Sheila Munyiva (born 27 March 1993) is a Kenyan actress and film director.

Biography

Munyiva was born in 1993 in

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...

. She grew up watching ''

Hannah Montana ''Hannah Montana'' is an American teen sitcom created by Michael Poryes, Rich Correll and Barry O'Brien that aired on Disney Channel for four seasons between March2006 and January2011. The series centers on Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus), a ...

'' and believed her skin should be fairer and hair straighter. She visited the UK frequently because her mother lived there. Munyiva studied to be a news anchor in college before switching her major to Film Production. After graduation, she worked on her script writing by taking part in a writer's masterclasses. In 2018, Munyiva played Ziki, a free spirit who feels conflicted and torn between love and security, in ''

Rafiki is a 2018 Kenyan drama film directed by Wanuri Kahiu. ''Rafiki'' is the story of romance that grows between two young women, Kena and Ziki, amidst family and political pressures around LGBT rights in Kenya. The film had its international prem ...

''. The story is based on the novel ''Jambula Tree'' by the Ugandan writer Monica Arac de Nyeko and details the love that develops between two young women where homosexuality is forbidden. Even though she impressed director

Wanuri Kahiu Wanuri Kahiu (born 21 June 1980) is a Kenyan film director, producer, and author. She is considered to be “one of Africa's most aspiring directors, being part of a new, vibrant crop of talents representing contemporary African culture”. Sh ...

at the audition with her love of life, Munyiva was hesitant to take the role until a queer friend convinced her of its importance. The film was outlawed in Kenya, where homosexuality is illegal. ''Rafiki'' became the first Kenyan film to be screened at the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...

. Munyiva was featured on the Vogue UK edition for the best beauty looks and make up shoot at Cannes. Ann Hornaday of

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

praised the "endearing, unforced chemistry" of Munyiva and co-star

Samantha Mugatsia Samantha Mugatsia (born 1992) is a Kenyan actress. Biography Mugatsia was born in 1992, the child of Grace Gitau. They grew up in Nairobi and served as the drummer for the band The Yellow Machine. They also did some modeling work. Mugatsia studi ...

. Munyiva was nominated for best actress at the

Africa Movie Academy Awards The Africa Movie Academy Awards, popularly known as AMAA and The AMA Awards, is presented annually to recognize excellence among professionals working in, or non-African professionals who have contributed to, the African film industry. It was fou ...

. In 2019, Munyiva played medical officer Anna in the TV series ''Country Queen''. In July 2019, she made her theatrical debut as Sarafina in the musical '' Sarafina!''. Munyiva volunteers as a mentor for girls at a non-profit school in the slums of

Kibera Kibera (Kinubi: ''Forest'' or ''Jungle'') is a division of Nairobi Area, Kenya, and neighbourhood of the city of Nairobi, from the city centre. Kibera is the largest slum in Nairobi, and the largest urban slum in Africa.http://www.dominionpa ...

. She has directed several commercials in Kenya and is working on her first short film, ''Ngao'', based on her childhood experiences.

Filmography

*2018: ''

'' as Ziki Okemi *2018: ''L'invité'' (TV series) *2019: ''Country Queen'' as Anna (TV series) *2023: '' Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire'' as Shiro (TV series)

References

External links

Sheila Munyiva
at the

Internet Movie Database IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Munyiva, Sheila 1993 births Living people Kenyan film actresses Kenyan television actresses Kenyan stage actresses 21st-century Kenyan actresses Kenyan women film directors Film people from Nairobi