From the newsroom to acting: Mark Masai's dream comes alive in detective role

As a child, Mark Masai always wanted to be a policeman or an army guy carrying a cool gun and catching the bad guys. He may have ended up as one of Kenya’s top news anchors on prime time news but he’s finally living his childhood dream, albeit a fictional version of it, in the Showmax crime drama Faithless.

Making his acting debut in the 10-part series, Masai plays Detective Henry, the meticulous strait-laced detective who is determined to catch the elusive and ruthless crime lord Cain (played by Aleks Kamau). For Masai, this opportunity couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. “The call to audition for Henry came at a time when I was considering exploring acting and I couldn’t believe the great coincidence.”

He shares more about moving from the newsroom to acting, a journey that he says is not about to end soon.

Is acting something you’ve always wanted to do or was it a spur of the moment decision?

Acting has always been a passion of mine. Actually, before getting into the newsroom, which I had trained for as a journalist, I had already dabbled in the world of acting. That is how I got my connection into TV (news).

Has celebrity status made it easier or harder in getting roles?

I see it more as a pro and cons kind of thing where anyone in the sector would be taking a bet with me as a news brand. Given my career as a journalist and news anchor in the public eye, it would be a plus in the eyes of some producers. However, some may struggle with whether the audience would ‘accept’ me.

Did being a journalist and being in the spotlight hinder your acting career?

I graduated from journalism school and landed my first job in radio. Even from my time in college, I had my eyes on the world of performance. While at Classic 105, I got a role in a play and one of the cast members (shout out to Wavinya) used to work at NTV, knew of a vacancy, told me about it, and I auditioned (did a screen test). The rest is history, as they say.

How do you plan your time and juggle the many things you are doing now?

One of my main duties these days is public relations. It was not easy but I think the team at Professional Marketing Services have been very supportive. I really am enjoying and learning from my role there as PR director. The Live Eye production team (shout out to Sally, Dinah and Eli) also accommodated my “prima-donna” tendencies when the call-sheet almost clashed with my work schedule. Family time was the tough one and I am grateful to mine for understanding when I needed to be at a shoot on a Saturday or Sunday. But to answer your question, balance is the challenge. It can get a tad overwhelming but somehow you can tilt some things to find the balance.

You already had a brand while on TV, have your new gigs had an impact on the brand? And if so, how?

If anything, this new role has added to my brand. People are pleasantly surprised that I can dabble in the acting space. Once a journalist always a journalist. That will never change.

You recently left the mainstream newsroom and pivoted into PR. How’s that going and will we ever see you in the newsroom again?

Public relations is in many ways fused and related to the news cycle as they complement each other. It’s just that PR is more back-end. I’m loving all the learnings gained and in store. Will you ever see me back in the newsroom? Once a journalist, always a journalist, so you never know, be it local or international media. For now you can find me on The Social Newsroom, a flagship show under SemaBox Africa.

You describe Detective Henry as a straightjacket detective. What are some of the things you had to do to nail this character? Any research on real detective work?

One of the first things I did was watch the detective series Derrick; it’s an old show that used to air on KBC a long time ago. Then I watched the legend Denzel Washington in Training Day because I love how he captured the good-cop, bad-cop balance in the movie.

Any skills you learnt from the newsroom that came in handy for this role?

I’d say the art of bringing words on a script to life with the appropriate intonation, pauses and expressions.

Was it daunting to venture into acting and play this character for the first time? And now that you’ve walked in Detective Henry’s shoes, was this the right project to make your acting debut?

It was more of an exciting experience for me. The daunting or intimidating part was being on set with some of the best talent in the industry. It was an absolute honour. As for whether it was the right project, the good detective finds solutions and follows the rules, something we can all aspire to in whatever space or career we are in.

Your character Henry makes his debut in episode two. What has been your family’s and friends’ reaction on the role?

Many friends did not see it coming or expect that I had an acting bone. Some are even shocked that I can speak Swahili. My family has been supportive and happy about this new TV ‘character’ I have assumed.

How about you? Have you been watching the show as it comes out? Any thoughts?

I watch every week an episode comes out. It is quite weird for me to watch myself but generally I am in awe of the professional standards Kenyan producers, directors, actors have assumed.

What would you say has been your biggest lesson about acting after this project?

It is not an easy job. So much work goes into making a scene what it is. I have learnt to be true to my character as he is part of a bigger story because making my character a success makes the storyline a success and supports the collective success. It takes a team effort.

Does acting pay?

Yes, it does. I however feel even as an entry, the terms can be far much better. The cast and crew really put in their time to make Faithless a great production. They give their best to the audience and that deserves a pay rise.

Will acting be a long-term career for you?

Thanks to this Faithless role, I have already gotten other invitations for other roles. I think I have a bright future in this and will enjoy it for as much as my life course allows.

My outlook: life is an act; we are all presented with different stages to perform. Don’t limit yourself to just a career, be open to the opportunities aligned with your passions (and oft times your greatest fears). ACTION!

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