
The Queen': Thembsie Matu on why Petronella doesn't stick to the script'Award-winning The Queen' actress has revealed that Petronella needs to do the talking when some episodes are too short!
by Rae Seleme
25-11-2021
in SA TV and Film
The Queen' actress, Thembsie Matu in a scene as Petronella. Image via Twitter @_NombuleloM
Legendary actress, Thembsie Matu, who plays the role of a helper, Petronella, on The Queen has revealed her character doesn't stick to the script.
--
Matu, who keeps audiences glued to their TVs every evening says she's asked by producers to improvise a lot because of her feisty character.
#TheQueenMzansi Mpolaye gape Petronella pic.twitter.com/nIx5ZT658T
JabulaniMacdonald (@Jabu_Macdonald) November 16, 2021
Also read: Petronella and I are similar': The Queen's' Thembsie Matu on her role
PETRONELLA PROLONGS CONVERSATIONS The award-winning actress told Drum Magazine in an interview that she didn't expect her character to blow up as it did when she joined the telenovela.
--
You have no idea what all the support and love I'm getting means to me.
They transport me to a place where I'm just full of gratitude and respect for them and inspire me to do more.
Viewers are entertained by her singing, and the ridiculous advice she gives her best friend, Detective Vuyiswa Maake played by Zandile Msutwana.
Fans are also mesmerised by her smart mouth when she's dealing with her husband, Mjekejeke played by Sipho Manzini.
Matu also revealed that she's sometimes asked to prolong conversation in her scenes and that most of the things Petronella says are not in the script.
--
You know, sometimes when the episode is too short, I am asked to prolong the conversations Petronella has with people.
Most of the things she says aren't in the script. I just imagine what those three people I know would say in that instance.
Bathong! I know we're dealing with Shaka's death in the family mara I miss this crazy woman like crazy! Oh @ThembsieMatu mara! What a talent! What a legend! #TheQueenMzansi #petronella pic.twitter.com/Bf5AvWpTE8
Rami Chuene (@ramichuene) November 5, 2019
SHONA FERGUSON TIPPED HER ABOUT PETRONELLA The mother of two also told the publication that she was tipped by late actor-producer, Shona Ferguson about the role.
She was training dancers for a wedding scene on the telenovela when the Ferguson Films co-creator pulled her aside and told her about this role they had.
Shona Ferguson who was playing the role of Jerry Maake at the time handpicked Matu because he thought the role would be fitting for her.
The actress was given a character bible to understand the kind of character Petronella is and channelled her mind to think like Petronella.
She prepared her role by studying three people she knows and combined their characters to become the famous Petronella.
One of them is a woman who loves being around young people, to the point where she thinks she's one of them.
She's always there, giving advice and sharing her own experiences.
Also read: Brutus doesn't stick to his script': The Queen's' Phumeza
#TheQueenMzansi this character is a bang #Petronella pic.twitter.com/ddfOKNow4B
Monaheng (@Monaheng_) February 23, 2019
Petronella locked the fridge #TheQueenMzansi pic.twitter.com/eIlUFquN8O
Tsuli (@Tsuli007) November 23, 2021
Mjekejeke finally standing up for himself, Petronella is a bully #TheQueenMzansi pic.twitter.com/VNL57r6uni
JabulaniMacdonald (@Jabu_Macdonald) November 18, 2021
CLICK HERE to take part in our survey & stand a chance to WIN R5 000 in CASH!
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
02/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
01/06/2026
Designed to solve a common problem in broadcasting, the automated workflow detects, identifies, removes, and documents copyrighted music
AudioShake has introdu...
01/06/2026
The sports-analytics company combines its data with proprietary AI to help leagu...
01/06/2026
Category line-up & sponsors announced
Photo: Paul Clarke
The Production Music Awards (PMA) have announced that submissions are now officially open ahead of...
01/06/2026
New hybrid sample/synthesis instrument revealed
Excite Audio have just released the latest instalment in their Evolve series, which has been developed in co...
01/06/2026
Latest TONEX expansion captures three rare vintage amps
The newest addition to IK Multimedia's ever-growing TONEX line-up introduces a set of three incr...
01/06/2026
Musically intelligent soft synth gets upgraded
Scaler Music will be probably be best known to many for their music theory tools, but their product range al...
01/06/2026
SBS confirms its broadcast sponsors for FIFA World Cup 2026
1 June, 2026
Media releases
SBS has secured Hyundai, Hisense, Macca's, Rexona, bet365, Com...
01/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz Satellite Industry Days 2026 guided by the motto From Earth to ...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Marshall Electronics is showcasing a comprehensive lineup of next-generation POV cameras, purpose-built to power today's connected AV environments, at InfoC...
01/06/2026
Adobe Announces Concept to Vector
Deepa Subramaniam June 1, 2026
0 Comments
One of the biggest frustrations we hear from designers is how difficult it...
01/06/2026
Vampire Feature Night Patrol Graded with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton June 1, 2026
0 Comments
Colorist shapes dark, gritty tone for horror thri...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Agentic AI is getting physical.
At COMPUTEX on Tuesday, NVIDIA announced NVIDIA JetPack 7.2 and NVIDIA NemoClaw support on NVIDIA Jetson.
JetPack 7.2 brings a...
01/06/2026
Financial institutions have spent years building AI: fraud models, credit models...
01/06/2026
Mardi 2 juin 14h00
FilmLight (ARRI), 10 rue Ren Boulanger, 75010 Paris
Rejoignez-nous pour d couvrir comment FLAPI (l'API FilmLight) peut transformer e...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
31/05/2026
Olivia P rez-Collellmir to Premiere Original Work at Gaud Centennial in Barcelona The Berklee graduate and faculty member will debut her choral symphony with...
31/05/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Wins 15 Awards at the Canadian Screen Awards - See Pho...
31/05/2026
Taiwan is home to more than 500 NVIDIA ecosystem partners. More than 1 million N...
31/05/2026
As factories move from isolated automation to plant-wide intelligence, manufacturers need AI systems that can connect live machine signals, quality systems, wor...
31/05/2026
The NVIDIA AI Cloud ecosystem is accelerating the global buildout of AI factory infrastructure. Partners are expanding capacity to meet growing demand from ente...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Zero in on one that says yes (and no)
Andy Marken May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image courtesy of Deposit Photos
For content creators the most difficu...
29/05/2026
With InfoComm 2026 just weeks away, NDI is giving attendees plenty of reasons to...
29/05/2026
Reaffirming a partnership that has defined Canadian sports broadcasting since 19...
29/05/2026
Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
Ring Digital's Sprin...
29/05/2026
Berliner Ensemble, one of Berlin's five major theater companies, has expande...
29/05/2026
Solid State Logic will showcase its new compact, fly-away TCA Tour audio product...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, passed away last month on April 12 ...
29/05/2026
Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women's Super...
29/05/2026
Further strengthening its virtualisation strategy to fully support broadcasters ...
29/05/2026
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has deployed Harmonic's award-winning, software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor to modernize playout operations across cant...
29/05/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...