Breakout star Vincent Mahlape is one of the exciting names to watch, having already made his mark in Bad Influencer and Silverton Siege.
Sowetan gets to know the actor.
How did your journey into acting begin?
I got into acting in high school. Before that, I used to be into rap, I was heavily into music and I was quite good at it. In grades 9 or 10, I started enjoying English as a subject. When we read Othello, it would excite me. I loved escaping to that world and the idea of performing started there.
There was also a friend who was on the come up. He was much older than me and he introduced me to the acting world.
One day, I accompanied him to a casting for eKasi: Our Stories. I saw how aspirant actors prepared themselves and that thrilled me. At some point, I’d miss school just to go to castings. My grandparents didn’t know what I was up to.
How did community theatre shape you?
After high school, I went to Pretoria to study TV production at Boston Media House. While I was studying, I would still audition for roles; however, they hadn’t seen the light of day.
While studying there, I got introduced to community theatre. We would travel from town to perform our plays in Hammanskraal, where I learnt to hone my craft.
How did going viral on social media result in you being cast in Silverton Siege?
It was a one-person trailer. I wrote the whole script and performed as though someone was on the other side of the phone. It got a big reception on social media during lockdown. The director of Silverton Siege, Mandla Dube, saw it and asked me to audition. I booked it.
How was that experience of being cast in Silverton Siege?
It felt like being a part of something more important — a bigger story. The passion Mandla had for that story made me go all out with my performance as Masego. The character was short and he died early, but it was a beautiful experience.
Alex in Bad Influencer was layered. How did you build him?
Growing up where I’m from, I know how men like ‘Alex’ operate. So that was my research. I didn’t want Alex to shout to prove how dangerous he was. I relied on the little moments and intensity in my eyes.
How was it like working with Jo-Anne Reyneke and Hamilton Dhlamini?
Jo-Anne is an excellent actress. Usually, the lead sets the tone, and from the first table read, she made everyone comfortable. I also enjoyed working with Hamilton; he is quite seasoned, and I learnt a lot from him.
That jacuzzi scene went further than what viewers saw. Alex was in tears and broke down, it was one of my best moments on set.
What is the ultimate goal for Vincent?
To make my late mom, who I lost in 2021, proud. She and my uncle passed away a month apart. I would like to establish myself as a respected actor in SA productions.
