DJ Lenium on balancing music, acting and a passion for storytelling

Many people know DJ Lenium for electrifying the dance floors, but way before he became a familiar face behind the decks, he had already discovered a passion for acting. While being a DJ introduced him to a large audience, he has loved storytelling since he was a child.    

His first stage acting role came at only four years old when he played Jirani in the Abunuwasi stories, a character who was always the victim. A year later, his talent and height earned him the role in Old King Cole. By the age of nine, he performed in a Gujarati play in the Bohra language as the only African among an Indian cast.

“That was my biggest stepping stone in acting. Throughout my entertainment journey, I kept auditioning because acting felt like another way of connecting with people. It was a natural extension of my creativity,” he says.

Though acting started early, it was never part of his original career plan. In high school at Allidina Visram, he chaired both the Wildlife Club and the Youth Counselling Club, where he organised events that exposed him to music and entertainment. After high school, his attention turned towards music.

“In my mind, music always came first. I didn't do any acting in high school, but after school, acting came along, and I embraced it. I never imagined I'd end up working in radio, becoming a DJ and acting at the same time,” he says.

His first professional television role came in 2013 in Reuben Odanga’s Swahili telenovela Saida, aired on a local television station, in which he played Ponda, a detective in love with a spoilt young woman. The role taught him discipline, patience and the importance of listening.

Acting, he says, isn’t only about delivering lines; it’s about being truthful to the character.

He recalls that breaking into television wasn’t easy. Many producers initially struggled to see him as an actor because of his DJ career. A year later, however, he landed the lead role in the comedy Kwa Maiko, which aired on Azam TV. The series revolved around a local drinking spot known for illicit brews and the colourful drama around it.

In 2016, he worked with filmmaker Stephanie Maseki on the film Michael, portraying a man battling prostate cancer while refusing to get help due to pride. The role challenged him to explore vulnerability on screen.

The following year, he joined Jiffy Pictures' television series Maza, playing a doctor running an asylum where one of the main characters, Kate, portrayed by Angie Magio, is falsely confined.

Just before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, he joined the popular television series Njoro wa Uba, where he played the angry and unpredictable Mapanga for two years.

In 2022, he reunited with Stephanie Maseki for The Message, in which he starred as Dr Patrick, a man trapped in a toxic relationship with his fiancée. The film earned three Kalasha Award nominations and won Best Makeup and Effects, a category in which DJ Lenium himself contributed the winning work.

In 2023, he appeared in Jiffy Pictures' telenovela Kovu, which aired on Maisha Magic, before taking on the role of the main villain, a ruthless shylock, in Nia, produced by AR Films and aired on StarTimes. Earlier this year, he portrayed a village chief in the television series Kutu.

While both careers involve entertaining audiences, he says DJing and acting demand very different skills.

“As a DJ, you're controlling the energy of the crowd. As an actor, you disappear into someone else's life and emotions,” he says.

He points out that performances as Ponda in Saida and Mapanga in Njoro wa Uba were as characters whose personalities were far removed from his own.

“DJing is naturally me because I'm feeding off the crowd. With acting, I have to find emotions that don't necessarily come naturally,” he says.  

His stage work includes Dangerous Divas by SeKiBa Empire Limited, in which he played the president, and the play 8 Cow Saints. Despite his growing acting career, he admits DJing still comes more naturally.

“I've spent more than 20 years behind the decks. Acting pushes me out of my comfort zone and allows me to create completely different characters,” she says.

He credits his years as a DJ with strengthening his confidence, timing and ability to perform under pressure – qualities that have proved valuable on set.

Preparing for television and theatre also needs different approaches. For television, he prefers studying scripts shortly before filming so that his performance feels authentic. Theatre, however, demands extensive rehearsals because there are no second chances.

“Theatre is more challenging because it's one take. You have to change emotions instantly without stopping. On television, there's always another take,” he explains.

Like many actors, he has occasionally forgotten his lines on stage. He stays in character when that happens.

He notes that while audiences know him as a warm and approachable person, he says villains are his favourite characters to portray.

Among all the roles he has played, the villainous shylock in Nia is his most memorable. Besides the intensity, the role involved physically demanding action scenes that left him with injuries from stones and a jump from the first floor of a building.

“I'm known as a loving person. That's exactly why I'd love to play the bad guy, someone who makes people suffer,” he says.

Not every opportunity appeals to him, however. He has turned down acting roles when productions appeared poorly planned or conflicted with his personal values.

“If someone calls me on the morning of a shoot and suddenly says they have a role for me, I don't feel prepared. I'd rather work with people who saw my potential and planned for me,” he says.

He balances acting with a busy DJ schedule through organisation and constant communication with production teams and event organisers. There have been days when he has gone directly from a performance to a film set, or vice versa.

Despite the demanding schedule, he says he enjoys both careers equally.

Acting has also changed how audiences perceive him. While fans once recognised him for the energy he brought to events, many of them now connect with the emotions he portrays on screen and stage.

For instance, he recalls performing as a deeply traditional and toxic father in one stage production, ending the play in tears. People were surprised to see him crying on stage. It showed them a completely different side of him.

DJ Lenium believes entertainment is about creating lasting experiences as a DJ and an actor.

“It's never about being seen. It's about how you make people feel. Whether through music or acting, you're creating moments people will never forget,” he says.

Inspired by Lupita Nyong'o's career, he hopes to take on challenging roles, tell powerful African stories for global audiences, and one day earn an Oscar nomination. He also hopes to mentor young actors entering the industry.

“I know how difficult it is when you're starting out. I'd like to help the next generation find their place in the industry,” he says.