Catherine Kamau
{{Short description|Kenyan actress (born 1987)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Catherine Kamau
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| other_names = Selina
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1987|02|03}}
| birth_place = Kenya
| nationality = Kenyan
| alma_mater = MultiMedia University of Kenya
| occupation = Actress
| years_active =
| children = 2
| spouse = {{marriage|Phillip Karanja|2017-2023}}
| known_for = Sue Na Jonnie (2017)
Disconnect (2018)
Plan B (2019)
| website =
}}
Catherine Kamau (born February 3, 1987){{Cite web |url=https://nairobinews.nation.co.ke/chillax/celina-child-tender-age |title=Celina: No apologies for getting a child at a tender age |date=February 3, 2017 |publisher=Nairobi News |access-date=October 15, 2020}} is a Kenyan actress, popularly known as "Celina" (or "Selina"{{Cite web|last=Mutsoli|first=Vivian|title=Mother-in-Law: Synopsis, characters, and their real names|url=https://www.tuko.co.ke/amp/370537-mother-law-full-cast-real-names-photos.html|access-date=October 15, 2020|publisher=Tuko}}) and "Kate Actress".{{Cite web|date=July 10, 2020|title=Award winning actress CATHERINE KAMAU advises single mothers to accept and move on using her own experience.|url=https://kenyan-post.com/2020/07/award-winning-actress-catherine-kamau-advises-single-mothers-to-accept-and-move-on-using-her-own-experience/|access-date=October 15, 2020|publisher=Daily Post}}{{Cite web |url=https://kenyandigest.com/catherine-kamau-kate-actress-teaches-how-to-balance-work-and-family/ |title=Catherine Kamau (Kate Actress) teaches how to balance work and family |publisher=Kenyan Digest |date=November 6, 2019 |access-date=October 15, 2020 |archive-date=October 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024020253/https://kenyandigest.com/catherine-kamau-kate-actress-teaches-how-to-balance-work-and-family/ |url-status=dead }}
She came into the limelight for her role in the Citizen TV show, Mother In-Law where she played Celina. She has also featured in other films such as Sue na Jonie, [https://m.imdb.com/title/tt16024170/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk Nafsi], Plan B, and Disconnect.
Catherine attended Chogoria High School where she joined the drama club and became well known for her talent, before moving to Loreto Convent Msongari where she won the 'Miss Loreto' Award.{{Cite web |last=Okumu |first=Lynet |date=2023-09-19 |title=Kate Actress' Biography: Education, acting career, net worth & her close-knit family |url=https://www.pulselive.co.ke/entertainment/celebrities/kate-actress-biography-education-acting-career-net-worth-and-her-close-knit-family/x7zb40b |access-date=2024-11-19 |website=Pulselive Kenya |language=en}}
She has a Diploma in Communications, majoring in public relations from Kenya College of Communication and Technology which was upgraded to MultiMedia University of Kenya.
Catherine Kamau is the brand ambassador{{Cite news|date=2019-05-21|title=Size 8, DJ Mo and other Kenyan celebrities with ambassadorial jobs (Photos)|language=en-EN|work=Pulselive Kenya|url=https://www.pulselive.co.ke/entertainment/12-kenyan-celebrities-with-ambassadorial-jobs/xsfq6yp|access-date=2021-11-10}} for Harpic Kenya and the Nice and Lovely Petroleum Jelly.
She was married to Phil Karanja but are divorced as of 19 September 2023.
