By Hussein Kiganda
Acting could be as confusing as singing, especially when a stammering actor does not stammer during acting, but does in day-to-day life.
Oftentimes, actors who stammer lose self-esteem and give up on their dreams because they think they cannot take on some roles.
Well, actor Housen Mushema did not give up his dreams. Even as a stammerer, he has managed to build his career and is now rated as one of the best actors in the country.
Talking to filmmakers and actors during the Film Club Session at the National Theatre on Tuesday, February 14, 2023, he opened up on how he manages to overcome the stammering element in him.
“I do stammer, but people do not realise this because I control it. When I am speaking and another person interferes, I keep quiet because I do not want to compete with them in speech. If I try to, I could end up stammering, so I choose not to speak,” Mushema said.
He advised that actors that have other weaknesses should sit down, and then devise means of combating them to become better people.
Mushema urged male actors to work on their bodies, hygiene, and appearance to build a respected and castable brand.
“Male actors, please go to the gym, eat well, look well, and work on yourselves, please. People always want to work with people who have made such qualities,” he said.
Mushema is a commercial moderator, fashion producer, and actor. He is popular for his role in Balikoowa. He also took up roles in The Hostel, Second Chance, Power of Legacy, Mistakes Girls Do, Veronica’s Wish, Bed of Thorns and several more.
In Hollywood, some of the actors that stammer are; Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Nicole Kidman, James Earl Jones, Marilyn Monroe and several more.
