For more than a decade, he portrayed the role of the flamboyant Senzo Dlomo on the local soapie, Generations. Reflecting on his journey, actor Thami Mngqolo says that embracing the role was anything but easy.
During a recent appearance on the Engineer Your Life Podcast, Thami reflected on his time on the SAFTA-nominated soapie and having to play a gay character.
In conversation with the host, Lungelo KM, he reflected on what went through his mind the first time he read the details of the script and what it required of him. He shared that the show’s head writer, Mark Graham, did an excellent job in preparing him for what was to come.
“Mark Graham warned me ahead of time. He told me that ‘this is a fully gay character. When you take it on, you take it on with that knowledge. Are you ready for that?” he recalls him asking.
Thami explained that the thing which made it easy was that the process was gradual. Despite this, it was still daunting. Especially when he considered the backlash he could receive from his cultural community.
“I was scared of what the fallout might be because you’ve heard all sorts of stories about Grace’s character being slapped in the street because of what she did to Karabo.”
“My character was rooted in being Zulu from KZN, and we all know how traditional and staunch our Zulu counterparts are about how they are represented,” he explained.
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However, he added that once he learned that one of his good friends, Zolisa Xaluva, would portray the role of Senzo’s lover, it made it more bearable.
“He was my friend at the time. We were close and hung out all the time.”
Together, they came up with interesting ways to tell the story in the best way possible. This would often include spending 2 hours shooting a scene that would normally take them 15 minutes.
Also see: 15 Characters We Love On Generations