Career
Catherine played the role of Selina (or Celina) the wife of Charlie (Patrick Oketch) on the Citizen TV drama series Mother-in-Law{{Cite web|date=June 13, 2018|title="He has never been a drunk" Celina heaps praise on her television sweetheart as he turns a year older|url=http://www.ghafla.com/ke/he-has-never-been-a-drunk-celina-heaps-praise-on-her-television-sweetheart-as-he-turns-a-year-older/|access-date=October 15, 2020|publisher=Ghafla!}} which began in 2006. She then left the show for the Swahili language TV series Sue Na Jonnie, in which she played the role of Sue.{{Cite web |url=http://www.ghafla.com/ke/celina-reveals-left-tv-show-mother-law/ |title=Celina reveals why she left Tv show Mother-in-law |date=February 26, 2018 |publisher=Ghafla! |access-date=October 15, 2020}}{{Cite web |url=https://m.imdb.com/title/tt7640582/fullcredits |title=Sue Na Jonnie |publisher=IMDb |access-date=October 15, 2020}}
File:Caterine Kamau - The Kalasa International Award 2017.jpg
She won the Best Lead Actress in the TV Drama Series category in the Kalasha Awards 2017 and again received a nomination in 2018, for her role in "Sue Na Jonnie".{{Cite web|last=Njoroge|first=Mike|date=October 18, 2018|title=Kalasha Awards 2018: Kenyan film submitted for Oscars bags 12 nominations|url=https://businesstoday.co.ke/kalasha-awards-2018-kenyan-film-submitted-oscars-bags-12-nominations/|access-date=October 15, 2020|publisher=Business Today}}{{Cite web|date=December 5, 2019|title=Selina, Plan B and more Kalasha Awards 2019 winners to stream on Showmax|url=https://stories.showmax.com/selina-plan-b-and-more-kalasha-awards-2019-winners-to-stream-on-showmax/|access-date=October 15, 2020|publisher=Showmax}} She was nominated in the Best Supporting Actress in a Film category of the Kenya Film Commission Kalasha Awards 2018 for her role in the film "Disconnect".Sarah Hassan
She played the role of Joyce in the 2019 romantic comedy film, "Plan B", produced by Sarah Hassan and directed by the Nigerian film maker, Dolapo Adeleke (Lowladee).{{Cite web |url=https://paukwa.or.ke/plan-b/ |title=Plan B |publisher=Paukwa |date=January 30, 2020 |access-date=October 15, 2020}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.nollywoodreinvented.com/2019/02/plan-b.html |title=Plan B |publisher=Nollywood Reinvented |date=February 15, 2019 |access-date=October 15, 2020}} For her role as Joyce, she was once again nominated for the Best Supporting Actress in Film category in the 9th edition of the Kenya Film Commission Kalasha Awards 2019.{{Cite web |url=https://nairobinews.nation.co.ke/editors-picks/kalasha-awards-deal-with-star-times-irks-actress-catherine-kamau |title=Kalasha Awards deal with Star Times irks actress Catherine Kamau |last=Ambani |first=Sylvania |date=November 2, 2019 |publisher=Nairobi News |access-date=October 15, 2020}}
Catherine Kamau has also recently featured in two movies [https://m.imdb.com/title/tt21960720/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk The Grand Little Lie] (GLL), produced by '"Phil It Productions" as part of the main cast. The movie premiered in October 2021 and it made a debut on the international streaming platform Netflix{{Cite AV media |url=https://m.imdb.com/title/tt21960720/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk |title=A Grand Little Lie (2021) ⭐ 8.0 {{!}} Drama |language=en-US |access-date=2024-08-24 |via=m.imdb.com}}
She is also a content creator and a YouTuber. On her [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4p17wJrblGzL-nC6XLwrVg YouTube channel], she speaks on fashion, style, acting, lifestyle and motherhood. She is passionate on the issue of teenage pregnancies. Having been a teen mother, and has a dubbed phrase 'Queens must wait', in which she encourages young girls to wait first before deciding to be mothers.{{Cite web|title=Kate Actress - Celina - YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4p17wJrblGzL-nC6XLwrVg|access-date=2020-11-02|website=www.youtube.com}}
In May 2024, She visited the USA as part of President Ruto's entourage for the state visit. Her invitation, as a representative of the Kenyan Creative industry, came from the Former US ambassador to Kenya, Meg Whitman.{{Cite web |last=Nzyoka |first=Nzula |date=2024-05-21 |title=Kate actress encourages young actors, shares photos from US visit - KBC |url=https://cloud.kbc.co.ke/kate-actress-encourages-young-actors-shares-photos-from-us-visit/ |access-date=2024-11-18 |language=en-US}}
