Nobhule ‘Mimi’ Mahlasela is a well-known South African actress best known for her role as Aggie Ngwena on the popular Afrikaans soapie 7de Laan.
While her initial appearance on the soapie was meant to be brief, it was here that she captured the attention of South African viewers as she displayed her versatility by exceeding expectations and mastering the art of acting and showcasing her multilingual repertoire – qualities that the producers could not ignore.
Speaking on how she landed the role on the popular soapie, she explained that producers spotted her stage work while she was just a third-year student at Tshwane University of Technology, and while she was not really allowed to step into the industry just yet, a bit of persistence eventually landed her the role.
It was here that she spent 18 years of her life.
With the show officially having come to an end in December after 23 years of entertaining South Africans, Nobhule described the journey as being one of the best experiences of her life.
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In a recent interview on SABC 3’s Breakfast Show Expresso, she shared the secrets of how she was able to master the art of evolving with her character.
“To be able to keep a character interesting every day requires a lot of new answers that you must incorporate now and then because we evolve as humans.”
“It was therefore important for me to show that Aggie has grown from this facet of her life to that one. I have used the technique of bringing in different new answers and attending classes with my acting coach.”
In a previous interview with news and entertainment publication Sunday World, the actress pat herself on the back for the work she has put in to make her journey a success.
“I am proud of me, because Afrikaans is my third language and working on an Afrikaans show for the past 18 years has been nothing but amazing and challenging, as I had to make sure that I put in the work, and I do not drop the ball.”
After portraying the role of Aggie for nearly two decades, she was asked whether there were any bits of the character that were left inside of her – to this she ironically responded saying no.
“I don’t think there are any parts of Aggie that are left in me – besides the looks,” she jokes.
“Because I am an actress, I know how to debrief, leave the character and move on with my life.”
Nobuhle explained that the reality of not going to a 7de Laan set has been quite an adjustment but says that she is excited about her new prospects and is currently working on some new projects.
