All posts by Gerald Langiri

Gerald Langiri announced as Vazzi’s clothing line new brand ambassador

Vazzi Clothing line is delighted to announce the signing of legendary and renowned actor and media personality Gerald Langiri as its new Brand Ambassador.

The Kalasha Awards winner and Africa Magic Viewers Choice (AMVCA) nominee who is also currently one of the TC Gang members on Talk Central with Kalekye Mumo will be the face of Vazzi Clothing Line for the next one year before talks for renewal happen. The partnership between Vazzi Clothing and Gerald Langiri will run across TV, Print and online channels as well as in-store as soon as the Vazzi Clothing Line roles out its own stores in the coming year.

“Gerald Langiri is an amazing very talented actor with a very strong and bold personality with a dash of crazy. He is awesome and his personality really does embody what Vazzi Clothing line stands for. Vazzi Clothing admires his strides in the film industry as an icon and it is therefore a pleasure to have him on board.  Vazzi admires him for his principles, his talents and his ability to juggle a demanding acting career with being a great father” said Brian Omina, CEO of Vazzi Clothing.

Gerald Langiri now joins Dj UV,  Camp Mulla, Huddah, Dj kayTrixx, Dj Crème, Dj Hypnotic and Shaffie Weru as celebrities who have previously partnered with Vazzi Clothing with Gerald being the first actor in that list.

About Gerald Langiri

Gerald Langiri is a Kenyan actor and casting director. He is well known for the movies House of Lungula and Fundimentals where he played Harrison and Joseph respectively. Other movie titles under his name include and not limited to Inherited, Flowers and Bricks, Orphan, 24 hours to live, accidental kidnapping, Gun theory, among many other films which all air on Maisha Magic East.

On the small screen, he is known for roles in Shows like Santalal where he played the Police Commissioner, Mali, on Stay, Papa shirandula, Pendo, Pray and Prey and is currently one of the TC Gang members on Talk Central with Kalekye Mumo every Thursday on K24 TV.

He was the host of web-series talk show titled “in the forest” sparking a wave of web series productions thereafter from the Kenyan film industry and he also produced, directed and acted in another out of the box web series “Shit Happens”.

As a casting director, he is behind casting of Selina, Veve, Going Bongo, The unprotected and was the Kenyan Casting Director of BETs Top Actor Africa, season 2 and several series, short films and adverts as well.

He was awarded  best film blogger/journalist at the African Film Development Awards 2014, awarded best supporting actor in a TV series at the Kalasha Film and television awards 2014 for his role as Nico on Stay, nominated best actor in a comedy at the Africa Magic Viewers choice awards (AMVCA) 2015 and nominated Best actor of the year (Africa) at the Nigerian Entertainment Awards (NEA) 2015.

About Vazzi Clothing

A pioneering name in Kenyan street fashion, Brian Omina’s Vazzi label is arguably the most established brand in the Kenyan market. Urban hip hop outfit Camp Mulla are mostly credited for growing the Vazzi name by sporting the tee’s in their music videos and almost all their social appearances. From cotton T-shirts to denim jackets and snap backs, Vazzi represents the epitome of street funk, hence the immense popularity it enjoys.

Vazzi was started in 2010 while Brain was in med school and is now a doctor. It was clothing line started out of passion.

“I really wanted to make a Kenyan grown brand. Something to identify with as a Kenyan. Something original. Plus I was really tired of the bootleg items we see in the market.” Says Brian.
Vazzi is family affair run operation with Brian and his cousin Mathew Masinde are partners in the business.

One can find Vazzi Merchandise on their online platforms below as they exclusively make new clothes on order and deliver it to customers’ specifications. They plan on also selling through their website and perhaps open physical stores if the demand will be high.

CALL 0724 207 203 TO MAKE AN ORDER

Kenyan casting director Gerald Langiri’s advice to actors

Gerald Langiri was one of the guest speakers and panelists at the 25th Edition of Cinema Alliance that took place this past Monday (3rd April 2017) at the French Cultural center auditorium (alliance Francaise). The event which takes place every 1st Monday of every month saw the topic of discussion being on the subject of Casting and who better to have in the panel other than this renowned casting director.