During the Jamhuri Day celebrations in Kenya in December 2024, she got awarded with an Order of The Grand Warrior (O.G.W) Presidential Award in recognition of her role in the Film industry.{{Cite web |date=2023-12-12 |title=Kate Actress feted the Order of the Grand Warrior award |url=https://nairobinews.nation.africa/kate-actress-feted-the-order-of-the-grand-warrior-award/ |access-date=2024-12-12 |website=Nairobi News |language=en-US}}
Personal life
Kamau has been married to Phillip Karanja (alias Phil or Melvin), a film director and former Tahidi High actor from November 17, 2017, to September 2023 when they officially announced their separation and divorce plans. Their honeymoon was celebrated in Seychelles.{{Cite web |url=https://naibuzz.com/catherine-kamau-celina-hubby-share-photos-honeymoon/ |title=Catherine Kamau (Celina) and Hubby Share Photos From Their Honeymoon |date=November 21, 2017 |publisher=Naibuzz |access-date=October 15, 2020}}
In an earlier relationship while at Kampala International University in Uganda, at the age of 19, she gave birth to her first son, Leon Karanja, in 2006 who Phillip adopted.{{Cite web |url=http://motherhoodinstyle.net/2019/05/27/actress-catherine-kamau-offers-solid-advice-single-moms-finding-love/ |title=Catherine Kamau Offers Solid Advice To Single Moms On Finding Love Again |last=Simi |first=Jumoke |date=May 27, 2019 |publisher=Motherhood in-Style Magazine |access-date=October 15, 2020}} In September 2019, it was revealed by several news media that she and her husband were expecting their first child together.{{Cite web |url=https://nairobinews.nation.co.ke/chillax/catherine-kamau-reveals-pregnancy-with-hubby-philip-karanja |title=Catherine Kamau reveals pregnancy with hubby Philip Karanja |last=Matiko |first=Thomas |date=September 24, 2019 |access-date=October 15, 2020}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/entertainment/local-news/2001343111/photos-catherine-kamau-hubby-philip-karanja-expecting-first-child-together |title=PHOTOS: Catherine Kamau, hubby Philip Karanja expecting first child together |publisher=The Standard |access-date=October 15, 2020}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.ghafla.com/ke/baby-onboard-former-mother-in-law-actress-catherine-kamau-and-husband-expecting-their-first-child-together/ |title=Baby onboard! Former Mother-in-Law actress Catherine Kamau and husband expecting their first child together |date=September 24, 2019 |publisher=ghafla! |access-date=October 15, 2020}}
Kate and Philip Karanja announced their divorce on 19 September through a joint statement posted on their respective Instagram accounts.{{Cite web |last=Salasya |first=Bill Cyril |date=2024-02-13 |title=Phil and Kate Actress relationship timeline and divorce |url=https://www.tuko.co.ke/facts-lifehacks/celebrity-biographies/537610-phil-kate-actress-relationship-timeline-divorce/ |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=Tuko.co.ke - Kenya news. |language=en}}
Filmography
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:100%; margin:auto; background:#fff;" | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–date | Mother-in-Law | Selina (Celina) | TV series |
| 2017–2019{{Cite web|title=Sue Na Jonnie (TV Series, 2017 –2019)|url=https://filamu.org/tv/sue-na-jonnie/|access-date=2021-11-10|website=Filamu|language=en-GB}} | Sue Na Jonnie | Sue | TV series |
| 2018 | Disconnect | TK | Netflix film |
| 2019 | Plan B | Joyce | Netflix film |
| rowspan="2" |2021
|Nafsi |Shiko |Netflix film | |||
| A Grand little lie
| |Film |
Awards and nominations
| class="wikitable"
|+ !Year !Award !Title !Role !Notes |
| 2019
|Sue Na Jonnie |Sue |Best Supporting Actress{{Cite web|title=Catherine Kamau|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm9424794/awards|access-date=2021-11-10|website=IMDb}} |
| 2017
|Kalasha Awards |Sue Na Jonnie |Sue |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://hashtagsquare.co.ke/catherine-kamau-biography/ Catherine Kamau Biography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021021851/http://hashtagsquare.co.ke/catherine-kamau-biography/ |date=2020-10-21 }}
- [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9424794/awards?mode=desktop&ref_=m_nm_awd Catherine Kamau Awards]
- {{IMDb name|9424794}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kamau, Catherine}}
Category:Kenyan film actresses
Category:Place of birth missing (living people)