 What's up guys and welcome to yet another episode of Buzz with Stars right here on SPM Buzz. In case you have not subscribed just yet, please make sure you do because I mean why not. My good name is Ms. Kithingi and today I am hanging out at, sorry guys, I am hanging out at Tundis air studio. Yes, I'm getting to use to the name you know and it looks very beautiful the setup is and also I am hanging out with a star. His name is like a tank twister, the Meru in me, but his name is Gerald Langiri. Gerald, how are you? I'm good very well. Have you been? It's been a long time. It's getting there. I think we're finally at a point where we can actually, you know, tell your son or daughter, you know, you can make up an actor or become a filmmaker, you know, as a career. So yes, unlike, you know, in the past when it was just seen as a hobby or you know, I think you do as a by the way, I think now we're getting a point where, you know, some casually be proudly stand up and say I'm a filmmaker and I found my taxes. I found my taxes. So like, yes, I am actually are someone who actually is, you know, adding to the revenue of this country. So as a filmmaker and I'm proud to do that as well. Yes, 100%. Now, Gerald, I'd really like to know, have you always done film your entire career or is it that there's some other side hustles you've never told us about? Well, I've been actively in the film industry for the past 10 years now, I think 11 years. This is this year, 11 years now. Yes, fully committed, fully dedicated, because I believe I'm not going to pass on who believes in, you know, establishing one thing first, make it grow. Once it can fly on its own, that is when I can think about doing other things. I clearly believe of that because for me to mean at the same time here, you are, but yes, head of an actor, then become a casting director. And then now I'm a location scout and manager as well. I'm a producer now as well. So I'm growing into the industry to maybe one day become a fully fledged producer at some point. Yeah. And I mean, 11 years is quite a good experience. It's a journey. That's a whole lot of time. Yeah. What is the most challenging thing being a Kenyan actor? Whoo. The most challenging thing being a Kenyan actor. I don't know, because I think at the level where I've reached right now as an actor, things are a bit easier for me, opposed to when someone is starting out. Opposed to when you're starting out, you know, there's issue of money, certain enough, you know, there's the issue of opportunities not being a lot as well. But as you grow into the journey, as you grow into the career, as you grow into the industry, things become a bit softer and easier for you because once you create a name for yourself, once you create a brand for yourself, then you almost get sought after. Yes. So things become a bit easier, slowly and just easy. I remember my first four, two, three, four years during my career, I almost quit because things are not as great as they are now, so to speak here. Do you feel like we have like many acting opportunities in Kenya right now? And there'll be many more with Netflix coming in, with Showmax coming in, with all these digital platforms coming in. There'll be many more opportunities for people, for actors actually in the industry. And like it's about when we used to rely on, you know, the citizens, the NTVs, the KBCs, and, you know, like there are very few channels there where you as an actor, if you really have to be an actor, then you have to be either on Citizen or NTV or KBC or KT or whatever, you know. Here comes DSTV, here comes Meshah Magic, here comes GoTV, here comes MNET, here comes Netflix, here comes Showmax. So right now in the commissioning shows for us. So yes, unless when you act on Vivo now, you're not really good at what you do. Work is there. I mean I totally agree with you because we have the digital platforms right now. You can do your own thing and put it up on YouTube and people will actually just watch. The crazy Kenyans are making money off YouTube. I don't know, like there are people who are actually creative enough. The Asiads, you know, like there are people who are creative enough. Say you, if you are creative and you are dealing with your talent, it's totally up on you. So don't blame the industry, don't blame you get keepers, don't blame you godfathers, don't blame, it's totally up on you because there are so many opportunities out there right now for an actor to or a filmmaker to try and make money off it. You just have to be creative after all. You're a creative, so why not create? You get, yeah. Okay, a person to talk to about this. Ezekiel Mutua is back on, you know, music now. He was in film before, yeah. Looking at it, looking at it how it is, as it is now, you know, it affects you whether he's in music or film. What are your thoughts about his reappointment on this other side? Look, Ezekiel Mutua is a friend of mine, so I really can't talk bad about him, you know, like, but he just needs to be more open to the creative world and the art world. He needs to stop living in a world where he feels everything needs to be in a certain way. He needs to stop putting people in a box. That's what I think Ezekiel does. But then again, he doesn't do it out of his own, you know, because there are loads in Kenya, so I'll add him because where he is and the position is in, to try and change the loads as well, because you really can't restrict a creative mind. It really can't, what is right to me that will be, you know, to be right to someone else? But again, that's why I'm a creative, because I need to speak my mind how I feel it, how I see it. So that's the only limitation where me and Ezekiel Mutua, like, just let us be as creative. Let us create. Put the loads and measures in place of who watches, whatever things we're watching, the quantity we're watching, but let us still create it. Because whatever happens to me doesn't necessarily need to appeal to the next person though. You know, like, we all have our own minds, like the American industry or the Hollywood industry has everything for everyone. You get. So why are we being restricted in Kenya to just create content of a certain nature? You get. Like me, I have shows on YouTube called Shit Happens. If I was to take a show to Ezekiel, probably in Gebania, in the forest in Gebania, House of Lungula, you know, okay, at least for the year proof, like 18 plus, but there was not nudity, there was nothing as much. So I think we're still in an industry