Bheki Mkhwane disillusioned with television

First and foremost a stage actor, Mkhwane’s role as taxi boss Samson Ndlovu in the popular Mzansi Magic telenovela is his first ever television role during his 30 years as an actor. His reluctance to star on the small screen, he says, is due to the quality of local shows and their tendency to copy other countries.

“Let’s not borrow from the European approach,” he told the Sowetan when the publication referred to Samson as the villain of the piece. “I describe him as a snaky character. You never know when he will bite.”

According to Mkhwane, the preference for Eurocentric expressions leaves us “lost because it takes away from what you see on screen”.

And of his strong disinclination to accept on-screen acting roles, he said: “When I looked at the stories that have been told through this medium before, they just didn’t ring true to me. Actors are playing people that we’ve never met. I won’t pinpoint any production, but I can say that people are playing people that they don’t know themselves.

“I avoided TV because it seldom gives on the opportunity to play someone we as African can relate to.”

Bheki Mkhawane is best known for his stage collaborations with fellow actor and friend Ellis Pearson. As a team for fifteen years, they created and toured with many original plays, such as ‘A Boy Called Rubbish’,’ Kaboom!’, and ‘Skadonk’.

– TEAMtalk Media