand-ins. They satisfy, but in a very different, very impermanent way.

Do you have an actor you aspire to be like, why him?

Al Pacino. Every time. Even when he's terrible, he's brilliant. There's a truth and depth to him that makes him legendary. His monologue in 'Scent of A Woman' still gets the waterworks going.

You get lots of attention from the ladies...Yes? How do you handle it?

Yes, the attention shows up. It's not something to "handle" as such. It's all good times, really. The thing I am most appreciative of is that I never feel like I'm starting a conversation from scratch. Conversations start from when I was on some random screen somewhere. We just pick it up from there.

What three qualities do you look for when choosing a relationship partner?

You make it sound like I do it all the time... Not good. But here goes: a good heart, intriguing intellect and a Phylicia Rashad anytime.

You are a widely traveled man. What is the best city you've been to-what was so special about it?

New York City. There is life and colour coming at you from everywhere. It's the only city, other than Nairobi, where I've truly felt at home. And I never even lived there.

If you were not an actor, what career path would you have preferred to take?

Teaching, maybe? Or cliff diving.

What does Nthiga do when he comes across a challenge?

He runs in the opposite direction, procrastinates for a while, then makes a desperate attempt to face it, to varying results.

Have you started living the flashy movie lifestyle yet? Can your earnings handle it?

Haha! I could live that life for a couple of days, tops. Flashy movie lifestyles are left to politicians, their henchmen and their children. Most of the rest of us are faking it. I couldn't afford to do it even if I wanted. But the day is coming.