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‘Outlaws’ star Lehlohonolo Mayeza on being homeless and becoming a TV star
Lehlohonolo is also an author, writer, director, cinematographer, and editor.
‘Outlaws’ star Lehlohonolo Mayeza. Picture: Instagram/@lehlohonolo_mayeza
Scoring a role on Showmax’s series changed Lehlohonolo Mayeza’s life for the better.
The actor, who is originally from Lesotho, plays the character of Leruo Ts’eole on Outlaws.
The show follows the story of two families at war: The Zulu, cattle-farming Biyelas, and the Basotho, cattle-raiding Ts’eoles.
In a recent interview with The Citizen, Mayeza opened up about losing both parents, having a difficult upbringing, being homeless for months, and getting the role of Leruo.
Getting to know Lehlohonolo Mayeza
Mayeza was born and raised in Thaba-Tseka district of Lesotho, in a small village called Ha-Tjope, “where the only means of transport is horses and donkeys”, he said.
The 32-year-old said his parents died when he was young, leaving him with his younger sister.
After completing Matric, he moved to the capital city of Lesotho, Maseru, seeking greener pastures but ended up homeless and living on the streets for nine months.
“At the time, I was not even thinking about furthering my studies. I needed a job because I had nothing, no food, clothes, shelter, nothing. I eventually got a job as a security officer. From there, I started looking for means to go to school.
“I then posted on Facebook, asking people to help me pay for my supplementary exam fees because I couldn’t afford to pay. A guy named Kananelo Boloetse helped me. I passed my supplementary exams and then applied for university,” he said.
Mayeza graduated from Limkokwing University of Creative Technology in Lesotho, where he studied for a Film Production and Television degree.
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Scoring the role of Leruo
Before the Outlaws role, Mayeza was cast in several short films, commercials, and TV series in Lesotho, and some of them were aired on Lesotho TV.
“There was this other TV series called Mosikong, I was cast as a lead character. After that production, the trailer went viral, and that’s where SA producers saw me.”
He said his agent told him that a production was holding auditions in South Africa and wanted him to audition.
He auditioned and got the role of Leruo, and since then things have never been the same.
“Everything has changed, my life in general has changed. This role was a dream come true,” he said, adding that he and Leruo had so much in common.
“Leruo is a quiet man, but he is not a coward. He has a solid character and knows how to handle difficult situations. He is focused, and that’s who Lehlohonolo is in real life.”
Leruo is the love interest of Sihle Biyela, played by the talented Nirvana Nokwe-Mseleku.
Mayeza said the most challenging part of filming were the sex scenes.
“But the intimacy coordinator helped, and things went well,” he added.
Speaking about the chemistry between Leruo and Sihle, he said: “The first time Leruo saw Sihle, everything changed. She gave him goosebumps. Leruo was not much into girls, but when he met Sihle, something changed. Sihle, in the first place, played hard to get because they are from two different countries. But when you look at them, there is something special.”
Mayeza also admitted that his character might be a trigger, especially for cattle theft victims.
“I don’t think Zulu people will like my character, particularly the victims of cattle theft. In the story, Leruo brings so much heartbreak despite all the chances he gets. I think viewers are not going to like that part. On the contrary, Leruo can show love. Some are going to like that side of him.”
Outlaws is available only on Showmax, with new episodes every Wednesday.
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