Celebrated musician and producer Mnqobi “Shota” Mdabe made his official Mzansi Magic debut on drama series Nqobile last month, portraying the character of Manyosi and acting alongside veteran actor Lillian Dube aka the Black Widow.
The Black Widow is a feared debt collector in the community and Manyosi serves as her right-hand man. The men who fail to pay their debt are severely punished by Manyosi.
When Simo (Kagiso Modupe) gets on the wrong side of the Black Widow’s law, Manyosi steps in to carry out his duties. Simo finds himself in grave danger and if he doesn’t find the means to repay the Black Widow, Manyosi may need to put a swift end to his life.
We sat down with the multi-talented artist to find out more about his acting career and his experience of acting on Nqobile.
What did you find challenging about playing this character? Did you go through vigorous acting classes for the role?
First of all, I must say, acting is a totally different experience for me. Yes, it’s within the arts but I come from a music background, even though I did dabble in acting back in school.
Growing up, I attended Fairview, a Roman Catholic school that piqued my interest in acting. At Fairview, I was introduced to a number of Shakespearean novels – The Merchant of Venice was one of the first plays I was involved in. Later on, in my adult life, I also acted on a Lokshin Bioskop drama called Mshika-Shika.
So yes, it was challenging, I won’t lie, that’s why I’m very humbled to have been able to embody this role and I’ve come to appreciate the experience.
How did the Manyosi role come about?
I initially auditioned for the role of Simo and after a week I got short-listed for a call-back. After three weeks I got a call and was informed that there’s another role they thought I would be better suited for, which is the one I’m playing now.
Was acting always on the cards?
I’ve always known that there’s a couple of things I’m capable of, and acting is one of them.
God has blessed me with life lessons and being at a boarding school, away from parents, I got to meet people from different walks of life. That experience alone had an impact on my life and has shaped me to a point where I can embody different characters.
Acting is not an easy craft. There’s a lot of work that needs to be put into it but I’m grateful for producers like Ayanda Borotho, who gave me the opportunity to act on Nqobile.
Can you describe the atmosphere on set when filming Nqobile? What are the most valuable acting lessons you learned from Mam’Lillian Dube?
I must admit, that entire experience humbled me. I have a newfound respect and appreciation for actors – being surrounded by talented people who are great at what they do inspires me a lot.
It did put a bit of pressure on me considering that I was going to act alongside the legendary Mam’Lillian Dube.
But Mam’Lillian made my life so easy, guiding and showing me how it’s done. Acting alongside her was fun and all I had to do was to prepare and show up. The pressure was there but fortunately, I respect the craft and I don’t take things for granted. I believe that’s the only way to succeed in this business.
Tell us more about what you’ve learned from playing this role.
I’ve learned that you can be a tough guy but still be a reasonable person. When you are a tough guy it doesn’t mean you are a gangster or go about doing bad things. It’s possible to also use that same energy but in a positive manner.
For instance, Manyosi is a tough guy but his toughness is channeled towards a good cause. He’s not there to cause havoc in society, he’s just there to make sure that things happen in a good way. You can use your toughness to protect others and not cause havoc in your community.
Looking at all the other great local productions that air on Mzansi Magic, which other show would you love to act in and why?
There is so much great content on Mzansi Magic to choose from, I would be lying to you if I chose only one. I admire so many shows on the channel so, for me, any production that tells a great story and resonates with me, I’m jumping on.
Catch Shota on Nqobile S1 every Monday on Mzansi Magic, channel 161 and express Showmax and DStv online.
