When Tessy first stood in front of a camera, she wasn’t chasing fame or planning a career in acting. She was simply curious.

Today, that curiosity has grown into a career that has made Kayonga Gatesi Divine, better known as Tessy, one of the familiar faces of Rwanda’s film and television industry. From The Secret, where she made her acting debut in 2020, to recent productions like Backstage, she has steadily built a filmography that reflects both growth and versatility.

Tessy as Kaliza in Kaliza wa Kalisa

When Cinemag spoke to Tessy, she admitted that acting was never part of her original plan.

"Being an actress wasn’t my dream. I tried it out of curiosity, but little did I know it would become the beginning of my career. It was fun, I enjoyed it, and eventually I fell in love with it. That’s how I became who I am today, and I’m still learning."

Since her debut, Tessy has appeared in productions including Maya, Waz You, The Bishop Family, Kaliza wa Kalisa, and Backstage. Along the way, her performances have earned her the Best Actress in a TV Series award at the 10th Mashariki Film Festival, recognising a career that continues to grow.

Having watched Tessy’s performances over the years, what stands out most is not simply the number of projects she has worked on, but the way she approaches each role. Compare her performances in Kaliza wa Kalisa and Backstage, for example, and the difference is striking. From her body language and facial expressions to the way she speaks and reacts, every character feels like a different person.

Tessy as Madame Shema in Kaliza wa Kalisa

That transformation doesn’t happen by chance.

Tessy says her preparation begins long before filming starts.

"The first thing I do is read the script because it helps me understand the character I’m going to portray. Before filming, I take time to study that character and understand who they are. Memorising the lines is only the first step. Acting is something different. I don’t want to simply say the words I’ve memorised—I want to feel them and embody the character."

It is an approach that explains why her performances rarely feel repetitive. Rather than carrying the same mannerisms from one project to another, she allows each character to develop an identity of its own.

Asked which roles have shaped her career the most, Tessy points to three.

Waz You remains special because it was her first leading role. The Bishop Family introduced her to television audiences, while Kaliza wa Kalisa challenged her to portray a character living a double life.

Still from Waz You

Among them, however, it is Kendra in Maya that continues to stand out.

The role demanded a level of emotional vulnerability that was far removed from Tessy’s own personality. She had to portray someone deeply in love and spend much of the story in tears, making it one of the most emotionally demanding performances of her career.

"The role I played as Kendra in Maya was very hard for me. I had to be vulnerable, which wasn’t my thing. I had to make sure that a guy loved me, something I had never done before, but I had to do it anyway. In Maya, I shed tears a lot. It was my very first time crying on that level, but I managed to do it."

Still from Maya (Tessy playing Kendra)

Experiences like that are why Tessy still describes herself as someone who is learning.

For her, every role is an opportunity to grow—not only through the characters she portrays, but also through the people she works with.

"Every role comes with a new experience. I learn something from every character I play and from every director and actor I work with. That’s why I still describe myself as someone who’s learning. I’m not where I want to be yet, and I don’t think any actor ever reaches a point where they know everything. There’s always room to improve."

Her latest role as Gina in Backstage presented a different challenge altogether. Although the character is a singer, Tessy isn’t. Yet her performance convinced many viewers otherwise, with some even asking her to release the songs featured in the series.

Tessy as Gina(Behind the scenes)

Asked how she made Gina feel so believable despite not having a musical background, Tessy says the answer lies in treating every role with the same level of commitment.

"Acting is my profession, so I approach every role as it is. When you love what you do, it becomes easier to do it."

Looking ahead, Tessy hopes to take that commitment beyond Rwanda by working on international productions and participating in film competitions around the world. She says she is drawn to roles that challenge her and take her far beyond her own personality.

"I always want roles that challenge me because I like learning from every character I portray. I’d love to play someone completely different from who I am in real life. People know me as someone who’s straightforward, friendly and doesn’t easily get bothered by things, so I’d enjoy exploring characters that are very different from me."

While audiences often remember the performances themselves, Tessy hopes they also remember something else.

"I hope they remember the message behind the character. People often notice the outfits, the makeup or how someone looks on screen, and that’s okay because those details matter too. But behind every character there’s always a message. More than anything, I hope audiences take that message with them."

Curiosity may have been what first brought Tessy in front of a camera, but it is no longer what defines her career.

Today, it is her commitment to understanding every character she plays that shapes her work. Whether the role demands vulnerability, a double life, or even convincing audiences she can sing, Tessy approaches it with the same belief: memorising the lines is only the beginning.

As she continues to take on new challenges and set her sights on international productions, that philosophy remains at the centre of the actress she is becoming.