ALL LIGHTS ON!

Cleopatra Koheirwe (me)

Hello my dears, guess you're wondering where i have been, huh? Yeah. I know. Had a lot to do and no time to fill up my blog but here is an interview that was done of me by one of the top rating magazines in Africa! African Woman magazine - The Voice for Women in Africa. It is a Ugandan magazine with two publications; one in Uganda, another in Kenya. It's slowly growing bigger. Thought I should share this with you so you get to know more about me. Enjoy!
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ALL LIGHTS ON: Cleopatra Koheirwe
                                        Story written by: Diane J. Binta

If I had to sum up Cleopatra in two words they would be diminutive dynamo. There is so much talent and energy contained in this one small actress/singer/dancer/writer/poet/presenter package. And she gives you the impression that she is only getting started.

The Edition Cleopatra featured in

Cleopatra Koheirwe seems to have been set on the path to stardom from day one. She was named after the heroine of the 1973 action film Cleopatra Jones, which her mother loved to watch. “From when I was little girl, I got so tired of people asking me if I knew about the great queen Cleopatra,” Cleo says.
It turns out that Cleo was not named after the Egyptian queen, but after a no-nonsense, kick ass special agent with attitude. And Cleo seems to have a bit of both women in her. There is something quietly regal in the way she carries herself, but also a hint of steel and determination in her eyes when she flashes her bright smile.
While she felt strange to be the only girl at school without a namesake, Cleo was not without friends, as she quickly gravitated towards activities that appealed to her artistic nature. She was always to be found in a drama club, an art club or a choir.
“I was always happiest when I was doing something creative and my breakthrough really came when I joined Namasagali College,” she says. “Being part of a Namasagali production at the National Theatre was such a big deal and I was thrilled to be chosen for the first time in 1999 as a dancer.”
This introduced Cleo to the experience of being in front of a live paying audience. It was after her role in the 2000 production, Secret Agent, that Ronnie Mulindwa of the Obsessions approached Cleo with the idea of joining the group. Her first ever production with them was the aptly named Cleopatra.
Contrary to popular perception, being in the Obsessions while she did her university degree actually kept her out of trouble. “The group was committed and disciplined and everyone looked out for each other. We spent lots of time improving our skills and there was really no time to be out there partying,” Cleo says. The proof of the pudding was in the honours Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences degree she left the university with.
Cleo may burn up the stage when she dances, but she is more of a quiet, reserved personality off stage. She will unwind by watching a movie, swimming or taking a nap. “I do my laundry and occasionally make mandazis to keep around the house as a snack. I love to cook,” Cleo says..
In 2005, Cleo joined WBS television, where she held slots on an entertainment magazine, a political programme and the fitness programme for which she became immensely popular. From TV, she went into radio, where she was a guest presenter on Capital FM and then worked on the Kampala International University radio station.
Cleo’s hands were very full, but her heart was set on exploring new horizons. An avid novel reader (she was a Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew and Sweet Valley High die hard in high school), Cleo had a love for words and had tried her hand at poetry. She became a contributor to African Woman magazine and as her involvement in the magazine grew, she knew it was time to leave the Obsessions.
“I had grown so much in the Obsessions and would not be anything that I am now without my time there. However, there was nothing more I could offer the group and I needed to develop as Cleo. It was so hard to leave,” she recalls.
Working a 9 to 5 job was a shock to Cleo’s system. “I am always excited about coming to work because I love writing, but office hours were alien to me. I am blessed to work in a place where there is a sense of flexibility, togetherness and team spirit,” she says.
To upgrade her writing skills, Cleo did a correspondence certificate in journalism from the University of South Africa. “I feel I have grown as a writer and as a poet,” Cleo says, adding that she is always learning more.
Cleo’s poetry is mostly about love and death. “Death is real to me because it has taken many loved ones from me – from my parents to close friends. It happens. I am also inspired by love because for me it is the largest part of living,” she says. “I could never write about things like politics. All that comes to mind when you say politics is pretence, lies and hypocrisy.”
Cleo’s dress sense is the envy of many, but unfortunately she has no amazing fashion secrets to share. “I look into my closet before I go to sleep and see something I might like to wear the next day. However, I may wake up feeling different, so my selections are purely random,” Cleo says.
If Cleo wasn’t where she is now, she might have been a painter. “I think being an artist does not allow you time for much else,” Cleo says. “I am happy that I have chosen a path where one experience could link and flow into another; from TV to radio to acting, to music... this path has worked for me.”
It surely has! Working in theatre provided the opening for Cleo’s first movie appearance – in the Idi Amin-inspired drama The Last King of Scotland, no less. She played the supporting role of Joy, and from that has gone on to a role in the new Mnet series Changes. “The pay cheque from Changes helped me buy my new car – I call her Princess!” Cleo says with a giggle.
She is set to begin filming a role in yet another movie to be directed by Donald Mugisha. This time she will have the challenge of a dual role as twins. “I am so fortunate that I can take time off from my job to pursue acting with the full support of my supervisors,” Cleo says.
In 5 to 10 years, Cleo hopes the movie industry will have grown and there will be more work to do, more roles to play and more young talent on the scene. She is also looking forward to new writing challenges and has a bucket list of the things she’d like to do.. Top on the list is a visit to Egypt. “I’ve spent my life being asked about the Cleopatra of Egypt. Since she cannot come to me, I must go to her at some point,” Cleo explains.
What does Cleo dislike about being in the public eye? “People think that because you are in the limelight, you are not human. They have high expectations of you and sometimes, they expect the worst of you too. People seem to think I should be rude, stuck up and difficult,” she says.
A compassionate spirit, Cleo hates to see human suffering and is absolutely ticked off by lies. “I hate it when people spread lies about others purely to hurt them,” Cleo says.
Cleo believes that anyone can do anything they set their minds to, and they should not think success is for a select few. However, you have to have support from those dear to you if you want to succeed. “My biggest support structure is my family and my boyfriend. They make it easy for me to do what I do,” Cleo says. “My work family and my friends are the best. They always tell me I can do this; I can succeed. That is so important to me.”

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