Kenyan actor Lenana Kariba lands role in Bridgerton on Netflix

Lenana Kariba, a Kenyan actor, recently made his debut in “Bridgerton”, one of Netflix’s most-watched romance television series, whose release in 2020 was viewed by 82 million households in its first 28 days, making it the biggest series on the platform at the time.

Lenana is not a new face as he has acted in Kenyan films such as “Auntie Boss”, “Single Kiasi”, “Selina”, among others.

He got a role in “Bridgerton” Season 4, whose finale episodes have been released on February 26.

“I’m a background actor, or more accurately, I’m a royal footman. I basically act as a fly on the wall. There might be more to come [of him in the newly-released episodes], but I can’t say much because I don’t know how they’ll edit the show. I did shoot scenes where I might have closer shots or even spoke a line or two, but they could cut those out,” he told Nation Lifestyle.

Asked why he did not talk about his role earlier, he said, “you can’t really tell people, ‘I’m on Bridgerton,’ because they could cut out everything you did. People might even ask, ‘Are you really there? I didn’t see you.’ So it’s hard to say what will make it into the final edit.”

He got the job through an agency.

“An agency that represents you sends out an email whenever there’s a shoot. The email includes details on the type of talent they’re looking for, and specific requirements like height or other attributes. If you’re interested, you respond directly through the platform, confirming your interest. Once you respond, the agency reviews your profile and may ask you to send photos or attend a fitting. Agencies have thousands, sometimes millions, of people, so the process is extremely competitive. I was very lucky to get through,” he said.

Lenana, who moved to the UK with his wife, also opened up about why his family in Kenya could not make it to his wedding. The two got married in a private beach wedding in the Caribbean island nation of Antigua and Barbuda on August 11, 2021.

“My Kenyan family couldn’t make it to the wedding because of the distance and time for them to get their visas. For my wife’s family, it was easy for them to travel and join us on our special day,” he said.

According to the actor, initially, they had planned to tie the knot in Kenya, but when his then girlfriend was transferred to London, he decided that he would join her.

On parenting, Lenana, who usually documents their daughter Ava (two-years-old), says he decided to be a stay-at-home father so as to be close to her. “Being a stay-at-home dad is truly one of the most rewarding experiences I could have ever imagined. Watching my daughter grow and learn every single day fills my heart with so much joy and pride. I absolutely cherish every moment we get,” he said.