Former Machachari actor Ian Nene, also known as Almasi, has shared insights into his challenging childhood and how he grew up in a toxic environment.
In an interview with Man Talk Podcast, the actor discussed the difficulties he faced after his biological father left, leaving him with a stepfather who exhibited abusive behavior towards his mother.
“My stepfather was a little bit abusive, well not to me but more so to my mom, and I would observe it, and my uncles obviously were like drenched in intoxication and just in this bad world,” Ian shared.
Reflecting on this experience, Ian highlighted how it influenced his perception of manliness, shaping his understanding of masculine energy.
“I didn’t have a good example of men in my life. My biological father had left my life when I was young, and he didn’t really make an active effort to connect to me in my youth, so I just always had like a bad sting in my mouth every time I thought about masculine energy,” Nene revealed.
The UK-based actor went on to explain how the absence of positive male role models affected his views on masculinity.
“So I was like wow, I’ve never experienced this before because my awareness of masculine energy was that you put up a front,” he shared.
Nene stressed the lack of mature and confident male figures during his childhood, expressing that he is now exposed to examples of men who are emotionally open and confident in themselves.
“Now I’m in this space, you’re getting all these examples of men who are mature and are confident within themselves, who can cry, who are emotional, so I thought you know what, I’d rather make this jump and see what it is,” he added.
Embracing Buddhism has also assisted him in addressing other challenges, such as coping with depression and substance abuse following his mother's breast cancer diagnosis.
Reflecting on the unexpected turn of events, he shared, "You don't think it's ever gonna happen to your family. I got really depressed for a while. I started getting into drugs."
Seeking refuge, he found solace in a Temple in Nairobi, where he engaged in conversations with monks about the complexities of life.
During a discussion on the Mtovie Podcast in January 2024, he recalled, "I was asking why do bad things happen to good people. I was very argumentative with them - the monks. I was like, why are you not giving me the same energy, and they are just looking at me and smiling."
In this dialogue, he expressed his expectation of a reciprocal argument, seeking confrontation.
However, the monks responded with confidence, using verses to convey insights about the journey of life, seasons of stress, and the laws of Karma.
He noted, "It was answering all my questions and not in the way I was used to. They were being answered confidently. That made me think, 'Okay, these guys are up to something. What's the secret?'"
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