Actor Muzi Mthabela says his dream is to step into a leading role that defies the typical “alpha male” mould he is often cast in.
Mthabela yearns for more of an acting challenge, with his dream character being a nuanced and unlikely hero such as Denzel Washington in The Taking of Pelham 123.
He is currently heating up the small screen in the new e.tv daily drama Emzini.
“I’d like to play the role of someone who is not an alpha male,” Mthabela says. “I want to play a leading role, but that of someone who is an underdog rather than the alpha male of the show.
“Maybe someone who does not look like the traditional lead but would actually be an underdog. Have you seen The Taking of Pelham 123 by Denzel Washington? He plays the role of a train driver named Walter Garber, but he’s a lead, and he does it excellently.”
Mthabela adds that at this point in his career he requires more range in the scripts he’s offered.
“Automatically they just want to dress me up. They want me to look good in a suit, which I don’t mind. I just feel that I’ve played that far too long; I’m ready to push the boundaries,” he says.
Mthabela does not take for granted how successful his acting career has been, with his résumé including roles in Isibaya, Imbewu and Generations: The Legacy.
“I think I’ve been immensely blessed in the industry. The industry embraced me in a way that I did not anticipate, particularly because I never grew up wanting to be an actor,” he says.
Before acting, he was working behind the scenes as a screen editor. His acting break came while editing the popular SABC1 drama Zone 14.
“The producers felt there was a small role that I could play that didn’t really require much acting. But that was the role that opened the doors for me,” he says.
Along the way, he has earned three nominations at the SA Film and Television Awards for his post-production work.
“Sometimes people see in us things that we don’t see in ourselves yet. I had what many people would call ‘impostor syndrome’, especially because I was working alongside great established actors. But when your peers nominate you for such awards, it hits different. It means they see something real in you,” he says.
While viewers will always remember him as Duma on Isibaya, Mthabela has stepped into a new era playing Zakhele Nkosi on Emzini.
“Zakhele is a vulnerable thug, and viewers will get to see his vulnerability. He has to show himself as strong, but they will also see his flaws,” Mthabela says.
“Most of the roles I’ve played are alpha male…but this one exposes a different side to me and my range as an actor.
“I haven’t worked with Khabonina Qubeka and Wiseman Mncube before…they are actors that I had seen excelling on screen, and I know that they always bring their A-game. So, I knew I needed to bring my A-game, as I am working with actors who don’t wait to warm up; they come already hot and ready to roll.”
