5 Mins With Celeste Ntuli

Comedian and actress Celeste Ntuli chats to us about her upcoming stand-up comedy show, Home Affairs 2.

How did you get into comedy?

It was in 2005 after I watched my first stand-up comedy DVD; I remember it was Richard Pryor and The Kings of Comedy with Bernie Mac and Steve Harvey. I was blown away, and I knew I could do it! A couple of months later, I was walking around the city in Durban and saw a poster for a comedy show that had already happened. Luckily, I knew one of the guys on that poster who happened to be the organiser. I contacted him and he gave me my first gig at a local church. I was paid R500 – I was extremely happy! I knew I would love to perform again; the money was a big motivation because at that time, I was a call centre agent for one of the mobile networks.

What were some of the challenges you faced while trying to enter the industry, and how did you overcome them?

When I started comedy I knew very little about the industry, so I was not aware of the politics. I just wanted to do this because I fell in love with it and knew I could do it, that’s all.

What do you love most about what you do?

To see people laugh – I love seeing happy people and being within that space. And luckily for me, because of what I do, I am always laughing. “Live, love, laugh” are the three words that describe how I live my life.

What are some of your biggest achievements?

Winning The Mbokodo Award 2014 for Comedy
Acting on Isibaya and being nominated twice for the best actress category at the South African Film and Television Awards for my role.
Cameo role in South African feature film Hard To Get, that made it to the London Film Festival and Berlin Film Festival 2015.
Performing at the South African Embassy at the Scotland Commonwealth Games 2014.

Tell us about your upcoming show, Home Affairs 2.

When I named my show ‘Home Affairs’, I thought I was going to talk about my personal life and family, but as I was preparing the material, I realised that the show touches more on social issues than just those of my own home. I found myself talking more about the state of our country, socially and politically. To be honest, I usually don’t get into politics but lately these issues are ‘in my face”; I can’t help but say something about them.