Award-winning actor Bonko Khoza is back on the small screen, playing the role of an imprisoned serial killer on Red Ink.
Khoza stars as Napoleon Dingiswayo, aka The Butcher, and he says he had to make choices about his weight, shedding about 15kg.
Napoleon is a convicted serial killer and rapist who had this massive body count back in 2010. He has killed many women and severed their heads.
“I hope audiences resonate with the humanity that I’ve tried to wrap him in. He is vulnerable, gullible, and capable of love and compassion,” said Khoza.
Khoza said he approached his audition by crafting something that would be in a different direction from what South Africa has seen him as.
“Books have followings and people who have read them, so when it comes to doing justice to an adapted character, it’s really about being specific to the book and the existing text,” he said.
Freedom to interpret the character
Author Angela Makholwa-Moabelo gave him the freedom to interpret the character and create something special.
“Most days we were just chatting away and laughing. I’d like to think we’ve become friends. She’s an amazing author but an even more amazing person with the kindest heart.
“Honestly, we hardly spoke about the story; everything I needed was already in the book.”
Khoza shares that playing the role of a serial killer taught him to watch all six seasons of I Am A Killer, and psychologically, he was able to take on the job.
“When we started creating things that are unique to him, the facial and neck twitches, I had to get used to that and timing those in the performance.”
Comfortable playing a killer
One of the most challenging things about his character was when people would wonder how he was so comfortable playing a serial killer.
“For some people, even crew members, it got too real, and I just wonder what they think of me.”
He was able to leave Napoleon behind at work each day by packing the character away and bringing him out when he needed to because he was so far from him.
“Me and Napoleon are worlds apart. Napoleon is easy; you put on overalls and some glasses. You switch on the things you switch on.
“But my life at the moment is so hectic that it was hard to switch Bonko away from work. I’ve just had a kid, and I just moved houses, so I have a lot on my mind.
“It’s just exhaustion, something I can’t run away from.”
Also Read: Meet the author of the book behind Showmax series Red Ink