Gerald, other than being known for his acting prowess, is also known for his casting expertise with his resume ranging from casting for TV series, movies and infomercials. Some notable projects that credit Gerald as a casting director include; Going Bong (movie), Wazi Fm (movie), We are football (Barclays premier league Advert), Veve (movie), Facebook Internet.org (Informercial) , Eat Fish Ad campaign (Informercial), The unprotected (movie), Top Actor Africa Season 2 (reality Show), BBC News Ad (informercial) among other projects.

During the event, Gerald made several key points as highlighted below;

  • “I dread auditions both as an actor and a casting director. I dread them as an actor because the thought of people judging my acting capability to see if I fit a role despite having my work out there for the whole world to see is nerve wrecking. I however understand why this sometimes has to happen even to the best of actors and there is no escaping it when I put on the casting directors cap. Sadly we can’t escape conducting auditions because it is simply one of the ways to get into the acting world. Do not however see auditions as a place of judgment but as another opportunity for you the actor to meet other people in the industry and another chance for you to showcase your skills”
  • Sadly, it is during auditions that you get to realize that there are very few exceptional actors out there. Out of say 1000 people, about 10 or 30 people will really impress you and stand out while a few are averagely good and a majority really bad. While you can see talent in some actors that is usually lost in the nervousness that many portray. There isn’t much time in that audition room and you will most likely have one take to make a good lasting impression. I advice actors to take time to learn how to audition and kill those nerves that will water down your performance. This takes a lot of practice, attending audition acting workshops, watching and reading tutorials etc.
  • After attending an audition, forget about it and move on to the next one. A lot of actors get depressed thinking whether they’ll get that call back and if it doesn’t come through, then it really puts them down and discourages them. Sometimes not getting a call back doesn’t mean the actor wasn’t good enough or talented, sometimes it can also mean that they either dint fit the role, there was someone much better, client changed the requirements last minute…among other reasons that could not entirely be the actors fault. So once you are done with an audition, forget it and do not make those many phone calls to the casting director to know whether they reached a decision on the actor or not either.
  • This is kind of obvious but you’d be surprised how many people will still not stick to this rule; KEEP TIME especially if allocated an audition time. If not, try coming in early for the audition. The Casting directors energy and patience is still high during the morning hours and as time goes by during the day, they being human do start getting tired and start rushing the audition process and not giving the actors who show up in the afternoon the much needed attention that is required. This of course is not a rule but do try to come in early for an audition.
  • Audition for roles that fit you. It is important for actor to know what their type is. This helps them know what auditions to attend and what characters to try out for. There is nothing as annoying for a casting director to get an actor in the room who doesn’t know what role they are in their to audition for or get an actor auditioning for a role that clearly doesn’t fit the character description put out. This is the rule but the exception to that is;
  • Go for as many auditions as possible. Yes, this could contradict the previous point but sometimes, I have cast people who showed up at auditions who did not fit any role set out but they were so good, I had to try and fit them somewhere or kept them in mind for a future project. Going for as many auditions as possible also helps you get used to the process and kill the nervousness.
  • Actors need to remember that the casting directors want the best for you the actor. They also have a job and reputation to maintain which is “He/she will get you the best cast” They are therefore people to not fear. They are human. They are there to get the best out of you by also directing you through it hence called casting directors.
  • Last but not least, auditions are not the only way to get into the film industry; I know I have cast actors based on watching their web series or funny videos online. Or through a film premier or networking event. So it is paramount for actors to be visible and put themselves out there where they can easily be spotted.

Gerald Langiri is back with yet another hilarious web series #ShitHappens

After the success of the web series “In The forest” back in 2013/2014, award winning Kenyan actor Gerald Langiri is back with yet another edgy but hilarious web series called “Shit Happens”

Described as a shitty web series that takes you through the life of one man whose life goes through…well…shit, “Shit happens” is a hilarious web series which will leave you looking forward to the next episode.

