Charles "Charlie" J. Ouda (July 3, 1985 – February 3, 2024) was a Kenyan actor, writer, director, television host, voice-over artist, singer, and events manager. He died on 3 February 2024 in Nairobi at the age of 38.
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Early life and education
Born in Nairobi, Kenya, Ouda began his professional career in the arts as early as 2002. In 2014, he moved to New York to study at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, undertaking a two-year conservatory program. There he trained alongside established industry figures such as Mauricio Bustamante and Paul Calderón.
Career
Theatre and stage
Ouda's first known stage appearance was in the musical Lwanda: Man of Stone at the Kenya National Theatre. Over his career, he performed in at least 15 plays and seven musicals, leading in roles such as Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Tony in Boy Gets Girl, Fick in Balm in Gilead, Mr. Black in Andrew Lippa’s Wild Party, Ernest Everhard in The Iron Heel, and his Kenya Theatre Awards-winning performance in the African debut of The Manic Monologues. His theatre work included performances in New York.
Television and film
On television, Ouda performed on Makutano Junction for over twelve seasons. His other screen credits included Better Days, Changing Times, Higher Learning, Changes, Mali, Second Family, Pepeta, Crime and Justice on Showmax, in which he played Kenneth Mumbi, and Salem on Maisha Magic, where he played Mel.
He also hosted and wrote for the educational children's show The Know Zone and co-hosted the youth program Discovery +254 alongside Sarah Hassan, winning the Kalasha Award for Best TV Host in 2015. He further appeared as a coach on Tusker Project Fame. His film credits include The First Grader, Sienna’s Choice, MAD, and Count It Out.
Beyond acting, Ouda was also an accomplished director and writer. His short film Who Are You? earned him the Best Director award at the 2016 Asian American Film Lab 72-Hour Shoot Out, while Waiting Room and Count It Out received Merit and Platinum Awards at the NYC Indie Film Awards and the Best Shorts Competition . In music, he co-wrote the song Fire in Your Kiss for the Coca-Cola PopStars group SEMA and released his own single Superstar, featuring Dan Aceda.
