'Pepeta' star Brahim Ouma speaks on bringing characters alive

Brahim Ouma is a 21-year-old expressive actor. His work has primarily been in TV commercials and independent films. He is adept in bringing characters to life through voice acting, and is passionate about consistently improving his craft. He has featured on Showmax’s Famous as DJ XXTRA, and has had cameo appearances on shows such as My Two Wives on KTN and Maria on Citizen TV. He is currently the lead actor on Pepeta, a show about the dalliance between football and crime.

1 You are currently starring in your first lead role. How was that for you? What was the audition process like? Were you shocked when you got the part? How did you prepare for it?
Learning about the character was exciting. The challenges he faced while pursuing his dreams were somewhat similar to what I was going through during my audition. There were so many great actors auditioning for the part, and I was honestly afraid of not getting it. Only a few friends reminded me not to doubt my potential. Still, I was shocked when I got the role. I read the script and consulted great directors on their perspective of the character. I also used my personal life experiences and struggles to bring the character to life.

2. You work on Pepeta with so many brilliant actors. How did you feel, being on set with your fellow actors? Did your friendship make the job easier? Who did you personally admire the most on set?
Those actors were helpful, which was humbling, especially because most of them have already done so much for the industry. First and foremost, I am proud to have been on the same set with them. It was like a family, and I think it shows on the screen. The chemistry wasn’t forced. I mostly admired my director, Vincent Mbaya. He always has a way to make complicated scenes much easier to shoot, for both the cast and crew, which is very admirable.

3. As a budding actor, are there any other parts of filmmaking that you would like to explore, such as cinematography, art direction, continuity or directing? Why?
I have already experimented with lighting, alongside my director friend Eugene Muigai, when we worked on a documentary together called Everything is not okay, which was also selected for different festivals. A lot of thought goes into producing a film to bring out the themes and emotions one wants to convey. Other than acting, I plan to venture into cinematography for a series we are working on this year. It is another project that I am hoping will put the Kenyan industry on the international map. I’m looking forward to how the audience will receive it.

4. Do you see any parallels between sport and crime? What was it like to meet the person you were playing in real life? Do you think you and him are alike in any way, or completely different?
Yes. I have always pushed myself to be better, just like great sports athletes usually do. I was not born rich, so I was tempted to get into crime early in life, like most children in my neighborhood. But I instead chose to focus on self improvement and doing the best I could. Although it has not been easy, I can say I am on the right path. The only difference between me and my character is that I chose to completely stick to my talent, and follow my dreams.

5. What role would you like to play next? What hopes do you have for the Kenyan film industry?
I like to challenge myself artistically, so all I can say for now is that the next role I’ll play is something most people won’t expect me to play, so watch out for that. I hope we watch our own homemade productions. We have great directors, scriptwriters, and actors in Kenya. If we don't love and support our own, how do we expect others to?