Adam to Eve star Marya Okoth discusses motherhood, fame, and finding harmony
By Peace Muthoka
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At just 26, Marya Okoth has lived several lives in the public eye — breakout TV darling, influencer, designer, mother, and now a woman rewriting her own narrative. From her scene-stealing turn as Maryann on A Nurse Toto to weathering a very public breakup and emerging stronger, bolder, and booked.
Now starring in Showmax’s gender-flip dramedy Adam to Eve, Marya opens on love, loss, motherhood, and the quiet power behind her glow-up and why this chapter might just be her most honest yet:
You’re trained in interior design and even worked in that field. How has your design eye influenced your work as an actress?
My background in interior design has shaped my acting more than people might expect. Design trains you to be detail oriented, emotionally intuitive, and aware of how spaces tell stories and all of that translates beautifully into performance.
It has also given me a keen eye for aesthetics on set. I naturally observe how wardrobe, set design, and lighting contribute to the narrative, and I enjoy collaborating with directors and production teams to make sure every visual moment supports the character’s truth.
At the end of the day, both design and acting are forms of storytelling, one through space, the other through emotion and I feel lucky that one discipline enhances the other for me.
Fans have seen you grow from acting to influence and motherhood. How do you balance so many identities and still stay authentic?
Motherhood, acting, and influencing each pull from different parts of my personality, but they all come from the same core, I show up as myself. I don’t try to fit into a box, and I don’t feel pressured to present a “perfect” image.
I have learned to give each season of my life its space. Some moments I’m fully immersed in motherhood, other times I’m deep in my craft on set, and sometimes I’m in creative mode as a storyteller and content creator. It’s less about balance and more about harmony knowing what needs me most in each moment.
What keeps me authentic is remembering why I started, I genuinely love connecting with people, telling stories, and evolving. My audience has grown with me, and I think they appreciate honesty, vulnerability, and the fact that I’m still learning and exploring just like everyone else.
You became widely recognized for your role in A Nurse Toto. What lessons from that experience do you bring to Adam to Eve?
A Nurse Toto was such a defining experience for me not just because it introduced my work to a wider audience, but because it taught me discipline, emotional depth, and the power of storytelling rooted in real everyday life. That role demanded vulnerability, humor, and grit, and it showed me how powerful it is when a character feels relatable and grounded. I learned to listen more.
In this show, Ciku connects with Makori in a genuine way. How did you and Blessing build that chemistry?
Chemistry on screen is really about trust, communication, and respecting each other’s craft. Blessing and I approached it very intentionally we had conversations about our characters’ emotional rhythms, their vulnerabilities, and what truly draws them to each other beyond the surface.
We spent time understanding each other’s working style, and we allowed the friendship and ease between us to develop naturally.
What would you say Adam to Eve teaches about love, respect, and rediscovering empathy?
I think viewers will see that love and empathy are choices we make every day not grand gestures, but small, consistent acts of kindness, listening, and showing up for each other.
What’s one thing fans would be surprised to learn about you that you haven’t shared before?
One thing people might be surprised to learn is that I’m actually quite shy and introverted at heart. I love people and connections, but I need a lot of quiet time to recharge. My creativity really flows when I have stillness, and I’m happiest when I can retreat, reset, and pour back into myself.
Watch Marya in Adam to Eve NOW streaming on Showmax