or in a society where some things are not allowed. They are done, but they're not allowed in the public image. So in a sense, we're kind of hypocritical about it. Exactly. So just let people create though, like, let our creative juices flow. Do you feel like, you know, some of this aspect of resistance to such change comes with age? I mean, they make probably not understandables. I agree. And now we're actually fighting with Generation Z. You know, like, I don't know, am I mute anymore? Or I don't know. I'm at seven years old now. I don't think I'm mute anymore. But at least the 80s and the 90s children grew up in both generations. So we have the older generation who feel some of these things are wrong. We have the Generation Z who are open to everything and anything. And then we have us generation who are like, let's adapt and let's accommodate everyone. So yes, maybe it is a generational thing. But then also the world is evolving. Things are happening. LGBTQs, for example, are things which were really hidden and fringe upon. But here we are now living in a world where they are out there with their own rights. So I think we need to adapt some of these things. You might fight it, but for long as it's happening and going on, we need to just be open to whatever it is. That's coming up. Okay, okay. Now Gerald Selina is coming to an end. How has been the ride? How has been the experience? Five and a half years later, six years maybe, I don't know. That is a lot. 970 episodes. Someone told me that they're like, Gerald, usually, no. I do show 30 more episodes. You're doing a thousand episodes. And they didn't think until someone actually put the numbers on it. Like that is a lot of episodes. It's a lot. It's emotional. I don't know how to express that because again, that was our main bread and butter for a lot of about 60 people casting crew. So right now we are jobless. Once the show airs, we are jobless. But it's been an emotional journey. It's been a tough journey. It's been a life-changing journey. But above everything else, we set standards. Like really hit the roof and the ceiling and we flew with it. It's never been done before in Kenya. This was our first. I show that airs every single day, every day, five times a week. Like it's been, it's been wow. It's been wow. Up and down. So like for me, it's mixed film because yes, one, we are using a show which we really loved our bread and butter, but on the other hand my fans of Mongia. I don't know. So there's so much mixed action towards the show ending. Would we love for it to continue? Of course we would love it continue. As someone who works for the show, I would love for it to continue because again, that is where I get my bread and butter. Exactly. But now because also, you know, it's, it's time to go look for greener pastures and look for something bigger and something new and something, you know, yeah, yeah. Talking about those comments on social media, like you as a person, when you saw those comments, what, what came in your mind? I stopped reading the comments on you, on Facebook and on Instagram. I really stopped it the way. I also follow the comments a lot just to see what's going on. And then at some point they became so hateful like, no, but you guys have a channel. I mean, you guys have a remote. You can change the channel in time you want. Why is it because still, and as much as the show is ending, tonight we are hosting that season finale and the house is full. Basically means we still still have fans. Me, I've gotten DMs and I've gotten charts and focus from people telling me why is the show ending though. So there's still those people who really vividly follow the stars of this show, follow the story of the show. Again, like I said, it's mixed feelings because then, you know, then again, it is already man. Exactly. And also, I think it's about time we gave some other people a new opportunity to just, you know, run with it. Yeah. So, but yeah, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's mixed feelings. I'm happy. I'm sad at the same time, you know, at least now when a pressure me talk up because that show had pressure, hey, shooting Selina is not maintaining those standards for five years was not easy. Yeah. So there's a side of relief, but that's the other side of, you know, what, you know, like, what next? Yeah. What next? Yeah. Kimalizia, Gerald, I know you've made so many friends on set. I'm sure you've, you even met some, some of them before you came on set. Yeah. Who was your favorite on that set? And don't say no one. My favorite cast member. Yes, cast member. Oh, I grew really close to Cody. Okay. Helen Kelly actually became really friends in a manner she looks mean on TV. They came really, really, really good friends. I think everyone, me, I think I got along with everyone. Like, I don't think they said who I really had beef with, or, you know, so to say, in terms of crew, there's a lady called Mary. I'm really close friends now. She's also my neighbor, you know, so like we used to work and go home together every day, you know, like Selina created a family for all of us. That is why it's kind of hard to just let this go because you know, I just couldn't have to, couldn't have to say, you know, but you wouldn't have been a family. Because despite work, the team buildings we had, the goings, the outgoing needs to have every single day, like we literally became a family. You spend more time with your own, with crew than your own wife in the house. So it really became a family. We became really close. So this is basically a family breaking up, which is again, like I said, women's feelings. It's sad and, you know, wish everyone all the best. But at the same time, we're literally breaking up a family here. Yeah. So everyone became, I don't know, but Tokodi, the Putakamau's became really close because of that, because of the show. Yeah. Okay. Okay. So what next for you, Jared, after Selina? Well, luckily for me, I have been, should I say poached or picked up? I am now on a show called Kina as the casting director. Yeah, season four going onwards. I am now the new casting director for a show called Kina. Perfect, Jared. We can't wait to see who you cast on Kina. And, you know, just be a big supporter of your work. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for speaking to SPM Buzz. All right, guys. That was Jared Langiri right here on SPM Buzz, Buzz with stars. Thank you so much for watching. My good name is Miss Kithingi. Until next time, it's goodbye.