Inspirational Actress Gioya Tuma-Waku

A girl of many talents and inspiring words, Gioya Tuma-Waku

Gioya Tuma-Waku in 'Bloggers'.

We recently caught up with the exceptionally talented and inspirational Gioya Tuma-Waku, who was happy to share some of her most treasured and life changing moments with us. Here is what she had to say:

Please introduce yourself to the readers and how and when did you first get into performing?

 

Hi everyone, my name is Gioya Tuma-Waku and I am an actress who was born in Congo and raised in South Africa. I first got into performing around the age of 4 when I started ballet which I continued to do for about 10 years. Then I did my first play at the age of 10 when my primary school put on a production of Aladdin and I was cast as a genie. Aladdin also happens to be my favorite Disney movie.

 

What inspired you to get into the entertainment industry?

 

From a very young age, movies have always been my happy place. It is a place that I would go to, to cheer myself up if I was sad, keep me busy if I was bored and bring me even more joy when I was happy. I also loved the ability for movies to transport you into a different world and how characters that never existed were brought to life and I wanted to be able to bring joy to others using what brought me so much joy. I wanted to transport people and get them invested in a character, in a life. After I did my first role, I knew it was definitely something I wanted to keep doing whether it was on stage or on the screen.

 

What kind of training have you had, if any?

 

I studied Speech and Drama in high school as one of my electives and participated in the drama club as an extracurricular activity. I also took some private training in South Africa with Hayley Roberts and then after that, I went on to get my Associates of Acting Degree at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles. Then I continued to get my Advanced Actor Training Certificate as well.

 

What has been your favorite role to play so far?

 

I actually have two, I can’t really decide between them but one is from theatre and the other from film. I played the character of Angelique from the play Angelique about an African slave take from an Island near Portugal. She was sold into slavery where she was raped by her slave owner, birthed children from the rape which she killed, forced into a marriage then accused and hung for burning a house down without a fair trial. It’s based on a true story. And then I also got to play the role of Destiny in a film called Bloggers. I love it because it’s a well rounded female character written specifically for me by the writer, Anele Morris, who had also previously seen me perform as Angelique. I feel like she played to my strengths which allowed me more comfort and freedom with my character.

 

What has been one of the most exciting achievements of your career so far?

 

Some exciting achievements for me include being directed by Sandy Martin for the play Face Divided by Edward Allen Baker. Sandy is a wonderful actress known for her work in Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Napoleon Dynamite, Shameless, Two Broke Girls, Seven Psycopaths, The Haves and the Have Nots and so on. It was great learning from someone who works so much in the industry and not only that, she is also a friend to the writer. So, just before the curtain of our opening night the cast members each received a letter written by Mr. Edward Allen Baker himself wishing us luck for our performances and giving us his thoughts on his own play and characters.

 

Another achievement for me was being part of Bloggers not only as an actress but as a producer too. I believed in the project so much that I had to be part of the team that made it happen so while I spent late nights working on my character, I also spent most of my day working with my other two producers to secure locations, actors and crew. Also, figuring out and allocating budgets and set decorating while also acting in a completely different project called Shine Bright, which also happened to be filming at that time. We got things done, produced a film and now it’s being submitted to film festivals.

 

What projects do you have coming up?

 

I have a number of films coming, most of them working with James Avelar who is the same director I worked with on Shine Bright. I also have a couple of different web series that I am a part of and signed on to for future seasons. I recently booked an independent pilot called Up The Ladder that I will be filming soon and this will get pitched to different platforms, networks and studios. Finally, I am also acting in another film that begins shooting soon. However, I am currently not at liberty at the moment to give much away about that.

 

Who would you most like to work with?

 

I think probably Shonda Rhimes or Lee Daniels because they are producing such great work right now and changing the game. I would also love to meet and work with the people they work with because they have some pretty badass people in their projects.

 

What are your plans for the future?

 

My plans for the future are to keeping acting, and never forgetting why I love it in the first place. I would also love to write a few of my own screenplays and maybe produce too. As long as I keep telling stories that count and matter because if I could affect even one person the way I was affected, then it’s a confirmation that I am telling the right stories.

 

What is your advice to aspiring performers?

 

Believe in yourself, no matter what. It doesn’t matter if no one else does because if you believe in yourself and work hard, you can prove it to them and change their minds. But it starts with you. Just keep putting in the work if this is something that you really want to do and know that rejection is a part of the job. All you need is that one yes in a pool of no’s and don’t worry about how long it takes you to reach your goals, we are all on a different journey so enjoy every step of the way. But if there is something else you can think of that you’d rather do than perform then do that because it’s not an easy industry and you have to prepare to fall down 50 times but get back up 51 times. Every time you get up and put work into your art you become a better artist.  It takes time, patience and practice. Also make sure to have a good support system because that makes a world of difference. Also, help people out along the way because you never know when you will need help or when someone will think of you for something because you helped them.