Ninsiima Ronah Solidad is a multi-award winning Ugandan born again Christian actress who got her breakthrough in 2018 war-drama film ‘94 TERROR’ that saw her bag two prestigious awards for ‘Best Actress’ from the Golden Movie Awards in Ghana and Rwanda International Movie Awards.
Ninsiima has also acted in movies like ‘THE TORTURE’, ‘LAILAH’, ‘MONICA’, ‘MISTAKES GALS DO’ and ‘WHAT IF’ by Mulindwa Richard, and stage plays such as ‘ZANSANZE’ by JOHN SEGAWA.
Most recently, she bagged the award for ‘Best Costumes Designer’ in the 2021 Uganda Film Festival Awards for award winning film ‘STAIN’ by Morris Mugisha where she was a Costumes Designer and Assistant Director.
GLIM: Growing up, what did you want to become?
N.R.S: I did want to be a lawyer at one point but I’m not sure I would have been the best person to be there because my emotions are so close to the surface. I don’t think I would have coped with it very well.
GLIM: How did you get into acting (Inspiration story)?
N.R.S: Now I won’t lie that I always believed in the Ugandan film industry. I was always part of the crowd that called the movies ‘BinaUganda’ (something that I dread hearing now). While at campus, a few of my friends (jungle family) always tried to persuade me to join the film industry because they felt I would be a very good actress. So one time, they pushed me to go and audition for HOSTEL season two but I didn’t go through. During this audition, I was challenged, my confidence let me down and stayed outside the door so I was literally trembling in front of the judges. This made me want to audition again, only this time, I would be walking in with my confidence (laughs).
To cut the long story short, my friends Yvonne, Precious, Martha and Eric (my then hairstylist) influenced me a lot to get into acting. They even walked with me for two hours to an audition one time because I didn’t have transport and needed their support system and confidence boost.
GLIM: What drives you as an actress?
N.R.S: First of all, it is the only thing I can do (laughs). I am so bad at everything else! I can’t imagine being anything else especially because I do it with love and no challenge can stop me from acting. Take for instance not long ago, I was accounting for a certain firm. The pay was not bad but the boss was unappreciative and rude; sometimes, she would even slap employees. This made me go like ‘no, no!’ and out I was. And yet, no matter how rude the producer or director is, I can’t leave acting.
Secondly, I have always wanted to inspire young girls mostly and with acting, the audience is big enough.
GLIM: What character have you played that resonated so deep with you and why?
N.R.S: Keza, I played Keza in the ‘94 TERROR’ and I think this character rubbed off with me because it portrayed things that my grandmother would explain well (may her soul rest in peace). Also, I love challenges and this role was very challenging for me. I believe I played it well and I like to think it is why I have received two awards for it. Best actress from the Golden Movie Awards in Ghana and Best Actress from the Rwanda International Movie Awards.
GLIM: Congratulations on your recent award wins at the UFF 2021. How did you feel having your talent and efforts recognized?
N.R.S: I live for these recognitions at the moment because there is so much doubt coming from our nation. So if we are being awarded for the profession our nation thinks so little of, I must say I am very proud. I was really happy when I started receiving congratulatory calls from the people that told me to stick to accounting as a profession. It was like a tap on the shoulder, telling me I was on the right path.
GLIM: What do you love most about acting?
N.R.S: Acting is therapy, especially as a kid, it was nice to have an outlet like that when I was really struggling with entertaining my mom. My parents separated when I was really young so I always wanted to entertain her thinking she was sad and yet the actual truth was I was the sad one. So I was always either dancing or acting and this took away my pain.
I think I connected with being able to bring to life what I wanted with acting. Performing helped me as a kid to channel my energy somewhere else, to put it out instead of turning it inward.
Acting is a kind of suspension of everything else that is happening, and it is nice to have something like that.
GLIM: What is the most challenging thing about your profession as an actress and how do you overcome it (them)?
N.R.S: As a female in film, there are many challenges but that will be a story for another day. Majorly, I will say the biggest problem we face as an industry is lack of support. Major Video On Demand platforms like NETFLIX, HULU, AMAZON, SHOWMAX to mention but a few decline our movies not because the content is bad but because they worry for their viewership statistics. You know that ban that was once in Nigeria, if it can be enforced in Uganda too, then maybe Ugandans will watch Ugandan films.
If Ugandan film needs to find support from within its country people, there has to be a crusade that pushes them towards the Ugandan films and also grow the cinema-going culture.
GLIM: Who do you look up to?
N.R.S: Viola Davis. I want to be her and maybe even better (laughs). Secondly, Winnie Kizza Byanyima. Both women challenge and inspire me. As a woman, I want to be Winnie and as an actress, I want to be Viola.
GLIM: What exciting projects are you currently working on that your fans should look forward to?
N.R.S: So I am throwing my nets in the deep ends of Producing. In the near future, I will be outing something that I produced myself and I just can’t keep calm. I am overly excited that things are working out for me. Like a child, you crawl, walk, run and before you know it, you are out of your father’s house. It’s called GROWTH.
GLIM: What would you like to be remembered for?
N.R.S: I would like the world to keep saying an actress changed girls’ lives and she helped change the narrative of how our parents think of the film industry.
I want people to be so proud of me and in the process, respect my profession.
QUICK 5
- What is the first thing you thought of this morning?
How amazing God has been to me. I try to always think about God first because I want to avoid waking up to my phone. - What is the last thing you googled?
I last googled about cake; to be specific, “where to get edible prints for cake in Uganda.” - If you could meet one person alive or dead, who would it be and why?
Viola Davis, Winnie Kizza Byanyima, Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington. How I wish I meet these people alive. - What are you currently binge-watching?
The ‘Bold Type’, ‘Lucifer’ and ‘The good Doctor’. - Uganda zaabu…what is the most Ugandan thing about you?
Whenever I am crossing a one way road, I look both left and right and right again to make sure there isn’t a boda guy coming from the wrong side.
Then my favorite snack is ROLEX. Forget snack, it’s my favorite food lol.
Lol💝
Keep going girl 🙏 at Ninsiima Ronah