Things to know about Bridget Shighadi from Selina

Bridget Shighadi is the latest cast member on Maisha Magic’s popular show Selina, which also streams on Showmax. A small-town girl from Voi-Taita Taveta in Southern Kenya, the uber-talented actor left a simple life for Nairobi to pursue her dreams of working in media and entertainment.

She plays Angelica, a mid-twenties beauty with ambitions to be the world’s most popular model. Like Shighadi, Angelica comes from a modest background and is driven by her fears of going broke. If she must be extremely skinny to be a supermodel, she will be.

Meet Angelica on Selina

Speaking on the role, Shighadi says her fans should expect a different side of her. “Here, I got to show genuine emotions and be genuinely kind to the likes of Selina.”

Here are some facts about the future star.

She left home to pursue a career in entertainment

After high school, Shighadi moved to Nairobi and got immersed in the big city’s modelling scene. A friend informed her about the auditions for a commercial, she applied and got the job. It has been an upward trajectory since then.

How she entered the film industry?

Her foray into the commercial modelling world gifted her friendship with creatives and stakeholders in the Kenyan music, fashion and film industries. This ensured she was plugged into opportunities in these industries.

Her big break?

Her break didn’t come until 2017, when acclaimed film director, Tosh Gitonga, reached out about the movie Disconnect. She got a supporting role, Neema, a character vastly different from her personality. “But I took the challenge,” Shighadi says in an interview. “My performance in the film has opened many doors in my acting career.”

Here are some more facts about Bridget Shighadi

• Don’t let her aggressive roles on TV fool you, she’s an introvert and very shy.
• Her family called her Baby Elephant when she was in high school because she was chubby.
• Shighadi has a phobia for slimy crawling things like snails and millipedes; it is so bad she cries after encountering them.
• She is the last of six siblings, all raised by a single mother, who struggled to give them the best. 

Watch the latest episodes of Selina on Showmax.