Blessing Lung’aho: My friends protect me from online bullies

Blessing Lung’aho is a talented actor, TV commercial model, storyteller, and fitness enthusiast. Born in Uasin Gishu County, Blessing attended Kakamega High School before joining the Catholic University of Eastern Africa.

Blessing has appeared in several local and international TV commercials and starred in popular Kenyan television shows such as Netflix series Country Queen, Zora, and Untying Kantai. In this interview, he talks about the challenges that come with being a celebrity, and how he refused to let his academic background limit his dream of becoming an actor

1. What did you study in school?
Everyone in my family excelled in school. I have four siblings and including my mother, we have 27 degrees. My mum is a professor who believes in working hard in school and getting a sustainable nine-to-five job. The first time I was on TV, I was extremely happy and excited, and she called and asked me if I was working from an office. I said, “It's called a set,” and she said, “That is not a job.”

I feel like art is like a curse which you can't run away from. It will find you in whatever age you are. I studied accounting in school and I wanted to work in a bank, but God had other plans for me. I have been in the industry for 14 years. I used to act when I was younger, but I didn’t expect to continue into adulthood. 14 years later, I’m still here. The industry is growing. I have the opportunity to play different characters every day. I can also dramatise tough roles. I’m not struggling to get gigs, which means the industry is expanding. 

2. Tell us about the role you are playing in Untying Kantai...
First, I am honoured that God has allowed me to showcase my range in this new role. I am playing “Rob” in the series, and I don't want people to confuse it with my real-life persona. I don’t think there’s any similarity between my acting roles and who I am. In some of the roles, I really have to put in a lot of practice and take a lot of guidance from the directors because I’m not perfect. I get on set, rehearse and do my best.

I can’t wait for my mother and my fans to watch this show. My mum always said I had no talent, but in this instance I did my best. Funny enough, right now, my family is my biggest support system. They go above and beyond to support me.

3. Acting is what you do most of the time. How do you unwind and detach from the various characters you portray?
De-roling for me means watching films. I sit in my house for days watching other actors, and that helps me get away from the characters I have played. I don’t have a specific method, I usually like sitting idle for a while. I ignore phone calls and disconnect from everything. And yes, acting takes a toll on me. Every character I have ever played takes a piece of my soul.

For example, in Untying Kantai, this new role of a rogue cop is not me at all. He doesn’t walk like me, he doesn’t talk like me, he doesn’t do anything that I do, and for me to be comfortable doing those things and having to go home and be me was a bit challenging especially the first few days. And when I finished shooting, it was even tougher bringing myself back.

4. How do you handle social media pressure, and what is the worst thing anyone has ever said about you online?
As a public figure, I’m vulnerable to pressure, but I deal with it by disconnecting. Trouble doesn’t find me when I’m offline. I’ve never been affected by social media pressure because I’m not online most of the time. I understand that being a public figure has its challenges. If you pray for rain, you can’t run away from the mud. I don’t know what has been said out there about me because I didn’t go looking for it.

I have my circle of friends and they always protect me.

If you insult me online, my boys call me and tell me not to go online. I don’t know and I don’t care. I don’t even know anything bad about social media because it has opened doors for people like me to put my craft out there.

5. Can you share your experiences with auditions, particularly in instances where you didn’t get the role? 
I have seen it all. I have auditioned for roles and failed. I have also been denied roles I hoped to scoop. When I started, I used to make like Sh6,000. Over time, I realised that all the rejection I faced at auditions built up, leading me to doubt myself and develop anxiety. In our industry, there are no structures to share these anxiety stories. I needed to work on it, and even today, I actively manage it. When I get overwhelmed, I know how to handle it.