A Kenyan actress is following in the footsteps of Oscar Award-winning actress Lupita Nyongo as she curves a name for herself in Hollywood.
Grace Wacuka Njoroge, 26, recently featured in a US film dubbed A New Christmas Film. She has also starred in short films, Say Anything and Before and After.
Daily Nation, on Friday, December 3, highlighted the New York-based actress' story, reporting that she idolised Lupita Nyong'o and rose from a humble start, acting in various theatres in Nairobi.
Wacuka, in an interview with NTV, detailed that she started acting without pay at the age of 14 and that her childhood became difficult after her father succumbed to alcoholism while she was 10.
"As a family, we have always struggled, especially after my dad died. I was raised by a single mother and while in secondary school, I had to figure out how to afford my fees," Wacuka disclosed.
The young actress' mother, at times, quarrelled her whenever she raised the issue about following her dream. However, all that changed when Lupita made a breakthrough in Hollywood.
“I am really appreciative of Lupita because, without her, my dream wouldn’t have been validated. For long I said I wanted to be an actor and a musician but my family would ask, why? But when Lupita succeeded, people started saying, ‘you can do it'," the Precious Blood Riruta Secondary School alumnus stated, adding that her mother opened up and supported her.
She went on to disclose that earlier on, her family pressured her to pursue engineering. She landed a scholarship after high school and flew to India to study.
"I didn’t actually do well in theatre while in India because there was a lot of writing, so I didn’t think that I could be an actress.
"Parents should support their children. African households look down on arts, which is a big mistake. Most parents squash the dreams of their children," Wacuka protested.
She later realised that she was also talented in singing and currently plans to release a song every month.
"I will be releasing songs monthly and my first song is Drift, a hip-hop song that’s an invitation for people to join me in the journey I have started," Wacuka informed.
To ensure her path was successful, the actress attended various training in notable schools such as American Theatre Wing, Eugene O'Neill Theatre Centre, Smith College and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts.
