LENNY JUMA TALKS ABOUT CASTING OLIVER LITONDO ON THE FIRST GRADER MOVIE

Acclaimed Kenyan casting director and actor Lenny Juma has disclosed the remarkable story behind the casting of Oliver Litondo in the critically acclaimed film The First Grader. 

Speaking in an interview with Cheptoek Boyo on Buzz Central Podcast, Juma recounted how he discovered Litondo for the role of Kimani Maruge, a former Mau Mau freedom fighter determined to get an education, after an extensive global search for the perfect actor.

When the producers of The First Grader began casting, they envisioned Maruge as a rugged, dreadlocked figure reflective of his Mau Mau past. However, Juma had a different vision. “Some people, when they read the script and saw that Kimani Maruge was supposedly a Mau Mau, were looking for someone with dreadlocks and a rough look,” Juma explained. “But I knew Oliver Litondo was the right man for the role.”

The search for Maruge spanned the globe, with producers struggling to find the ideal actor. A South African casting director overseeing the project reached out to Juma for assistance. “They described who they were looking for, and I asked for $2,000 (Sh259,000) and two weeks to find the man,” Juma said.

Despite knowing Litondo was the perfect fit, Juma faced a challenge: Litondo had left Nairobi and was nowhere to be found. Determined, Juma tracked down people who knew Litondo’s whereabouts and eventually located him. “I explained the role to him and paid for his bus fare to come to Nairobi,” he recalled.

When Litondo arrived, the film’s director immediately knew the search was over. “The director said, ‘We are not looking anymore.’ He got the role,” Juma said. Litondo’s portrayal of Maruge was nothing short of extraordinary, earning him widespread acclaim and numerous awards.

“That movie would have won an Oscar, but because it was an independent production, it didn’t,” he noted. “But Oliver won all the awards you could think of in the industry.”

The First Grader, directed by Justin Chadwick, tells the inspiring true story of Kimani Maruge, an 84-year-old Kenyan man who fought for his right to an education.