T5 interview with Manasseh Nyaga

Photo credit: Pool

What you need to know:

  • I took a break because I was frustrated. I was getting too many auditions and no bookings.


  • I was in a phase filled with self-doubt. I also needed to sustain myself in this big city so I went into a different field for a while.


  • I came back after doing my personal mental health work, polishing my craft, and rebuilding my confidence.

Manasseh Nyagah is an actor. He was first cast as an extra in  the hit series Changing Times nine years ago, which set the ball rolling. After taking a break for two years in 2014, he featured in TV projects like The Trap House, Varshita, Uradi and most recently, Famous, which is currently showing on Showmax

1. You say you knew you always wanted to be an actor and in media. How did you know?
I knew I wanted to be an actor and in media because it is the one thing that really intrigued me while growing up – not sports, not gaming, just TV and radio. Upon joining school, I hopped into the Drama Club. I was part of the National Drama Festivals throughout primary school, and a part of the winning play twice.

2. How did you get into modelling? Is finding an agency difficult for models? Why do so many modelling agencies keep falling apart?
After joining university, a classmate pushed me to go for the Mr UON title in 2012. I took up the challenge. I emerged second runner up and got introduced to a bunch of modeling agents during this process, and on the day of the gala night. Finding a modeling agency is not hard. They are available even online. Look them up, reach out to them, and if you fit various categories, you get signed.

Agencies collapse when they stop bridging the gap between the client and the models. There is also the factor of weak sustainability plans, as well as models running away from agencies because of low pay and exploitative contracts. 

3. What made you take a break from acting for two years? What made you come back?
I took a break because I was frustrated. I was getting too many auditions and no bookings. I was in a phase filled with self-doubt. I also needed to sustain myself in this big city so I went into a different field for a while. That was way before I started hosting. I came back after doing my personal mental health work, polishing my craft, and rebuilding my confidence. All I thought about when going to bed and waking up, for the two years, was a career as an actor and TV host.

4. How are you finding the acting world now? Tell us about your latest production. What is it about? And what do you like best about it?
I love acting. The acting space in Kenya is now more vibrant than ever. There is a project dropping all the time. International markets are paying attention to what is happening here too! It’s exciting. My latest project is a TV series on Showmax called Famous. There’s a new episode every week. It is a musical drama following the life of an upcoming music star, and the hustle and bustle of the journey to stardom. I play Bob, a photographer known for his craft, who is the best friend of Kenya’s favorite female pop star, Nikita. What I like the most about it is that it is the first of its kind from this side of the Sahara.

5. What do you think of KFCB censoring films? Do you think films should be censored?
I think the board has its policies that are based on various things, and how they could affect a society. So, censorship is standard across the world, and it’s okay. Filmmakers should research and find ways to navigate compliance.

Actors can be supported best by their boards, through creating more platforms for craft polishing – like workshops, art schools and exchange programmes with international industries. Lastly, there should be a gazetted standard rate card that ensures actors live well off their craft.