was discovering his new passion and
purposefully working towards making
a career out of it. Whereas this gave
him exposure to the acting world, it
was not an outright guarantee for roles
in Hollywood.
Regarding relevant education for the
Hollywood scene, Edi resolved to join
New York University to improve his
acting skills and network with some
of the Hollywood finest. That way he
would lay a firm foundation for his
acting career.
“I needed more training. My decision
to go to New York University came
down to finances and my belief in myself
because it was so expensive that if I paid
that money and did not get successful,
I would not have been able to pay back
the loans. So, I took a chance.”
Upon graduating from New York
University in 2005, Edi landed his
first major role the following year,
appearing as a Haitian Cabbie in
Crank, staring British actor Jason
Statham and actress Amy Smart.
Soon enough, the young actor quickly
earned roles alongside Hollywood
A-listers, performing opposite Kevin
Bacon in Death Sentence and as
Cheese in Ben Affleck’s Gone Baby
Gone and Amir Mann’s The Fifth
Patient – all produced in 2007.
Favourite role?
“I got hired to play a role in CSI, but
they wrote the character off before I
filmed the role and paid me! I never
went to work. Easiest job I ever had.
Then I got onto CSI Miami.”
What about his role in
Twilight and the sequels?
“It was big. It was a wonderful project
to be part of and we had no idea how
big it would be! Me as a vampire. The
sexiest role I have ever had!”
What if he was not an actor?
“I would be a chef. My passion is
cooking, and I would have found my
way to it. One way or the other,” Edi
chuckles.
On Lupita Nyong’o?
Addressing comparisons made
between him and Lupita Nyong’o
Edi reveals that each of them is
good in their own way hence should
be appreciated uniquely but not
compared. He adds that he is a big fan
of Ms Nyong’o.
“I feel like there is a lot of comparison
that is happening in the Kenyan
community; I want to say that we
should celebrate everyone with the
audacity to endure this very difficult
line of work.”
Having left the country at a very tender
age, Gathegi cannot speak Swahili
but his Kenyan roots are unshakable
as he loves Kenya’s most common
meal, ugali, which is referred to as the
‘Kenyan cake’ by Americans.
Plan for Kenyan
film industry?
“I love my country and I would really
hope to run a workshop with young
Kenyan actors to train them on a few
things that I have picked from my
acting career,” notes Edi, adding that
Kenya is his home.
To actors and actresses still trying to
establish their footage in the industry,
Gathegi advises: “Never give up. If you
give up today, tomorrow may be your
day for breakthrough”.
F i l a m u K e n y a PA G E 2 3 n o w p l a y i n g