Collaboration between Life Dream Production and A Pembe tatu Film, the web series is also produced and directed by Gerald Langiri who also acts as the protagonist.

The 1st webisode (or shitisode as they call it) is titled official shit and we see G at work minding his own business until one of work mate sends him a very not suitable youtube video. While G is watching and visibly enjoying this, the office snitch (there is always one) catches him in the act and reports G to the CEO. A lot of misfortunes and misunderstandings follow G until he finally gets fired. Is it a case of mistaken identity or none the wiser? You be the judge.

The script was written by Maina Mundi who is also the editor. Maina wrote the script in 2012 but had never had it produced. He approached Gerald Langiri who he already had in mind to play the protagonist. Upon receiving the script, Gerald is said to have laughed so hard and immediately wanted to work on it. Gerald however saw that this could be developed to something bigger than just a standalone short film and decided to turn it into a web series instead.

The guys behind the web series have vowed to produce and episode every month and hope people will enjoy watch it as much as they enjoy shooting this. Welcome to the alternative TV where some of the things on the show cannot be dared to be seen on Kenyan TV.

Follow this link to watch “Shit Happens shitisode 1- official shit” >> https://youtu.be/jjl4L3UktjE

or Click here to watch the full season

Shitisode 1 credits:

Starring: Gerald Langiri, Julian Omariba, Celestine Musyoki, Kenny “Mufasa” Bahati, Idah Galgalo, Cecilia Musyoki

Produced and Directed by: Gerald Langiri | Written and Edited by: Maina Mundi | D.O.P: Francis Ngugi
Camera Operator: Amos Mwaki |Runtime: 5min: 55sec | Production Company: Life dream Production and Pembe Tatu Films

Like us on Facebook : >> https://www.facebook.com/ShitHappensWebSeries

All the episodes of the web talk show “In the forest with Gerald Langiri”

Gerald Langiri hosts a funny comedy Talk Show titled “In the Forest” that features celebrity interviews. This is a raunchy talk show from hell, hosted in a way only Gerald Langiri can. There is no simple way of describing this web series – right from the opening sequence where we are confronted by shots of budding actor Gerald Langiri apparently taking a dump behind a bush, it becomes obvious that this is no ordinary talk show. What happens is that every week or so, the guys at Historia Films let Gerald interview a local celebrity in some of  the most bizarre manners. Gerald does not take this rare privilege for granted and goes all out to ensure his ‘victims’ go through a strange experience. He is willing to pull all manner of stunts from asking uncomfortable personal questions to walking out mid-interview. So far, his shenanigans have earned him a slap and more are on the way for sure.

Watch the all the episodes below:

Episode 1: In the forest with Lizz Njagah


Episode 2: In the forest with Gitau Ngogoyo


Episode 3: In the forest with Nice Githinji


Episode 4: In the forest with Alexandros Konstantaras


Episode 5: In the forest with Helena Waithera


Episode 6: In the forest with Janet Kirina


Episode 7: In the forest with Ojiambo Ainea


 

Episode 8: In the forest with Lenana Kariba


Episode 9: In the forest with Sheila Kwamboka


Episode 10: In the forest with Mugambi Nthiga


Episode 11: In the forest with Beatrice Ndung’u


Episode 12: In the forest with Florence Nduta


Episode 13: In the forest with Brenda Wairimu

Video: Is this Gerald Langiri’s best performance yet in #HappyAnniversaryFilm

#HappyAnniversaryFilm was one of the trending topics on twitter (on 23rd June 2016)  with all sorts of comments accompanying it but with good reason. A short film titled “Happy Anniversary” had been released that took people by surprise.

With a befitting yet twisted title, a man decides to surprise his wife on their wedding anniversary. With his wedding vows in hand, he recites them in tears to his wife who is lying almost lifeless on their matrimonial bed.  Not quite the Happy Anniversary one would have thought it to be. The pain, the agony and emotions that you will encounter in this film is probably the reason why it will be the best 3minutes you’ll spend online today.
 
