31-07-2025
Marked cast talk playing morally complex characters in gripping series
The six-part crime thriller series Marked officially releases on Netflix and boasts a stellar cast that showcase the struggles of systemic injustice and a mother's unconditional love.
Seasoned actress Lerato Mvelase takes on the role of Babalwa Godongwana, a devout Christian, ex-cop and cash-in-transit security guard who faces an impossible reality with her husband Lungile, played by Bonko Khoza. They realise they have nowhere near the amount of money needed to fund their daughter Palesa's (played by Ama Qamata) life-saving treatment.
Babalwa turns to the criminal underworld, her colleague Tebza (played by S'dumo Mtshali) and those close to her in her church to pull off a daring heist of company she works for, Iron Watch.
The series takes viewers through a thrilling journey of a mother's moral dilemma, while giving a glimpse into the complex world of crime.
Co-created and directed by former Generations actor Akin Omotoso, TRUELOVE sat down with some of the cast of Marked to pick their brains on what resonated with them about their character and the emotional preparation it took to bring the story to life.
Lerato Mvelase is Babalwa Godongwana
Lerato plays the protagonist, Babalwa, who turns to unconventional allies to help her execute a heist, all for her daughter's life-saving treatment.
'The fact that when there's someone that you love dearly, when there's someone that yo care about, each and every single one of us, you get to a point where your rational will tell you the right thing to do is this. But there's also the emotional part of you that says that, for me to be able to get my loved one to be okay, there's something else I might have to do. So, you're oscillate between doing right and wrong. And in this case, what is wrong? Because everything in this situation is kind of morally wrong and morally right.
'So, I resonated with her in that way that as a mom myself, I don't know what I'm not willing to do to help my kids, to save my kids, to protect kids. So, I had to draw from my own experience as a mom. I've never had to do anything to that extreme, but I've done things where I'm like for my children, I'm willing to sacrifice even myself.'
Bonko Khoza is Lungile Godongwana
Bonko stars as Babalwa's husband, Lungile, a God-fearing man who blindly puts his faith in the church to help raise money for their daughter's surgery.
'I think the difference between Lungile and Babalwa is the way they would go about solving problems and I think that's kind of the premise of the series that Lungile has his own solution, and Babalwa has her own solution. Which are neither in vain but I think it became a nice and interesting cinematic conflict or two things to put up against each other. I mean, one is faith and one is crime, right, which is interesting ... I think they're both centred and rooted in survival.'
Mduduzi Mabaso is Kat Modise
Kat is the intense detective is set on unraveling the criminal underworld Babalwa finds herself in after returning to the police force after a stint in rehab for his alcoholism.
'I did a lot of research in terms of people who are like ama-alcoholic addicts, and it helped me a lot because as a person who's never been through AA or wherever but ukhuthi nje the thing that I did was a lot of research and I think that helped me a lot.'
Desmond Dube is Zechariah Kunene
Zechariah is the top businessman at Iron Watch and boss to Babalwa.
'Zechariah is a lot of guys I know and possibly even grew up with who kind of when into the whirlwind of understanding that they have to change themselves in order to become successful - and when I say successful I'm talking economically, moneywise. So, even his character is a little bit complex because I think Zechariah is stuck between being a really good guy and he's taught by the world that in order for you to become this successful, you have to forget about great relationships.'
Jerry Mofokeng wa Makhetha is Baba G
Baba G serves as the leader of the criminal underworld gang responsible for violent heists and father figure to Sphamandla Dhludhu's character Zweli. Baba G sees a brutal end when he's killed in a shootout, and he tells us how he prepared for the explosive scene.
'They cast me into the role, they give me a script and then they say, 'We're going to rehearse one scene', no problem. We get to this warehouse-y room and there are exercise machines and there are these experts who are going to exercise us. And they've already started with these young guns, and the muscles are not responding (laughs).
'I said, 'Guys, I'll do what I can but I'm not going beyond because I can't go to hospital!' And then there are guns flying and all kinds of things ... The chemistry is beginning to be established and it scares me. It scares me ... You usually get home and you psyche yourself up and you prepare yourself, and there was no time for that. And so, we had to dig deep. All of us. All of us and we did. And there was magic on that set.'
