Sudden death always feels like a sucker punch, sometimes more than others. I just got the word that Kenyan actor Charles J. ("Charli") Ouda has passed away at the age of 38.
I had the happiness to appear opposite Charli in Edward Einhorn's adaptation of Jack London's The Iron Heel in the summer of 2016. We played the show all over the city, in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, at two locations in Harlem, and in an uptown public garden. I was typecast as the villain -- he was typecast as the hero. He had that quality: even-tempered, quietly conscientious, considerate and, yeah, the handsomest guy in the room. He even sang and played guitar. I had a vague idea that he was well known in his native country, but didn't know the half of it as related in this obit in the Kenyan edition of Nation. I also learned the heartbreaking news that since last fall he had been engaged to be married to Kenyan broadcaster Ciru Muriuki, in what looks to have been a storybook romance. They co-hosted this podcast.
Stories have emerged in the Kenyan press as to the cause of his death, and they seem to be more than rumors, but even if they're true I don't feel like amplifying them so soon after getting this bad news. He was a deep guy, a thoughtful guy, and a brave activist for human rights, including women's rights. Let that be the takeaway. I enjoyed working with him a lot, in spite of an artistic dilemma -- my character said a good many nasty things to his over the course of that show! I had to be good and mean to a sweet guy! I'm so grateful that we parted with a hug, handshake, and smiles. Godspeed to a good man.
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