Award winning actor Gerald Langiri gives (arguably) his best performance yet as he embodies a character and state that many have not seen him in. With him always being associated with extremely well composed serious characters or the funny humorous guy when playing comical roles, many did not expect this kind of performance from him clearly showing his acting range. So different and challenging but if the reviews are anything to go by, he definitely nailed it.
 
Co-starring with the amazing Mumi Maina and Claude Judah, Happy Anniversary is surely a short film that will make you yearn for more.
 
Produced by Kibanda Pictures and Directed by the award winning director Martin Githinji, watch this amazing short film below:
 

 

Actor Gerald Langiri loses 20kgs for a role that was later cancelled.

It is often said that life is about change, sometimes it’s painful, sometimes it’s beautiful, but most of the time it’s both. Award winning Kenyan actor Gerald Langiri knows all too well that it can be both after a life changing experience that started over 8 months ago.

As the story goes, Langiri was approached by a producer 8 months ago for a huge role that was going to be his big break as a thespian.

“So approximately 8 months ago, a producer approached me and told me he had a major role for me in a project to kick off in late 2016..You know those life changing roles. That big break every artist eagerly waits for. We discussed terms and conditions and even figures and yes, it was life changing indeed. I got so excited and I was like “let’s do this”,” said Langiri.

However, the producers of what was going to open major doors for the ‘House of Lungula’ actor had one condition for him: he had to lose weight.

As any artist with a life changing opportunity would do, Langiri had all the motivation he needed and thus began his weight loss journey.

“They only had one condition: I need to shed off a bit of weight! It was a life changing role so of course I was motivated to do so. Thus began my ‪weight loss‬ journey with a mission and a goal,” he narrated.

In a couple of months, the ‘Fundimentals’ actor lost a whooping 20 kgs, from 109 kgs to 89kgs. He was now ready and upbeat to take on the world and possibly make it big like Lupita, when life threw him a crushing curveball: the project had been cancelled.

“Then the call came through a month ago that the project was cancelled and that one of the major sponsors has pulled out. ..IKR..after all that work? Damn it!,” he lamented.

However, amidst the disappointment of missing out on that life changing role, Langiri’s life has never been the same again.

He started eating right and exercising regularly and his rising blood pressure has stabilised since.

“But then I saw myself in a mirror and liked what I saw…I was like damn it. Not bad..not bad!. And thus began my healthy living‬ journey. Eating Right. Exercising regularly etc etc.,” he said.

“I may have not gotten that life changing role i was promised but it’s been a life changing experience. My BP that was rising has stabilized. My asthma has become better.

“Katumbo ndio kamebaki kuingia ndani sasa lol,” he concluded.

Check out his amazing transformation below:

Gerald Langiri loses 20kgs

Source: http://nairobiwire.com/2016/06/bitter-sweet-actor-gerald-langiri-narrates-how-he-lost-20-kgs-for-a-role-that-was-later-cancelled.html#sthash.XdiP0QxD.dpuf

Vote: Gerald Langiri as Best Actor of the Year (Africa) #NeaAwards2015

Renowned Kenyan actor Gerald Langiri will once again be representing East Africa following his Nomination in the “Best Actor of the Year (Africa)) Category at the 10th Nea Awards 2015. (Nigerian Entertainment Awards)

The awards which are scheduled to take place on the 6th of September 2015 in New York (US), see Gerald get his second nomination this year for his role as Joseph in the movie  Fundi-mentals with the 1st nomination coming early this year at the AMVCA (Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards 2015).

The same film has also been nominated in the Film of the Year (Africa) with the director of the film; Alexandros Konstantaras nominated as “Film Director of the year (Africa)”

“It is a great honor and yet another achievement in my acting career. It always feels good when people appreciate your work and what better way than to get nominated at such prestigious international awards. It is however up to the masses to help us bring this award home and therefore, please vote for us. Asante sana” Langiri says

Here is how to vote:

  1. Go to >> http://neaawards.com/index.php/voting-page/
  2. Navigate to the film Categories
  3. Scroll down to “Best Actor (Africa)” Category” and below the picture, click on vote. Once the word “vote” turns green, you have successfully voted. It is that simple.

