The Forgotten Kingdom, which premiered at the Durban International Film Festival, featured the young actor, Zenzo Ngqobe. He plays Atang, a now hard-nosed Jozi gangster who blames his anger issues on his absent father.
When he takes his father’s body home to be buried in Lesotho, Atang is forced to ponder about this place he is supposed to think of as his home and where he fits into this seemingly alien culture.
Tonight’s film writer, Theresa Smith was impressed with his performance and noted the follow- ing: “Ngqobe neatly pulls off the reversal of the usual ‘rural boy comes to the big city’ character arc, allowing his Jozi harsh mannerisms to be softened by picking up more and more South Sotho as the film progresses.
“He scowls less and smiles more as the story takes him deeper into the Lesotho mountains and while he may not know his future by the end of the film, the believable character comes across as willing to face the unknown.”
Of the experience filming in the mountain kingdom, Ngqobe said the environment and people helped him with his character.
“It was my first time there and Lesotho is beautiful. Meeting the Basotho also helped because they are so humble and very respectful. I wanted my character to have moments of quiet and not have too much dialogue.”
Hailing from Mahikeng, Ngqobe is Tswana. But this method actor said the language and accent was not a problem.
“Atang left Lesotho when he was young so accent wasn’t an issue. I also spoke to the locals and chose how I had to sound.”
Since he came to our attention as Butcha in the Oscar-winning Tsotsi, Ngqobe has enjoyed playing various characters. He is probably best known for his role as Rhythm City’s Stone who eventually came out of the closet. When he left Rhythm City he went on to play Cyril in SABC2’s popular comedy Gare Dumele and also had a role in Intersexions 2.
He returned to his first love, theatre, earlier this year in Silent Boy with childhood friend and Tsotsi co-star, Presley Chwenyagae. The show had a run in Mahikeng as well as at the Standard Bank National Arts Festival.
“I never had many friends when I was young, until I met Presley,” recalls Ngqobe. “When he got the lead role in Tsotsi he recommended me for the role of Butcha. My character was the last to be cast.”
During that time he had moved to Pretoria where he worked in Paul Grootboom’s Artistic Realistic Acting Studio at the State Theatre. He describes Grootboom as his mentor.
“By 2003 I had acted in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Paul taught me the rhythms of Shakespeare and how it was supposed to flow, but I still spoke in my Tswana accent.”
About the Tsotsi experience, Ngqobe is circumspect.
“When we got our parts we had no clue what was going to happen. After winning the award it was very weird. I was so uncomfortable realising that everyone knew who I was.
“Of course I wanted to be an actor, but I didn’t like the fame. I thought I was going to do theatre my whole life and therefore not be that famous. Even when I was offered the role on Rhythm City I had my doubts. I hate being famous because I need to step out of my character and be myself. But, at the same time, I understand that it comes with the territory.
“I am a method actor and research my character. Like with Butcha I had a cousin with the same name. Although he wasn’t as violent as the character in Tsotsi, he would just snap sometimes and beat people up. I had that picture when I worked on the role.”
He was also the first black actor to portray a homosexual in a soap.
“The Rhythm City writers spoke to me about Stone being sexually confused. I was not afraid to play a role like that as long as it was written properly. It was going to challenge me. I wanted it to come from within, but I did not want him to be camp.”
As for his role in Gare Dumele, he was nervous as he had only played serious characters. In fact, the only comedy he had done was Midsummer Night’s Dream.
“Cyril (the character) challenged me as an actor to be versatile. I had fun. The producers wanted me to exaggerate my acting, but I believe comedy is all about timing.” Gare Dumele is about to start shooting its fifth season.
The actor is also working on a self-penned play called Mountain of Things – The First Read.
“I wrote it in a rhyming manner probably because I have done so much Shakespeare. Also, I wanted to write an original, different play, hopefully something that will go on to become a classic. I was inspired by The Book of Eli.”
The play will hopefully debut at The State Theatre. But this talented man has more in store. He’ll soon release a Motswako hip hop album.
“I don’t want to be a musician. This album will just be a showcase for artists to see how I can write. I am a poet.”