Award-winning actor and revered media personality Jimmi Gathu sat down for an intimate and soul-stirring conversation with TV47’s Betty Kyallo on This Friday With Betty, marking 35 powerful years in the media and entertainment industry.
In a conversation that peeled back the layers of fame, failure, and fortitude, Gathu stunned many with a revelation: despite decades of trailblazing in radio, TV, and acting—he never studied mass communication.
“I actually pursued interior design and graphic arts,” he said, disarming in his honesty.
And yet, through sheer grit, raw talent, and unshakable charm, Gathu carved an iconic career—becoming a household name to generations of Kenyans.
“I worked for six years before I even realized I was famous,” Gathu chuckled. “A mzungu actually told me I was famous when they offered me an ambassadorship.”
The Sting of Betrayal: A Star’s Fall From the Spotlight
But behind the dazzling lights and public adoration came a season that cut deep. In 2016, after 26 years of uninterrupted employment, Gathu was suddenly fired.
The aftermath was brutal. “My phone stopped ringing. Even people I paid debts and school fees for went silent,” he recalled, the pain still fresh in his voice.
One moment shattered his trust: “At one point I was so low, I asked a friend for just KSh1,000. He kept calling me every 30 minutes to ask for his money back. This is someone I had helped with over KSh300,000, maybe even KSh400,000.”
It was a moment of raw humility—a gut-wrenching reminder that fame does not shield one from abandonment, and that generosity is not always repaid with loyalty.
Unexpected Kindness from Strangers
Yet even in the darkness, light found its way in. Gathu spoke emotionally about moments when strangers stepped in where friends stepped back.
“There are places I go and I don’t pay. People just volunteer to pay for me because they grew up watching me, or they respect what I’ve done. That makes all the difference,” he shared.
These quiet acts of gratitude often from people he’d never met—reminded him that his legacy was still alive, etched into the hearts of countless Kenyans.
From Icon to Mentor: A Father to a Generation
Having started acting in 1989, Jimmi Gathu now stands not just as a media icon, but as a father figure—in the industry and in life.
And as a father, he offered a striking lesson on parenting: “Never ever say, ‘I’ll give my kids what I didn’t have’. Instead, take the good things you experienced growing up, replicate them, and leave out the bad ones.”
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