Actor Zenzo Ngqobe on breaking into international films and staying relevant
It's a chilly afternoon when we catch up with him over the phone.
As he chats to us, we quickly pick up that although he's an award-winning star, he has a humble and cordial demeanour. He also reveals that his focus is on international features.
'I haven't been on a daily show for about a year now and I'm working on international feature films. I've been working on international projects such as the United Kingdom. That's where my passion lies now,' he says.
He made a name for himself when he played the role of Stone Khuze in e.TV's erstwhile show Rhythm City, and since then he's joined shows such as The River and The Queen.
He has also starred in feature films such as Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, Blood Diamond, and Partly Cloudy and Hot, a feature film he starred in won a gong in Canada.
Read more | Actor Buyile Mdladla opens up about typecasting struggles and lessons learned in showbiz
'That project was close to my heart because it was produced by my favourite producer. I enjoy being in feature films,' he quips coyly.
Like most of his industry colleagues, being on a daily show means stability.
'For me, daily shows only make sense for a monthly paycheck, but I'm mostly interested in making movies,' he shares.
'I never wanted to stay long on a daily show, and also because of the hectic schedule that comes with being on a daily show.'
He concedes that when he joined a daily show, he was much younger, and one of the drawbacks of being on a daily show is that 'they don't allow you to be doing other things, so your freedom is limited.'
'Also, if you stay longer, for example, 20 years, you struggle to get a job in other shows, because they associate you with your previous role, it becomes difficult to break away from your role,' he explains.
On a sad note, he recently lost his friend and colleague, Presley Chweneyagae, with whom he worked on Tsotsi and The River, who died, and he delivered an emotional speech at his funeral.
'You know I'm strong, but you've made me weak, boy. Each role you played, you did with passion, and you taught me a lot about the craft,' he said.
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