Scandal!’s most talked about actress, Nolwazi Ngubeni, who plays the role of Mbali Kubeka, is the soapie’s newest villain.
The award-winning actress is also a casting director and music partnerships manager for social media platform TikTok.
In a wide-ranging interview with Sunday World, the actress spoke about playing the role of a villain and how the industry has opened doors to spaces she never thought she would be in.
She revealed that before coming back on screen, she was working as a business developer for a global tech company.
The two villain characters that she has played since her return to television screens are similar. These characters tackle the pressures that women go through in the real world in terms of having children.
“Usually, I always get the sweeter roles, but I love playing the villain and being that person that perpetuates the drama throughout the soapie. It has been very exciting for me, especially coming back into the industry and playing roles that are completely different from what I am known for.”
Ngubeni, who also played a similar role on Mzansi Magic’s drama series Mzali Wami, said women can learn a lot from her character, especially because they tend to put their partner’s and family’s happiness first.
“I believe Mbali is a desperate woman and there are a lot of things that women do behind the scenes to keep everything intact. Mbali is not different from the rest of us in terms of what people do to get ahead in life.”
When she auditioned for the role, she did not know how the storyline would unfold.
“I never imagined myself playing this type of a villain, but I can tell you one thing, I am having the time of my life and find myself laughing at the things Mbali does.”
Ngubeni is reserved and lives a private life while her character is out there and lives her life to the fullest. However, the only similarity she has with her character is that they are both goal-driven and determined in whatever they do.
“Mbali and I are very different, there are no similarities whatsoever. My life is private and I prefer it that way, but my husband, who is so supportive, told me to never hold back, I should put myself first, him and the children will adjust to the changes based on my dreams.”
She said she found the conversation with her husband liberating because not many women have those types of conversations with their partners.
“People should stop asking women when are they having children because people have different reasons why they don’t have children. Women have different goals and not having children does not mean you are not woman enough.”
Apart from acting and working at TikTok, Ngubeni is a digital marketer and is studying digital marketing. She hopes to graduate next year.
“In my early ’30s I decided that I wanted to start a new career. I had nothing to lose so I took up the challenge.”
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