Former Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi steps into her new era as a TV star with an acting role in Bad Influencer.
The seven-part Netflix drama series is hardly her first acting stint, having made her feature film acting debut in The Woman King in 2022, opposite Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu and John Boyega.
In Bad Influencer, she is joined by Jo-Anne Reyneke, Cindy Mahlangu, Vincent Mahlape and Hamilton Dhlamini. “I’m excited because I’ve just taken a complete pivot from what people know me as,” says Tunzi.
“It’s a whole new world for me to step in, and you know, they go ‘action’, and I have to now be this person. It was challenging but very fun and exciting. I’ve learned so much, and I can’t wait to do more of this and to be more in this world.”
Before landing the role of Naomi, she had done three acting auditions. “The audition process was so nerve-racking because this is a space that I’m new to, and I haven’t done many auditions before,” she says.
“It was a beautiful experience because I had all those nerves, and that meant that I was so excited to be doing this thing, and have so much respect for it that I didn’t want to mess it up.
“I was over the moon. I’ve done so many things, but it was something different and something so worth celebrating that I worked hard for, and I was so grateful that they saw enough potential in me to want me to be a part of their show.”
Naomi, a public figure in the storyline, is the villain of the show that depicts influencer culture with a crime twist. “Naomi is charismatic, mean and cold. Oh, she is definitely the villain that people will love to hate,” says Tunzi.
“She is human, and perhaps some people might not necessarily relate to her because of how she handles conflicts that she feels within herself, but she is driven by the ageist society, where women are constantly pitted against each other and feels as though there can only be one queen. She is a victim of this culture and fears being removed from her throne.”
What was it like being on such a big set?
“I remember on days when I wasn’t necessarily shooting or scenes that I wasn’t part of, just being able to sit and watch and take it all in... and to watch all of these incredible people do this job gave me such a new light, and made me want to exist in this world,” she says.
“I’ve learnt [about this process] how brave I can be and how brave I am to constantly try and evolve as a person, as an artist, to constantly throw myself into new things that I don’t know how they’re going to turn out. I hope the results are as beautiful as the work that I put in.”
Executive producer Kudi Maradzika tapped into her journey of being an influencer to bring the show to life. “One of my many side hustles was being a micro-influencer, and I’d be invited to brand events,” she says.
“What was interesting about this world was that while it showed a surface-level aspect on Instagram and social media, there was so much more to this world that people didn’t know, and depth to the personalities.
“So, we thought it would be interesting to see the balance between an influencer and a single mother, and what happens when you combine them and the journey they go on together.”
Maradzika says she’s excited for everyone to see the show. “With any creative endeavour, there’ll be nerves because you don’t know how people will take it, but my hope is that the hard work that went into everything will shine through.”
