By Editor
In a competitive industry where a single role can attract hundreds, newcomer Okoyo Isaac didn’t just hope for a break, he seized it.
The 23-year-old actor beat nearly a thousand other young creatives to secure the part of Shaffie in producer Reuben Odanga’s newest Maisha Magic Plus telenovela, Lazizi.
We sat down with the rising star to discuss his journey, his faith, and what it feels like to share the screen with Kenyan legends.
On His Path to ActingOkoyo paints a picture of a nomadic Kenyan childhood. “I started off in Nairobi, then moved to Eldoret from Class Three to Six. After that, I headed to Kisumu for Class Seven, Siaya for Class Eight, and finally to Kisii for high school,” he recounts.But Kisii is where he found his calling.
He joined a school drama team that had never advanced past the county level. “Once I joined, things shifted. We went miles beyond expectations, and in Form Two, I even won Best Actor. That was the moment I knew, this is it.”
He started writing scripts for the club, working closely with his drama patron, Mr. Osoro. “He believed in me, pushed me, and that’s really where it all blew up. That’s where Isaac Okoyo, the actor, was born.”
On Beating the Odds for ‘Lazizi’The audition process for Lazizi was daunting. “I auditioned against what felt like a small army, nearly a thousand actors, all hungry for the same spot,” he says.
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Yet, his biggest cheerleader, his mother, never doubted him. “Every morning before I went for auditions, she would ask me to pass by her office so she could pray for me.” Her faith even took a playful turn. “Even after the callbacks, she would joke around, pretending to be one of the producers from Multan.
She would pick up her phone and say, ‘Okoyo, this is Multan offices calling to inform you that you’ve gotten the role.’ We would both laugh, not knowing that her words were about to come true.
”When the real call came in June, it confirmed a belief Okoyo holds deeply. “I give it all to Him. Last Christmas, I went to church and told God I wanted a life-changing opportunity. I wrote it down, prayed about it, and believed it would happen.
And here we are. Manifestation is real, I’m living proof.”
On His Inspirations
Okoyo credits his father for nurturing his dream from a young age. “He would always ask, ‘So, what do you want to be when you grow up?’ And my answer never changed: ‘An actor. I just want to be on TV.’”
His father’s support even extended to getting DStv with the full Maisha Magic lineup, a channel that would one day broadcast his son’s work.He also draws inspiration from the late Chadwick Boseman.
“His final performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom hit me hard. The emotion, the depth, it felt like a masterclass. When I went in for my Lazizi audition, I channeled that same intensity he had in his monologues.”
On Working With Icons
Walking onto the set of Lazizi meant sharing scenes with actors he’d long admired.“Working with Reuben Odanga feels like a dream come true. The man is an enigma. All he ever asks from you as an actor is simple: trust him.”
He speaks with particular warmth about his on-screen mother, Jacky Nyaminde (Wilbroda). “Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that one day, I would not only share the same screen with her but that she’d actually play my mum.
Every time she sees me on set, she smiles and says, ‘You look like my son.’ There is this deep, natural bond between us.”And of his on-screen father, Mwaniki Mageria, he says, “He’s such a fun, grounded soul.
One thing I absolutely admire about him is that he always gives flowers where they’re deserved. He pushes you to be your best.”
On Becoming Shaffie
For Okoyo, the role of Shaffie felt like a natural fit. “Shaffie is my guy. This guy loves cooking. Shaffie is outgoing. Shaffie does what he believes is right and for him, against all odds, he will pursue his passion.”
He connects deeply with these traits. “I felt and I still feel that is a very close part to me because that’s who Okoyo is. I am outgoing. Okoyo loves cooking.
Those were some of the traits that I really saw being natural anytime I was doing Shaffie.”
Rapid Fire with Okoyo
Theatre or Film? “I can’t pick just one. Theatre, for me, is like the gym for acting… But then, film—film is magic. It captures your most intimate and emotional moments and freezes them in time.”·
What would surprise fans? “As much as I enjoy the finer things in life, at my core, I am a very spiritual person. That side of me is what keeps me grounded.”
Go-to playlist? “Kenyan R&B and gospel music every morning to get me started for the day.”
If not acting? “I’d probably be in a newsroom or a radio station hosting a show. I love radio a lot and hopefully one day I’m going to have my own show.”
Any hidden talents? “Well, apart from cooking, Okoyo is such a good footballer.”
With a breakout role on a major show and the drive to match his talent, Okoyo Isaac isn’t just a name to watch, he’s a storyteller who has firmly arrived.
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