While there please vote for our film Fundimentals (Best Film (Africa) category) and Alex Konstantaras (Best Director (Africa) Category).

You can vote once everyday.

Other Kenyans nominated in this year’s NEA Awards include Sauti Sol in the same category as Tanzania’s Diamond Platinumz and Uganda’s Eddie Kenzo in the “African Artist of the Year (Non-Nigerian)” category.

Congratulations once again to all nominees.

The NEA AWARDS is an annual entertainment award show held in the United States, with the sole purpose of celebrating and recognizing the numerous contributions of entertainers to the African entertainment industry, while at the same time promoting the image and rich culture of Nigeria.

Check out Gerald on Twitter| Instagram | IMDB | Facebook|

I’m still traumatized after playing “Leonard” in the film “The Curse”

Once in every red moon, (its blue moon but I love the color red) a good role comes by that tickles your fancy as an actor. Some wise guy once said “A role that will forever stick with you comes once in a lifetime in an actor’s career”. My acting career hasn’t barely reached the stage of being described as “a Lifetime” yet but a week later after shooting the film “the curse”, I am still traumatized and just maybe, the character I played Leonard, can fall into that bracket of (roles I will never forget in my lifetime).

I am happy I can laugh, ponder and talk about it now because it comforts me that I haven’t lost all of my humanity, but arguing with the director what drives my character to “rape” my 10 year old daughter with Autism, is something I am yet to come in terms with.

“The curse” is my latest project, a short film by ArtSkills Production written by Anne Gathoni Kungu (her 1st pro script) and directed by the infamous and experienced Mwendwa Mutua.

It tells the story of a rather twisted family…sorry, very twisted family, where the daughter has Autism and the father (that would be me Leonard), Lawyer by day and stupid by night, thinks she is cursed because Leonard simply can’t cope with her condition anymore because he just does not understand it.

Married to Magdalene (played by Emily Achieng), Leonard’s extremely submissive wife, they find themselves at a cross road between choosing their marriage and happiness or that of their children (yes, they also have a son who Leonard seems to hate for no good reason).

After a rape ordeal that portrayed Leonard as trying to help his daughter (because she will never get a man with her condition and he was giving her the experience of woman hood) Magdalene decides to chase her daughter away and chose Leonard over because she simply cannot “share” her man with someone else.

See, I was not joking when I said I am still somehow traumatized and that this was indeed a twisted script. With good intentions of course depending on what angle you look at it.

That is however the power of film. It brings the harsh realities of life right in your face and leaves you to ponder on it.

The film is currently in edit and I will definitely share it on my blog as soon as it is out.

Catch some of the behind the scenes pictures below and a shout out to my fellow cast Mwaniki Mageria, Norrah Ndonye,  Young Wayne (talented kid this one is)  and the amazing crew. #TuShoot

Gerald Langiri in new film “Blind Fame” and back on set shooting “Stay” Season 2

Blind Fame

Can your world change once you become famous? Can fame change who you are?

Blind Fame, an Africa Magic Original Film produced by Historia Films, tells the story of an ordinary average man named (Martin Nyakabete played by Gerald Langiri) who decides to get away from the busy hustle and bustle of the big city and goes for holiday to a resort in Machakos. Coincidentaly, a famous DJ who is also called Martin Nyakabete or Dj Marto by his fans is also staying at the same hotel. Dj Marto however is majorly known from radio and no knows how he exactly looks like.

On introducing himself as Martin Nyakabete at the reception, the ordinary average Martin is confused for being the famous Dj and the once ordinary man’s life, looking for a quiet getaway changes completely in this hilarious comedy.

