Jongo tells the story of Eli King, played by Mutombo, who is left an alien crystal by his late father. The crystal gives him a number of supernatural abilities and he must figure out how to use them so that he can find the men responsible for his father’s death and fulfil an ancient, disturbing prophecy that threatens the lives of millions.
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“I was approached for the role after I did an end-of-year show for a dance studio called Dance It,” Mutombo explained.
“At the end of my performance I went off stage and stood in a corner to catch my breath – that’s when I saw my producer/writer, Gareth Crocker. We spoke and he was so taken by what I did on stage that he asked me if I had ever considered acting.”
He continued to say that acting actually took first preference in what he wanted to do but, due to unforeseen circumstances, such as the death of his father, he really couldn’t pursue it. However, it wasn’t long before he found himself stepping into the shoes of Eli King’s character.
Mutombo described the show as ‘bringing a game change to the market’. “It’s one of a kind at the moment on SA TV. And the fact that it’s a superhero show makes it better! It’s the first African superhero show, after you could say, Shaka Zulu. The realism behind the series is amazing in the sense that we grow up thinking that a superhero needs to wear some form of a costume, but in Jongo, it’s as real as it gets.”
He went on to say that there are many regular heroes among us and that is what Jongo is about. Mutombo also stated that he has quite a lot in common with Eli’s character, which makes his job easier, and more fun. “In some scenes I find that I am actually portraying myself through the character, for example, Eli is humble, tries to do right by all means, respects women and he is warm, and that is who Pacou is.”
The show has predominately been filmed in the inner city of Johannesburg, and Mutombo revealed that he feels at home and happy when shooting his scenes. “We can show to the world out there that Africa is not what outsiders portray it to be. Africa is full of creativity and adventure, as well as talented performers.”
Jongo made its television debut on BET, DStv channel 129 on 15 February. The show will also be available to free-to-air viewers when it screens on e.tv from 19 April at 8.30pm.
Catch the show on BET, DStv channel 129 every Monday at 9.05pm.
Details: www.betafrica.tv
