Peter Kamau – Find family and friends who will keep you grounded – Nairobi News

Growing up, Kenyan actor and media personality, Peter Kamau, never thought he could stand in front of an audience and speak publicly, but after High School, the man who wanted to be a chief, was humbled by life and changed his mind.

His first big role on TV was playing Mr Wanyama on Tahidi High and presently he plays Biko in the TV drama, Selina, which airs on Maisha Magic East.

Peter spoke to Nairobi News about his acting career, his love for family and his ambitions in life.

1. You never age, what is the secret? (Laughs out loud). I drink plenty of water and get lots of sleep. That is the secret. Basically that is all I do or I may have good genes.

2. Tell us about your background? I grew up in Kiambu with my grandparents. My grandmother is a big time farmer, so I grew up around a lot of animals. I’m a country boy. I went to Parklands Boys High School and later on I wanted to go to the hospitality industry.

In High School I actually did Home Science. I got a job at Java. Along the way it’s when it downed on me that this was not something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. One morning I decided I was done with it and quit.

3. Is acting a full time gig for you or do you have a side hustle? It is a full time gig for me. Side hustle is voice over, where I do voice over commercials for TV adverts.

4. Being famous in Kenya; how do you handle social media especially DM’s? Keeps laughing… I do get a lot of them and I appreciate that I have fans that reach out and express their opinions whether positive or negative. I take whatever works for me and if it is positive criticism I might run away with it and if it’s not you just, you know leave it by the way side. I try as much to interact with them and reply to them whether good or bad or even when I meet people on the streets, I always try and talk to them.

5. Has fame got in your head yet? Not yet and I don’t think it will ever do. I acknowledge the fact that things come and go, including fame. It comes and it can go just as fast. No one is guaranteed of tomorrow, so instead, hold on to what you find dear, like family and friends who will keep you grounded, because they are the same people you will turn to if things don’t work out.

6. You played a lawyer in “Rosa”, Wanyama in “Tahidi High” and now Biko in “Selina”, which of this characters can you say you relate to? Neither. What I can say is that there is a bit of Biko in me, because I prefer things done in a certain way. What I mean is, if I have things in under my control I would like to have them done in a certain way, and that is what Biko is all about.

7. “Selina” is one of the most watched shows in Kenya at the moment, why do you think people love it? The best TV show in Kenya right now. It’s a different show and a beautiful story to begin with and I think it’s a story that many people can relate to. It’s about a girl who grew up in shags, came to the city and worked her way to the top. In Nairobi right now, you will find people who have a similar narrative where you migrated from up country and you worked hard and you keep propelling to greater heights. So perhaps maybe that’s why it resonates with people so much.

Extra – You are dating at the moment, when are the wedding bells and will be there and kids in the future? (More laughter). Soon, maybe, I do not know. We are working towards it. In future, yes to kids, now no.