Catch the film which stars Gerald Langiri, Neville Misati, Kevin Omondi. Raymond Ofula, Pierra Mckena, Helena Waithera, Shirleen Wangari, Sharon Kachela on Maisha Magic channel 161 on #DSTV

See more behind the scenes pictures here


 STAY SERIES BACK ON SET SHOOTING SEASON  2

You may all remember the series that gave Gerald Langiri the award for Best supporting actor in a TV series titled “stay” in 2014. The 13 episode series that aired on KTN in between Dec 2013 to Feb 2014, right? Well they are currently back on set shooting the second season that promises to be even better. With added cast like the once president aspirant Kingwa Kamencu, actress and musician Kaz and Radio queen Adelle Onyango, while maintaining the old cast of Mkamzee Mwatela as Nubia Jason Corder as Shane Gerald Langiri as Nico Carol Dunlop as Phillipa de Rottweiler Joed Ngaruiya as Kwame Kwame Nyong’o as Max, Stay season 2 definitely looks like something to look out for.

New story themes, new set, new location be sure to look out for it. News of where season 2 will air is not yet disclosed but like the facebook page Stay Kenyan TV series for updates.

4TH YEAR STRATHMORE STUDENT DOES A CASE STUDY ON GERALD LANGIRI


I am so humbled to have a fourth year Strathmore University student taking up a Bachelor in Business Science-Financial Economics and also a member of the school’s drama society, called The Strathmore Drama Society (DRAMSOC) do a case study on me as part of her project.

Jacinta Wachira interviewed me on use of my personal resources before and during a production as part of her course work at an acting workshop. She wanted to find out how I engage my imagination, observation, concentration and sensory awareness during rehearsals and during the actual staging/shooting of the production. ..deep eh??

Well below are the findings of that study she did on yours truly and I thought I’d share it with you in the hope you might learn something new that will assist in your acting career or create a discussion on the topic and we can learn together.


REPORT ON THE UTILIZATION OF AN ACTOR’S PERSONAL RESOURCES

CASE STUDY: GERALD LANGIRI

 

INTRODUCTION

This report aims to investigate the application of observation, imagination, concentration and sensory awareness before, during and after a production, both film and theatre. The actor under study is Gerald Langiri, an award winning Kenyan actor and casting director.

This report was commissioned by Nick Muthama, facilitator of The Strathmore Drama Society’s first acting workshop.

The information was collected by means of an email correspondence, between 16th February, 2015 and 19th February, 2015. The subject of the email was dubbed “Inquiry on use of actor’s personal resources”.

Background of Gerald

34 year old Gerald is a well-known thespian in the Kenyan acting industry. He is well known for his role of Harrison in ‘House of Lungula’ and Joseph in the film ‘Fundimentals’. In addition to the many nominations he has received, Mr Langiri’s role as Nicodemus in TV series ‘Stay’ saw him win the “best supporting actor in a TV series” at the Kalasha Film and Television Awrds 2014 (Langiri, Biography, 2015). Other projects he has taken part in are, but not limited to, Mali, State House, Papa Shirandula and Risper.

In addition to his acting career which goes way back to the year 2011, Gerald is the founder and administrator of an award winning blog, www.actors.co.ke. The blog’s focus is on the acting industry in Kenya.

As a casting director, Gerald has taken part in productions such as ‘VEVE’ and ‘Going Bongo’, amongst other TV series and commercials.

Mr Langiri is not only a professional actor who has received training from Hollywood actor and couch, David Morin and Neil Schell, but also an IT expert with an undergraduate in the same field from the University of Huddersfield. (Gerald Langiri, 2015)

FINDINGS

Imagination

This resource can be defined as the ability to form new images and sensations in the mind through senses i.e. sight, smell, touch, taste and sound (Muthama, 2015).

The question posed to the renowned thespian was as follows:

What do you think about when doing a script analysis? How do you go about forming your character and actually ‘getting into character’?

