The changing but consistent face of Minne Kariuki

Bringing out a character in a TV show requires one to be the best version of themselves. An actor at work needs not pretend to be someone else, although this is the more common perception of the work of stage artists.

This is the maxim by which Minne Kariuki lives. The mother of one has been an actress for the last 10 years, and has mastered several nuances and tricks of the trade.

Her latest production is Single Kiasi, a drama series that premiered on Showmax last year, and is now in its second season.

Single Kiasi explores a strong bond of friendship between three women. The three maintain a tight friendship knowing that even if the world crumbles around them, they will always have each other’s backs.

Apart from Single Kiasi, Minne is also starring in Real Housewives of Nairobi, a reality TV show which is now the talk of the town.

Few people knew about her until she starred in Single Kiasi playing Maria, a sassy woman who has been nicknamed the “Queen of Shade” due to her dramatic character where she criticises and shows contempt to anyone who wrongly crosses her path.

Minne’s first appearance on screen was on a show dubbed Mnazi Lane, on Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, when she was only 18 years old. She later secured employment as a presenter at the station. This paved the way for her career, which she says has been a roller coaster.

“I have had a great time on the screen, but none of my roles or engagements was handed to me easily. I've had to fight for my space. I've auditioned for shows and got rejected, but I always looked forward to bigger challenges. Nothing is ever handed on a silver platter,” she says. 

Minne’s decision to get into the realm of acting was not received well by her mother, especially at first. She had to go against her parent’s will. She started looking out for auditions, and within no time she was on TV! 

“My mother was an actress, but only while in high school. Her career never took off successfully, and therefore she discouraged me so much. I now know that she just wanted the best for me,” Minne says.

“When she was in high school, my mother won the Best Actress title in the then Central Province Drama Festivals, but she never pursued her talent any further. Her parents didn’t think it was a rewarding career, and my mother believed it. I guess that’s why she was really against my decision to get into acting,” adds Minne.

“My second screen show was Tabasamu, which aired on Citizen in 2011, where I played the character Wivina. She was a 35-year-old woman, and I fit into her role perfectly despite the fact that I was just 18 years old. The show ran for four years while I was pursuing my undergraduate at the University of Nairobi,” she recalls.

This opened more doors for Minne. She went for more auditions where she got a chance to hone her skills and build confidence.

“It was until I played the Wivina that my mother made peace with and accepted my decision to create a profession out of acting,” she adds.

When Tabasamu was canceled in 2012, Minne didn’t know what to do next. She felt her career was hanging in the balance. She took a break and turned to business, as she had done many other times before. She notes, however, that even though she has managed several businesses successfully, turning away from her passion always ends up ‘haunting’ her, and she always finds herself going back. 

“Every time I take breaks in my acting career, I always feel a void in me which compels me to fill it. I usually feel so much more alive when acting than when I’m doing any other thing, and it's not just about the financial gains,” she adds. 

From her upbringing and family background, she had to learn how to make things work on her own.

“I had a tough life growing up. My parents separated while we were young, which forced me to be responsible at a tender age. I had to think of a quick way of making ends meet,” Minne says, adding that she had to work while studying at UoN to raise school fees. 

Among the places she found work was in a construction site, as a supervisor.

“I had to wake up very early in the morning because I had to be at the site before dawn. I am now glad that I have a supportive family. It makes it easier for me to pursue both my business and my career,” she says.

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