“My Wife And I Go Through The Scripts Together”: Lenana Kariba On Filming Intimate Scenes On ‘Single Kiasi’

Dig a little deeper into Lenana Kariba’s earlier roles and you’ll find that his characters have always had a mysterious mean streak to them, from How to Find a Husband, where he plays a young chef hell-bent on wooing Sarah Hassan’s married-but-unhappy Carol, to News Just In, where he plays a TV station’s new hire Simon, who’s just as charming as he is conniving in trying to seduce his news editor.

In Single Kiasi, now back for a third season on Showmax, Lenana plays Nick, a local celebrity who arrives in Rebecca’s (Faith Kibathi) life with an air of mystery and charm before everything goes to ruin. In the interview below, we caught up with Lenana, who shared more about Nick, coming back for Single Kiasi Season 3, filming intimate scenes and more.

First of all, this is coming a little bit late but congratulations on fatherhood. How has the journey been so far?

Thank you so much. Being a dad is fantastic; it’s something that I always wanted in my life. Our daughter Ava definitely keeps us on our toes but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Right now I’m still in the easy stages as Ava is only nine months old. Fatherhood has taught me about life; it’s also definitely showed me I can function on less sleep than I thought.

Let’s talk Single Kiasi: we last saw you in Season 1. It must be good to be back?

It’s great to be back, of course. I’ve had so much fun shooting Season 3 and I feel like we’ve been able to develop the character and show more of Nick than what we got in Season 1.

Did you always know you were going to come back or were you caught by surprise like all of us?

I really wasn’t sure as the way Nick’s story ended in Season 1 was kind of going out with a bang. I’d had a great time shooting that season and I was okay with the possibility of that being it. But then when I got the call about Season 3, it was a no-brainer for me. I didn’t need to see the script or anything like that to agree as I knew whatever they had planned for Nick would be epic.

Nick didn’t leave the show on good terms with Rebecca, and you broke a lot of hearts for the fans as well. Why should we root for him this season?

Without giving too much away, Nick was misunderstood in Season 1. You’ll have to wait for the comeback to understand exactly why but of course everyone should be #TeamNick. More and more shall be revealed about who he is, so less mystery and more insight into his world this season.

You and Faith Kibathi seem to have good on-screen chemistry. How has it been acting alongside her?

We have awesome chemistry; she’s an amazing actress and working with her has been really easy. We already knew each other before Single Kiasi, which I think helped us bond on screen but honestly, when you’re working with someone that talented, it will always look good

What’s the secret or tip to nurturing good on-screen chemistry with your co-star, especially in romantic settings?

There is no secret I can give other than in romantic scenes you just need to be completely vulnerable in front of the camera. The person you’re working with has to do the same in order to make it successful. Being an actor requires you to be very open to anything a script might throw at you so it’s not for those that are shy or easily embarrassed.

Sex scenes are some of the hardest scenes to do. How did you and Rebecca pull it off and make it so believable? And is there guidance from the directors etcetera on set?

Honestly, sex scenes are not even the hardest ones to do. It’s all choreographed by the directors as they have a vision for exactly how they want it to come out. The actor’s job is just to bring the emotions to make it look real. There is nothing sexy about having three cameras and multiple people watching you act out a sex scene.

How does your wife feel about these intimate scenes with other actors on-screen? Do you guys ever discuss it? And do you guys ever watch the show together?

My wife and I always go through scripts together before I shoot anything. I’ve said it before: she really is the most understanding person when it comes to my job. She supports my career 100% in the same way I support hers and she’s all about Nick and the things he does. We definitely watch Single Kiasi together and now it’s our weekly plan again as the new episodes drop.