Veteran actor Siyabonga Twala joins The River
He will be running a successful scrapyard which is a front for his illegal businesses
Mzansi Magic has announced the arrival of veteran actor Siyabonga Twala (53) who joined The River.
He joins as Bangizwe Zwane, a street-smart alpha male who is confident in who is.
Bangizwe runs a successful scrapyard which is a front for his illegal businesses. He was a bit rough around the edges when he was younger, had run ins with the police, but as he matured, he perfected his craft.
He and his love interest grew up together. They were childhood friends. He has always loved Lindiwe but was too shy to express his feelings. They spent a lot of time together, sharing dreams and future plans.
“I just play characters. I get to play different people and that’s all. I do not see myself in any other light,” Siyabonga quoted speaking to Drum.
That is the kind of foundation that was laid in the 1970s and today South Africa and the world get to enjoy the work of actor par excellence, Siyabonga Twala.
He says it’s very important for actors to be observant in their everyday lives because one day they may have to play a character similar to a person they have crossed paths with before. This helps with the research when preparing for each character, he says.
Before he was the multi-award winning thespian trained by the great Gibson Kente, he was a little boy, number seven of eight children and he loved listening to his grandmother’s stories.
“I would lay beside her bed and visualize all the characters that formed part of her story.”
He smiles as he talks of his Gogo Getrude. Home was in uMlaza in KZN, but during school holidays he spent a lot of time with her emakhaya.
“It was as if those people came alive from her stories, and she loved laughing at her own stories. I was very close to uGogo,” he says fondly.
Furthering his interest in the arts was the novel by Sibusiso Nyembezi which was later turned into a TV series.
He believes constantly learning and honing one’s craft are important for any actor who wants longevity in the industry.
“If you work hard and you don’t complain about money, in due time people will show you your worth and pay you what is due to you because you work hard.”
-By The Purpose Correspondent
