SA actor Thabang Molaba makes his Hollywood debut as Lethabo Khoza in Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, the third film in the American heist thriller, on Friday.
The 30-year-old star is loved by local audiences for his breakout role as Gift Mabuza in The Queen and for hitting superstardom in the Netflix SA series Blood & Water, playing Karabo “KB” Molapo.
Hollywood stars Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher and Morgan Freeman reprise their roles in the film, while Molaba joins Rosamund Pike, Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa and Ariana Greenblatt as new cast members.
At the local premiere held at Montecasino in Johannesburg on Wednesday, Molaba was supported by fellow stars Zamani Mbatha, Anele Papu, Tino Chinyani and Bobby Blanco. He teases what to expect from the film:
How do you feel about the film being seen by its first local audience on Friday night?
Interestingly enough, I feel great. It’s beautiful to see all these people out here at this premiere to watch the film. We are all under one mission, which is to see how Now You See Me: Now You Don’t came about. And I’m super excited that this night has finally arrived.
What does this debut mean?
It’s a great milestone, which means a lot to me and my craft. However, this milestone is not only for me but for SA as a whole because the story is centred around SA. So, it’s not only about me but the whole nation as well, which is absolutely amazing.
This is a great milestone that means a lot to me and my craft. However, this milestone is not only for me but for SA, because the story is centred around SA.
— Thabang Molaba – actor
What was challenging about your new role as Lethabo Khoza?
To my surprise, not much really. It was a neutral role, one that wasn’t too challenging or complex, but I had fun with it. People will get to see me in a few action-packed scenes, possibly with guns and stunts.
There’s plenty of humour in the film. I advise everyone to go to a theatre near you to watch the movie and see what else happens.
What was your biggest takeaway from being on an international set?
The humility and work ethic on that set were just impeccable. I really appreciated how the cast and crew treated me while I was there. Overall, I had the best experience, and it was clear that maintaining a healthy work environment was a top priority.
