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Odhiambo: No regrets on acting career


It is often hard for people to tell what career they want to pursue when they grow up. Not so for Godfrey Odhiambo who made up his mind the moment he took part in his first play when he was still  in high school.

Born and raised in Nairobi’s Eastlands, Odhiambo discovered his love for acting in 1999 and has never looked back.

After high school, he joined the Kenya National Theatre where he honed his skills. Odhiambo started acting professionally in 2001 but his big break happened three years later when he landed his first commercial for PesaPoint.

He has also appeared in the play Malooned. In 2004, he acted in the movie Epitaf and From A Whisper in 2007.

His talent saw him nominated for best actor at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in Nigeria, and in 2010, he won the Taarifa Africa Festival Film Awards in the same category.

He is a household name in television series’ having played starring roles in shows like Demigods, Noose of Gold, and Changes.

He also runs a theatre company called Jawabu Art Quality Production, which he started in 2006.

“I am glad that I have reached this far. I even got a chance to host the sixth edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards in Nigeria alongside talented actress Rita Dominic,” says Odhiambo who  met Hollywood stars Forest Whittaker, Danny Glover and Nat Parker during the awards.

His success has made him  the darling of the ladies and he has even made the list as one of the top ten hottest men in the country. The actor, whose role model is Denzel Washington, is married with two children; Marcus and Gabriel who he says are the funniest people he knows.

When I ask him if racy scenes in a movie or play have ever strained his relationship, he was candid.

“Yes, at first it did, but I explained to her that it was something required of me. It is my job and is what puts food on the table. Whatever I do on stage stays there and it doesn’t mean that there is anything more. Besides, I never feel uncomfortable during the scenes because it is my job,” he says.

He is currently shooting a new TV series that will be on the screens soon. He plans to start his own reality TV show.