Aicy Stevens, known for her comedy skits as Mama Ryan alongside Nick Kwach is mostly known for her arrogant, scowling skit character.
Aicy Stevens has always wanted to be an actor whose work transcends the boundaries of one-minute comedy skits on Instagram.
In Jiji, directed by Enos Olik, Aicy plays Mwende, whom she describes as “the typical ghetto lady trying to leave the ghetto and improve her life.”
She’s an adventurous beauty, a slick charmer and a natural pickpocket – a valuable asset in her group of four young girls fighting to make ends meet in the streets of Jericho.
Stevens said she is excited for her first role on a TV show which is also her first lead role.
“It’s a beautiful challenge because it’s something I’ve been looking forward to and that will help me grow my skills as an actress. And being a youth drama, Jiji is a story that I hold dear to my heart. This is a different kind of a show, it’s also very relatable and I’m sure our audience is going to love it.”
Acting has been her dream since she was a small girl “Thank God it has finally come true. It’s a fire that has been burning for long and yes, Mama Ryan’s role has helped me sharpen my skills. Now, I can immerse myself fully into my Jiji character Mwende and understand her because of the training I’ve had with Mama Ryan.”
Speaking about how her character Mama Ryan also came about, she said;
It was a random thought that came to mind since I had been doing skits for the longest time. The reception from our fans was very encouraging and gave us more morale to come up with more ideas about Mama Ryan and Baba Ryan. That’s how we built it.
She described Nick kwach as a creative, open-minded, and very supportive person.
“It has been a beautiful experience full of teamwork. He has also helped me nurture my acting talent.”
She went on to describe her new character; Mwende.
“Mwende is a go-getter, she’s sassy, hardworking, fashionista, a lover of the soft life and a no-nonsense character. What I like most about her is the fact that her character arc is 360 degrees and this gives her an opportunity to play with different emotions and personalities.”