He’s a legend in the game fondly remembered for playing the character of Tshawe in the 90s comedy Emzini wezinsiswa, where he became a household name. Today he plays the role of uncle Mzoxolo on The Queen and he still has audiences in stitches.
By Ayanda Sitole
Emzini wezinsizwa ran on television from 1993 to 2005 and it opened many doors for us as actors. The story was a Godsend and it gave us great leverage in the industry. We also did industrial theatre where we would perform plays when there were disputes between business owners and workers in order to help them resolve issues.
I agreed to play the role of Mzoxolo because I believe we are similar. He loves gambling, he’s from the Eastern Cape and he’s a family man. He also has a sense of humour. It was easy for me assume his character. I could never identify with the role of a criminal or a murderer. I adopted my sense of humour from my mother’s side of the family. My father was a very proud man and was always grimacing and people would often get scared when they see him. Thank God he married my mother. My maternal grandfather was loud, he had a big laugh and a great sense of humour. He loved making jokes about Bible characters. That’s where I learned humour.
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People have asked me what the differences and similarities are between Brutus Khosa (played by Themba Ndaba) and my character. Brutus is a murderer, he should be called Brutal Brutus. He can bluff because he always has a nice glass of Hennessey in his hand and toothpick in his mouth, but he’s dangerous. He’s a smooth criminal. Uncle Mzoxolo is a straight forward guy. He tells you if he doesn’t like you. He loves gambling and betting on horses. He’s innocent and loves the children in his family. But his sister Gracious Mabuza (played by Rami Chuene) is foolish because she likes complaining about his drinking and doesn’t realise how much he loves her.
My favourite person to work with on The Queen is Rami Chuene. She’s a wonderful creative person and she’s not jealous. When you come up with an idea on set, she encourages it. I know actors who turn you down when you come up with something creative. She is loved by everyone, from the crew up to the last person on set. She’s not high and mighty. I have worked with many people who are arrogant, she is humble. Some actors don’t talk to you until you’re on set just about to start shooting a scene. Rami will have a conversation with you from the moment you see each other.
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At the age of 67 I’m still going strong, mostly because I consider myself to be youthful and mischievous. I’m currently acting in the The Queen and on Scandal, nothing makes me feel better like walking into a mall and making people laugh when they come to chat to me. Laughter is very important to me. I have had some big challenges in my life, like when my ex-wife and I were going through a divorce. It was laughter that kept me going through difficult challenges.