Gerald felt as though an actor’s work is always eased by a well written script. He added that everything to do with character formation occurs when one analytically goes through the script at hand. He insisted on the need for attention to details such as the placement of a comma, an exclamation mark amongst other punctuation marks. Gerald felt as though the only way to deliver what was on the author’s mind was by doing a deep analysis of the text. He confessed that was his trick to not only get his lines, but also to deliver them in the way it is expected.

He noted the importance of a good director, citing that he/she is a key resource needed to bring out a character to life. Gerald would ask questions in situations where he did not know how to deliver and in some cases, a good director would aid him accordingly. He added, “If my character resembles a character that exists, then I go study that character and try to embody them. I however also bring a little bit of myself into characters to make them uniquely me”. (Langiri, Inquiry on actor’s personal resources, 2015)

Observation

This resource may be defined as the power of seeing and taking notice of one’s environment. (Muthama, 2015).

The question posed to the thespian was as below:

Do you find yourself indirectly understudying characters in real life that you are expected to epitomize on stage? How long does that take you? What challenges do you face while doing so?

Gerald noted that he believed the mark of a good actor was someone who had lived life, someone who had gone through pain, anger, hunger, joy, love, bitterness, envy and all the other adjectives that define human emotion. If not, then that actor had to be very observant of their surroundings and to a greater extent understand human behaviour. He added that he himself had lived life and was also fascinated by human psychology to the point that he had wanted to study it but not being able to do so, he read books on the subject to give him a better picture on human behaviour. He however said that for those not so interested in psychology, observation would be the next best thing. When in a restaurant, a matatu, in town, school or wherever there is a social gathering and even with family and friends, he recommended the studying of other people’s behaviours. Gerald said the observation process never ends. “It is”, he said, “a repetitive daily routine of human study and humans being unpredictable there is always something new to learn”. He added that this kind of observation didn’t mean that one ought to end up acting exactly as observed, rather it ought to serve as a guideline on how to act.

Concentration

This may be defined ability to focus and pay attention. (Muthama, 2015).

The question posed was as below:

How does this personal resource come into play pre-production? And is it a difficult resource to utilize? Are there any mental practices you engage your brain in to improve on this?

Concentration, Gerald noted, depends on the character he is playing and the scene. There are scenes where deep thought and concentration are required and others where he takes a laissez faire approach. He admitted there was difficulty in utilizing this particular resource because one is forced to tap into emotions that he/she may not want to tap into at a particular time.

Sensory awareness

This may be defined as the ability to use one’s common senses.

The question posed was as follows:

How do you engage your 5 senses while on set such that your performance appears as real as we the audience see it?

With regards to this resource, Gerald said the following, “…Once you understand your character well enough you do not even have to engage your senses, they just kind of engage themselves…” (Langiri, Inquiry on actor’s personal resources, 2015)

CONCLUSION

To give a sterling performance as does Gerald in his productions, one ought to engage his/her personal resources. Imagination, Observation, Concentration and Sensory awareness are all very important before and during the shooting or staging of a production.

RECOMMENDATION

In deed it goes without saying that the journey to a successful staging of any production starts in the actor’s mind. Once he is able to employ his four main personal resources, showcasing a believable character is almost inevitable.

I feel as though it may be important for those going through scripts to employ interpretive reading skills. This may help the actor familiarize himself with the character expected to epitomize.

Also, as the saying goes, “perfect preparation prevents poor performance”. In as much as one may be aware of the resources needed to be employed before a production, he/she needs to prepare sufficiently well. From knowing the meaning of words to understanding the meaning of sentences, no stone should be left unturned while preparing for a production. And as Gerald said, every comma, every exclamation mark, every full stop is worth taking note of.

References

Gerald Langiri. (2015). Retrieved from IMDb: www.imdb.com/name/nm6142023

Langiri, G. (2015). Biography. Retrieved from Gerald Langiri| Official Website: www.geraldlangiri.com/bio/

Langiri, G. (2015, February 18). Inquiry on actor’s personal resources. (J. Wachira, Interviewer)

Muthama, N. (2015). Acting Workshop. Nairobi, Kenya.