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Theater legend Bheki Mkhwane speaks about Nikiwe, industry politics, and 38 years of acting
Mkhwane currently stars as Mhlaba on 'Nikiwe.'
Veteran actor Bheki Mkhwane. Picture: X (formerly Twitter)
Popularly known for portraying the character of Samson Ndlovu on Isibaya, Bheki Mkhwane is also a director, producer, mime, composer, and playwright.
He made his debut as Mhlaba on Nikiwe, a local daily drama that airs on eTV every weekday at 6.30 pm, a few weeks ago, on 28 June.
Mhlaba is a traditional man with a limited worldview and puts his family above everything.
Speaking about being part of the show, Mkhwane told The Citizen that he is having a great time.
He added: “I am always excited when invited to do my work because that’s what I have mastered my entire life.”
“I love working with the young ones because I always use them as a mirror to look into my craft, and you look at them and say I once burned my fingers as well.”
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Finding the balance between TV and theater
Mkhwane has a well-established career in theater. He has produced and performed in numerous stage plays such as Kaboom, A Boy Called Rubbish, Ilobola, Amazwi Omoya, and Skadonk, just to mention a few.
He said he always tries to find a balance between theater and television.
“I love theater. I am a theater animal, but at one stage, I was forced to move to TV because the theater was very ignored, yet theater is the mother of acting.
“So if you were to ask me where I am now, I am excited by that little move into TV, but I don’t wanna swallow a lot. I am very picky. If you bite a lot on television, your craft tends to fade. So now and again, I return to the theater to revive and rejuvenate my energy.
‘The government is not looking after us’ – Mkhwane
The veteran actor has been in the acting business for 38 years. He said he spent almost 28 years working overseas. He highlighted the difference between how artists are treated abroad versus South Africa.
“Our work now is driven by so-called celebrities, and I don’t think those people are actors, they just want to model in front of the camera and be seen on the screen.
“Even the government is not looking after us. When I was overseas, I realised that their equity was very strong. Artists are looked after, and there is a law that takes care of them.”
He said some production houses also make it hard for actors, especially those who have been in the industry for a long time.
“Businesswise, it’s tough because productions tend to have their own people, [whom] they work with, and some come very cheap, which kills our business. Suddenly, you are being titled as an expensive actor when you believe, ‘I am at this level, and my craft is worth this much,’ which is very sad,
“In this country, they just pull every Tom, Dick, and Harry even from off the streets, and ask them to work because they can pay them peanuts,” he said.
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