Israel makes his long-awaited debut on Gomora

Like many successful people, Israel Matseke Zulu’s acting career has been riddled with speed bumps.

The 46-year-old actor, making his debut on Gomora tonight, takes me down memory lane on having to overcome hardship and adversity in his 21-year career.

It all started in November 1999 when he was cast in Yizo Yizo 2 as Nongoloza. Matseke Zulu admits that he was taken aback by his casting because on October 25 1999 he was released from prison after serving four years of his eight-year sentence for car theft.

Matseke Zulu remembers the audition with Bomb Productions like it was yesterday. “I went to the audition under parole supervision. They had discovered me through a theatre company that I had worked with while I was in prison,” he recalls.

“I have never  in my life seen a person that came from hell and became a favourite.”

He cites it as the proudest career moment since it was the first step he took in turning his life around from being a gangster.

“The advice I would give is overcome peer pressure and never worship anyone. No one convinced me not to go back to crime. It’s not nice to be in prison, but it helped me because I was alone there and I learned to be strong by myself,” he says.

While Yizo Yizo 2 was his big break, Matseke Zulu says not everyone was happy for him. To his shock, he didn’t expect for his mentor and late playwright Bongani Linda to be one of the setbacks.

“My boss and first theatre director [Linda] didn’t want me to take the job on Yizo Yizo and that made everything difficult. He had become possessive of me and it felt like I belonged to him. II found it unfair and we fought a lot. I didn’t understand if I changed from bad to good; then why was the person that discovered me then discouraging me?”

While in prison, Matseke Zulu had invited Linda to come watch his one-man show a year before his release. Matseke Zulu’s act consisted of drama, gumboot dance and comedy.

Before acting he had tried playing soccer in prison, but he thought no team was going to hire a convicted criminal after his release. “I took a stand that I wanted to be a good example. So, when I tried to become an actor in prison ... to my surprise I became an instant hit.

“Many people inside and outside the prison couldn’t believe it. It was all a dream and people wanted to take credit."

After countless disagreements, Matseke Zulu and Linda went their separate ways. Matseke Zulu then met renowned casting director Moonyeenn Lee and they hit it off and became “business friends”.

They first met on the set of Oscar-winning film Tsotsi and Lee cast him on the spot. “Moonyeenn asked me, ‘who are you and how do you know there is this big film coming in SA?’”

His response was: “I believe in fate.”

Around the same time Matseke Zulu had booked his most popular role of GP in television drama Gaz'lam. He has gone on to portray many similar thug roles in iNumber Number, Isibaya, Rockville, Is’thunzi, Zone 14 and more. Being typecast doesn’t bother him.

Sometimes you feel like it’s unfair. You observe people tell you that you are good, but it seems not good enough because in the criteria of winning awards I’m not good.

“My version from the start has always been to help the gangsters, criminals and inmates that crime doesn’t pay. For me the message of being typecast is the gospel I preach that crime does not pay. I think I became the perfect ambassador for such a course. It doesn’t mean I can’t play other characters.”

But what bothers him is being snubbed for awards throughout his career. “Sometimes you feel like it’s unfair. You observe people tell you that you are good, but it seems not good enough because in the criteria of winning awards I’m not good.”

Hailing from Alexandra, Matseke Zulu is the second-born of four children. He doesn’t want people to feel sorry for him, but rather he wants them to understand that having a criminal record is no laughing matter.

Before he was convicted at age 24, Matseke Zulu was always a troubled kid. He was in and out of prison for house breaking and theft. He was first arrested at the age of 12. “In 2015 I was supposed to go to the US after I was selected as part of a jury for the International Emmy Awards with Terry Pheto and Akin Omotoso,” he shares.

“But when I went to go obtain my visa, I was denied it because of my criminal history. I have no one to blame but myself, but you must find ways to survive. It’s been a journey that started very rough. It’s been a mixture of every feeling like sadness, pain, struggle, fun and I sometimes question if I have found the right career.

“But I made a deal with myself that there are things I wanted to prove to myself and the world that nothing is impossible in life. It’s a rough journey that in itself is a movie. Sometimes you cry or feel abused or there is red tape for people like us.”

Matseke Zulu’s role of Don on Gomora is long overdue as viewers have been asking for it. But he was part of the show from its inception last year. He has worked behind the scene as part of the concept and content development, as well as location scouter.

“People should expect the unexpected. It was very challenging because I’m used to violent and serious characters, but this one starts very cool and calm. I enjoyed that transition from anger to laughter, sadness and funny.”

The character will be introduced as Teddy’s (Sicelo Buthelezi) father. In real life, Matseke Zulu is raising his 18-year-old son who is in matric. His first-born son died in 2011.

Fact file: Israel Matseke Zulu

Favourite actor: Al Pacino

Favourite food: Steak, pap, cabbage and atchaar

Favourite musician: Anita Baker

Favourite song: Sweet Love

Favourite emoji: Smile

Top three movies on my playlist:

iNumber Number

Scarface

Beyond The River