S dumo Mtshali s journey to the top

Sdumo Mtshali has captured the hearts of viewers across South Africa and starring as the lead in Donovan Marshs award winning South African thriller iNumber Number which opens in cinemas on 25 April nationwide, Mtshalis journey is not without its struggles. by Bella Boqo

It is perhaps for this reason that his trademark afro speaks volumes. Similarly to some of the continents most dynamic activists such as Chris Hani, Steve Biko, Wole Soyinka and Nelson Mandela, this actor seems to wear his thick, kinky locks as a badge of honour, symbolic of his fiery passion, intense determination and desperate need to make it against all odds.

Born in King Edwards Hospital in Durban, Mtshalis love of acting was cultivated from a young age. My father played a big role in me becoming a storyteller. My father collected a lot of movies on VCR tapes. Movies like Lean on Me starring Morgan Freeman [and] Malcolm X [with] Denzel Washington were a huge factor in his and my life. And I saw power of storytelling, he says.

While many were first introduced to Mtshali through SABC 1 reality TV series Class Act in 2010, he has always been determined to pursue his love for acting. He studied drama and art at the Durban University of Technology, but like many actors, encountered several roadblocks along the way, the most pertinent being unemployment.

Finding work is a challenge in this country. Period, he says.

Entering and winning the first season of SABC 1 reality competition Class Act in 2010 changed all of this. With prizes including representation for top local casting agency, Moonyeenn Lee and associates, and an eight-week acting course at New York Film Academy, Mtshalis dream instantly became reality.

He landed his first lead acting role with SABC drama series Intersexions and went on to play married medical student, Maidi Kotwe, in daily soapie Rhythm City. Mtshali also proceeded to feature as Kuti Daniels in SABC1's fashion series TempyPusha, and played Spikiri in the feature film, Inside Story directed by Rolie Nikiwe in 2012.

The following year saw him take the role of Sibusiso Ndlovu in the popular Mzansi Magic telenovela isiBaya, in which he currently still features.

His most prestigious role however has been starring as the lead in the action-thriller iNumber Number, which has become a hit at film festivals worldwide and will receive a Hollywood make-over under the hand of Fast and Furious writer Chris Morgan ,and his partner Emile Gladstone.

The film, where he stars alongside Tsotsi star Presley Chweneyagae, as headstrong undercover cop turned crook, is everything Mtshali wanted. It has certainly catapulted him into the international spotlight and providing him with opportunities to bond with the best local talent.

His film journey seems to have given Mtshali a new found understanding of his role in the industry. Unlike his former years as a struggling artist, Mtshali says: creating work has become my aim now.

Catch Mtshali on Number Number opening at cinemas nationwide on 25 April.

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