Gaetano Kagwa talks about his acting journey

His name was on everyone's lips, even Bebe Cool sang a song after his name, Gaetano.

Gaetano is an actor, radio presenter, and emcee among other things. In his interview with Flavia Tumusiime on MultiChoice’s Home of our Stars podcast on YouTube, Gaetano takes us back to where it all started -- Big Brother Africa and how it laid a foundation for him in Uganda’s entertainment industry.

“When it is a first of anything, it makes a splash, look at the films that have been the first of every franchise; Terminator I, Rambo I. We were the first housemates to have that African stage, I mean all those that followed were great but you can never forget that first Big Brother Africa,” Gaetano reflects with amusement on his glory days in the BBA house.

“Once we joined the set, of course, people knew there might or might not be a camera there. However, after the second day, we all stopped caring and that is when it got real... BBA was the first pedestal, it is what got me into households, the younger people usually associate me with radio but the older ones, it's BBA.”

On landing into the acting world, he said: “I have always enjoyed the big screen so it was an easy-go when I returned from BBA, I was just normal, with no idea and preparation about the film, I didn’t know I could pull off this whole celebrity thing... I, therefore, decided to hit the iron while it was still hot and utilised every opportunity that came my way.”

After BBA, Gaetano landed a major role in the film Changers, which was done in Kenya.

“I had a major role but my first day on set was quite scary, Here I was with people that knew what they were doing, I was quite star-struck though,” he said, adding that he was surprised and shocked at how efficiently things panned out on a well-run set.

Since then, it was quite quick with opportunities showing up in the different aspects of the entertainment industry. He even starred in Beneath the Lies alongside many other names.

Gaetano Kagwa, however, said it hasn’t been a smooth flow and described his first experience auditioning for a film.

“Immediately after BBA, there was a role available in the show Generations, I was to act as a brother to Nigerian Actor Akin Omotoso,” he said.

“I was called and given a script to read, but I was so nervous, out of my depth, out of my zone, so clueless. Needless to say, have you ever seen me on the Generations show?”

He advised: “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly. One failure should not put you down, I have had opportunities coming through for me. This is all because I listen and learn and thus have managed to get through all roles that have come by over time helping me mold my craft.”

Gaetano Kagwa compared on-screen acting to the stage: “On-screen acting is much easier because of all the props that make it work, with stage however, you must command the audience with every single sense you have which can be challenging. I nonetheless love to watch local content in its’s lowest form in theatre.”

From radio to reality TV, emceeing and now on T.V. as Phillip on the musical drama series Junior’s Drama Club, the first-ever Ugandan musical airing on Pearl Magic Prime, Gaetano Kagwa is the gift that just keeps giving.