Social media influencer, actress and model Sthandile Nkosi’s love-hate relationship with her followers has propelled her to become the villain on Mzansi Magic’s The Queen.
Since the exit of Rami Chuene, who played the role Gracious “T-Gom” Mabuza on the weekly drama series, there has been no other woman challenging T-Gom, the most revered on-screen drug baroness.
After shocking Mzansi when she killed her husband, her son and marrying her last-born son and tried to take on the the Queen herself, the shrewd and calculating Harriet Khoza, played by Connie Ferguson on the soapie, no one has come close to T-Gom, but it seems Londiwe, played by Nkosi has that power.
Speaking to Sunday World, Nkosi expressed excitement for playing alongside fellow thespians who she always looked up to.
Nkosi says above all, nothing compares to the moments she spends depicting her character Londiwe, “a totally opposite” to her real life, mannerism and behaviour. “It has been such a joy and has been such fun for me because I was able to bring in a side of me that I find a little bit too much, and I think that’s what makes people fall in love with Londiwe at some point,” says Nkosi.
“In as much as I am playing a villain, I believe I am bringing out certain elements in the character that the producers were afraid to bring to the fore. So I am really having fun playing Londiwe.
“She’s a fun-loving person just too ambitious and breaking down all the walls. She breaks all kinds of stereotypes and I am really fond of the character.”
She says portraying a villain is challenging as she must make people understand the difference between real life and what they see on the small screen. It sometimes becomes difficult for many actors to do justice to villainous characters as they fear being
disliked in real life.
Nkosi says in many instances viewers hooked to a drama or soapie will meet the actor or actress, and react negatively towards them. At times they go to the extent of smacking actors when they meet them, simply because of emotions.
Although she says it is scary, she is more than willing to play more villainous characters in productions to come. Nkosi says Londiwe was forced by abuse to grow up fast to feed her younger brother and she is now fighting fiercely to enjoy a successful life with her sibling. In real life, she hopes the character would help someone in a similar situation get out of it. “I am so different from the character. Londiwe plays a good young woman now, the next time she’s as mean as they come. I’m the opposite of my character, I open my heart too much and at times it gets to you being too generous,” says Nkosi about herself.
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