When I meet Linda Alexette and Belinda Joanna, I am stunned. The two young actresses are on time and look so alike that I can only tell them apart by their different dresses.

They are bubbly and vivacious that it is easy getting into the business of the day, getting to know them.

The twins came into the limelight after starring as Tobi and Kobi in Maria, a local soap opera.

They grew a social media following as a res ult of their acting prowess and promptly started influencing work once the soap opera ended.

The twins have starred in several local productions, which include Jela 5 star among others.

As to the question of whether acting was a career they had planned on getting into, they say that it is the best and most unexpected thing to happen to both of them.

“We one day heard there were some auditions. We did not know whether they were for a film series or a movie.

We simply did a video audition, sent it out, and God did the rest,” Belinda shares.

Growing up, Belinda wanted to be an air hostess. “I at some point abandoned that dream when I saw that my height was not increasing with age.

I decided to pursue my first love, fashion and design. I now create designs for Linda, and style a few of our friends with the aim of one day starting my fashion line.

I also work in the fashion department at Jiffy Pictures,” Belinda reveals.

Career journey

Linda on the other hand always wanted to be a doctor. However, she would come across business administration while in school and immediately fell in love with the subject.

She loves business and the idea of ably running an enterprise so much that she studied Business Administration.

She is still acting and showing up for auditions whenever she can. She is passionate about acting and is planning to keep doing it for a long time to come. 

She feels lucky to have a readymade confidant who has stood with her since birth.

Of course, there were times when she was not very armoured with the idea of being a twin, especially when they would get dressed in similar outfits and people would confuse one for the other.

She says many people disliked the matching outfits that siblings, not just twins, were forced to wear. 

Despite sibling squabbles that any close relationship undergoes, she would not change a single thing.

Growing up, their dad would always tell them that God did not make a mistake when He made them twins.

This is true as most of the roles that they have taken on the silver screen factor in not just their acting prowess, but that they are identical as well.

She credits their parents with helping shape them into the people they are today in the world, as well as their relationship with each other.

“Our parents are supportive of our dreams. My dad prays over us and all our dreams.

My mother is so happy with our acting success that at times she introduces herself as Mama Tobi and Kobi,” Linda shares, her eyes twinkling with joy.

The two trade looks and inside jokes easily. They are clearly friends even as they are twins.

They share how they support each other and are invested in each other’s success.

They confide in each other and share secrets, dreams, highlights and challenges.

Confidant since birth

They feel lucky to have gone through primary school together though they had to go to different high schools.

Nonetheless, their bond weathers anything, including distance and time, as they support each other’s endeavours. 

They give the example of how Linda applied for Styles Connect, an influencer challenge being conducted by ibis Styles, a leading hotel in Nairobi where a brand ambassadorship and cash were at stake, Belinda would gladly provide outfits to wear during some challenges and use her social media page to create more buzz around her sister’s work.

Belinda is also Linda’s chief critic as she is invested in her success and wants her to be the best person she can be.

They share how they make each other better by highlighting each other’s weaknesses and supporting each other to eliminate them. 

“There are hard times and lean times, we support each other through those moments too.

We are constantly learning from each other. Linda is a dreamer and a generally fun person.

I have learned acceptance and how to loosen up from her. I am stricter with time, schedules and to-do lists.

Linda has picked this from me, I suppose. We are all evolving. We hope to keep pushing each other to be better day on day,” Belinda shares.

Seeing they are identical twins, would they also consider getting married to twins?

They say they are not attracted to the same personality type, so twins who are not exactly alike would be an interesting idea to toy with.

Right now, they are looking at character first before looking at whether the partner is one half of a twin set.

But what does the future look like for the twins? They want to keep working in the film industry both in front and behind the camera.

They also want to keep influencing with products and services that align with their personal brands.

They share how they will keep working hard and only time and God will tell how high they will soar.