She is beautiful and vivacious. She is short tempered and sometimes over bearing. She can be rude and likes taunting her docile sister in law. She has guts untold and easily tells her mother in law off. She can be evil although she is very hard working. Her husband is a drunk and he is sometimes a total disaster.
Popularly known as Celina Mitego, the wife of Charlie Mwamba in the popular local drama Mother in Law that airs on Citizen TV, the pleasant Catherine Kamau is her real name. At age 19 years of age, Catherine found herself pregnant while in college and bore her son in 2006. However
this did not deter her from achieving her dream.
Here is her story as done by Salon Magazine
What do you do besides acting?
Unlike many people, acting is a full time job for me. I wake up every morning to go to work on set and I hardly have any time for anything else, except when we are on shooting break. On the side, I Karaoke at Hunters club in town and Sawasawa club in Ngara. I also do several stage plays and I am a member of the Phoenix theatre. Soon, I will produce my first music album.
What does your role in mother –in- law teach others?
Acting in Mother in Law is a real eye opener for how much local talent we have in this country. Our director Catherine Wamuyu is arguably one of the best in her field. She has managed to bring out the best out of each of the cast and I believe that is why our program is so popular.
Catherine Kamau a.k.a Celina of Mother in Law
As Celina, I represent the ‘today’ woman who is able to stand up to nasty mother in law. Although not all mothers in law are as bad as ‘Charity’, those who are like her must not be allowed to get away with the vice. The controversy surrounding my character is sometimes very laughable. A friend told me that her mother in law switches her TV to another channel anytime we are on air.
She says that I am teaching women bad manners and rudeness. The truth is that her mother in law has a lot of similarities with Charity. I also have a large fan base of those women who say they learn a lot from my role and in a way; they have found courage to put to a stop unnecessary harassment from their in laws.
Who is your favourite Character in mother in law?
My set husband Charlie Mwamba is my favorite character. I admire how he is able to bring out his role given that in real life, he has never touched beer. He is humble and very hardworking. He has acted in very many other plays and in each; he brings out his roles perfectly. Although he annoys Celina with his uncontrolled drinking, Charlie is very loving and Celina lives on hope that one day, he will quit drinking and marry her in a colourful wedding ceremony.
Who inspires you?
While growing up, I used to admire Naomi Kamau who acts as Alison and my elder sister in law. I loved the way she used to recite poems in Kenya Broadcasting Corporation and hoped to one day to be able to do the same. When I went to audition for my role, I had no idea I would be picked let alone cast alongside Naomi. She is my source of inspiration and I love the way she effortlessly brings out her role as Alison. I learn daily from her and I am happy to be living one of my dreams.
What is your other dream?
Catherine believes that Kenya is more talented in acting than it is acknowledged. “This industry is growing we need all the support that we can get. Our Government should come out and standardize this industry. Nollywood is flourishing because their Government has invested on them. Our script writers should also endeavor to tell the Kenyan story instead of scripting Western ideas. We have a rich culture but often you find our local plays are so westernized that it beats logic.
Our movie industry will move a notch higher the moment we start becoming original. That said, I have faith in our industry and I am proud of the emerging trends. I am also happy that the media is finally embracing local programming and I believe that soon, more and more people will be able to earn a decent living out of their acting skills.”
Which actors and actresses do you admire most?
In Hollywood, I would like to act alongside Julia Roberts. I admire her prowess in bringing out whichever role she takes. In Africa, I am greatly inspired by Genevieve Nnanji. I look forward to the day I will meet her face to face. She is so calm and her roles always outshine the rest. I also admire her business acumen and I am always on the look out for her clothing line St.Genevieve.”
