Why Nuttal is actress for all the seasons

By George Orido

During the recent Africa Motion Academy Awards (AMAA) ceremony in Nairobi, one woman stood out from the pack: the pretty and popular Nollywood actress Kate Henshaw Nuttal.

The 2008 AMAA best actress, who is known locally for starring in Nollywood soap operas that are screened on local stations, is one of the most accomplished Nollywood actors.

Incidentally, she got into acting by chance, having initially studied microbiology in college.

Nuttal takes her acting with such commitment, she has featured in many roles, her most outstanding perhaps being her renditions as a vulnerable character. Ironically, in real life Nuttal is an outgoing, jovial and consummate storyteller. She epitomises vigour and her friends fondly call her "Energizer Battery," due to her convivial nature.

"I like keeping my friends warm and leaving a smile on the faces of the people that I meet," reveals Nuttal, flashing an infectious smile.

She believes people should live their lives to the full as long they do not hurt others along the way.

Faced with a choice between stage and screen acting, Nuttal says she would go for the stage any day.

Kate Henshaw Nuttal in Nairobi recently. [PHOTOS: GEORGE ORIDO/Standard]

Brutalised by militants

"The interactive platform that comes with stage offers unparalleled satisfaction because you meet real people reacting to the show and they crown it with a standing ovation," explains Nuttal.

She should know. She was the main actress in Eve Ensler’s V-Monologues playing the Angry V, in a tour that lasted two months in the neighbouring Ghana last year.

Earlier Nuttal starred as Mukume in The Little Drops which recounts the travails of a newly wed couple. They are brutalised by militants and Mukume raped as her new husband watches.

Incidentally, Mukume’s husband had dalliance with the militants and short-changed them in a deal. The militants see it right to extract revenge, and their pound of flesh.

Nuttal’s good looks, complimented with her model figure, have made her one of the most sought-after personalities in Nigeria.

She had her first TV commercial offer in 1990, before she ventured into movies through an introduction by her late mentor, JT Tom West.

The mother of a ten-year-old boy says she retained her youthfulness through sports and exercises.

"When I was in school I participated in nearly all sporting activities including hockey, handball, volleyball, swimming, dance and drama," says Nuttal who won the most versatile trophy every year of her schooling.

It is her outgoing personality hat has endeared her to so many people in Nigeria and in Kenya.

She explains that Nigerians cherish their own food and culture, saying that is why they prefer eating with their hands, instead of cutlery.

"Eating pounded yam, foofoo and fish with cutlery is an abomination; you even miss the real taste when don’t use your hands," says Nuttal, who also hosts her own cooking show on Nigerian Cuisine on TV.

She abhors violence against women. "I support women 100 per cent, and I support their rights wherever they are," says the woman who is associated with a non-governmental organization engaged with women rights in Nigeria.

Nevertheless, she is quick to say that this does not amount to her being a feminist.

Nuttal who has been acting now for 18 years won her first award with When the Sun Sets as the best upcoming artists.

"When people watched me in this film they started asking, ‘who’s that girl?’ and after that it has been a rollercoaster for me," she confides.

Nuttal first visited Kenya ten years ago and has fond memories of the world-famous Masai Mara Game Reserve, which she toured with her family, and the relative tranquility and favourable weather in Nairobi.