Lerato jumped in here to say, 'Just to see somebody at this age to still have that drive, that passion. You know when you look into Bab'Jerry's eyes as he's performing, let me tell you, there was no room for me to still figure out what Babalwa's going to do. All of us literally looked at him and we clapped when he finished that scene.
'We clapped when we finished that scene, the entire crew clapped because he was just - we got acting 101 in that big scene that he didn't even have a chance to go home and psyche himself up for. And I'm like, if I could have a quarter of that type of passion at this age, I would have made it.'
Linda Sokhulu is Thandeka Kunene
Linda plays the cold and 'aloof' wife to Zechariah and mother to Natasha Thahane's Nelisa.
'I love the fact that she is aloof. I love the fact that she isn't easily readable because therein lies the juxtapose where you've got Babalwa's life. which is there for you to see and to will. And then you've got this other life, which comes across as it's fleeting, it's fun or it's lavish or whatever you want to call it. But at the same time, because of Thandeka's aloofness, you don't know who she genuinely is as well.
'So, you kind of have these two polar opposite realities of - you see the desperation of the one but the sense of, almost emptiness but its not, from this other person but you don't know why. You don't know what the other layers could possibly be. So, I like that juxtapose because it allows Babalwa's story to come through so beautifully. so, I hope it's enough for audiences to possibly dislike her.
Sphamandla Dhludhlu is Zweli Ncube
Zweli is the young and hungry gang member who was set on proving himself to Baba G before his death. Now, he has vengeance on his mind and is recruited by Babalwa to help carry out the heist.
'I feel like in this series, we're the voice of the people. We relate more in a lot of things that happen in the society. Marked can be a Joburg series, but people around the world will actually relate ... And most importantly, the people from the hoods. Because they're the ones who would understand the whole journey that everyone, every single character goes through.'
Sphamandla adds, 'Just to add onto my character, I think they will know that some people are just born into crime. It's not their fault, and now that they are in a certain situation, it doesn't mean it's who they are. As much as with Zweli, from the young age his dad was doing heists and then he was adopted also by Baba G and Baba G then groomed him to become that person as well to run the streets. So, it starts from the ground.'
Natasha Thahane is Nelisa Kunene
Nelisa is the rich and spoiled daughter of Zechariah and Thandeka, who starts a romantic relationship with Zweli, unaware of his criminal background until their worlds collide.
'So, uNelisa and uZweli had a lot of chemistry ... On screen it looked so beautiful, even just doing an EDR (extended dynamic range) for our scenes, it looked really beautiful. And then uSpha and uNatasha also have mutual respect for each other, so that makes it easier. It's really, really important to have a scene partner that you can trust. They did cut down a lot of intimacy scenes that we were meant to have. But we always have this conversation ukuthi, if it doesn't sell the story, if it doesn't contribute to the story, why are we having that scene? So, the scene that we specifically had was contributing to the story and building that arc.'
Natasha continues, 'I hope the audience, especially young people, take away from uNelisa ukuthi it's important to go to therapy. Because Nelisa has it all but she enjoys none of it. So, it's important to go to therapy. I know its expensive, therapy is expensive (laughs). But listen, it's very vital to go to therapy in your 20s for you to be okay in your 30s.'
Gaisang K Noge is Ntsiki Nxumalo
Gaisang plays Ntsiki, daughter to the pastor at Babalwa's church who finds herself in a money hole due to her 'soft life' lifestyle. She also becomes one of Babalwa's recruits for the planned heist.
'At the end of the day, Ntsiki became a team player. She committed to the group, they came so far and I think naturally someone would've assumed that she would run but, I don't know what switched in her - well I do know but I don't want to waste time - but I think in that moment when she just had to do what she had to do so that people don't get into trouble and I think I resonate with that. I like to always be there for my people. Whatever it takes for my loved ones or people that I care about to be grand and safe, we go all in.'
Gaisang concludes, 'If there's something that I want people to learn from my character is that, yes we love money. But it's very important to just live within your means. Life is not a show. If you go to church, go for the right reasons. Wherever you go, just go for the right reasons. She's so flashy, it's unnecessary. You are tiring yourself out. There is nothing wrong with living within your means, especially to the young people.'
