She then went on to do several feature films like Project Revenge, Stolen Dreams, Double Trouble and Aisha, which got her a Kalasha Award nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Feature film.
Joyce also starred in the short film ‘Neophobia’ which was the only African in its category to be screen at the prestigious ‘cannes film festival’ in 2017.
Some of the other shows she’s worked on include TV series. ‘Majaribu’ a Kiswahili drama where she plays Beullah and an English drama series ‘New Beginnings’ where she plays ‘Bianca’ and a Kenyan-Nigerian Web Series ‘This Is It’ where she plays ‘Shiro’.
Recently, she worked on Kenya’s biggest telanovela ‘Selina’ as ‘Collette’.
She is currently a brand influencer for haircare brand— Marini Naturals and Smirnoff green apple.
Joyce discusses career and then some life lessons she has learned in this light-hearted interview with LLA.
Background
I identify as an actress, model, and YouTuber. Becoming an actress/delving into the entertainment industry wasn’t exactly what I set out to do. I actually had no solid career plans at all. Even when I was in university studying business I had no definitive plan of what I wanted to do with my life. Thankfully, I was surrounded by people who always saw a future for me in the entertainment industry. So, after a lot of nagging and pushing, I gave it a try and I haven’t looked back since.
If I wasn’t an actor, I would probably be an entrepreneur primarily because I love the flexibility that comes with entrepreneurship.
Highlight(s) of being an actor
There have been several highlights in my career, being a Kalasha award nominee for best leading actress definitely takes the cake.
Routines that aid character interpretation
I always come up with a character profile for every character I play. Understanding my character helps me connect to my character.
Greatest lesson learned so far
It doesn’t matter how badly you want something, if it’s not meant for you, you’re not going to get it. No matter how hard you work. It is usually a hard pill to swallow in that moment but in hindsight you’ll look back and realize why things happened the way they did.
Consistency is very important. You don’t just get good at something or become the best at something simply by wanting it really badly. You have to work at it, and stay consistent.
Rejection is part of the game. Try not to take it personally. Learn from it and improve yourself, then try again and again.
Upcoming projects and initiatives
I’m currently focusing all my time and energy these days on creating content and building/growing a thriving audienceship for my YouTube channel.
Random things about Joyce Maina
I find chores like washing dishes and organizing things therapeutic
I’m a really good swimmer. I swam competitively throughout primary and secondary school.
The Leading Ladies Africa Series is a weekly interview series that focuses on women of African descent, showcases their experiences across all socio-economic sectors, highlights their personal and professional achievements and offers useful advice on how to make life more satisfying for women.
It is an off-shoot of Leading Ladies Africa; an initiative that seeks to effectively mentor and inspire women, with particular emphasis on the African continent.
Do you know any woman of African descent doing phenomenal things? Send an email to lead@leadingladiesafrica.org and we just might feature her.
