If he’s not bringing a live chicken to class, he’s having his own memorial service for his late schoolmate, Zinhle.
All this, with a straight face. But when he watches back at his work, he realises how abnormal his character is.
He’s the class clown that you can’t bring yourself to be mad at.
While many get to either relate with him or reminisce on the class clowns they used to have when they were still in school, Tshepo Matlala is more interested in finding out where the class clowns go after high school.
Serious in his tone when he answers Drum’s call, one would swear that he’s not the same person who never takes anything serious on Showmax’s teen telenovela, Youngins.
Read more | From school play mayor to Showmax lead, meet Lebohang Lephatsoana
Like the Tshepo character he plays, the Tembisa-born actor is a bubbly personality who strikes a balance between being an extrovert and an introvert. On some days, believe it or not, he’s shy and goes into his shell.
He tells Drum that even he, at school, was told he was problematic, but he never thought of himself as such.
“How Tshepo Matlala and Tshepo Masemola view certain things is different. There is a particular way that I view women and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. We grew up in the same surroundings where women are objectified and the LGBTQIA+ community are shunned but the difference with me is that I, as Tshepo Matlala, am no longer like that - I respect people. I relate with him so much and that’s why I’m able to play him so believably,” says the 26-year-old.
When he finally listened to people who suggested that he tries out acting because he’s entertaining, he enjoyed and felt a sense of belonging at his community hall where he was taught the art.
Drawing from interviews of the likes of Warren Masemola and Sello Maake ka Ncube, he started taking notes and eventually, he was enrolled at the Market Theatre in 2019 where he was exposed to opportunities to grow in his craft.
Ever since then, he’s played several characters that he’s fallen in love with, including a school bully and now his breakout role, Tshepo Masemola.
“Tshepo doesn’t like school, he tries so much to be disruptive. Even in class, he doesn’t get ahead and the worst thing is that he’s in boarding school so he can’t even run away. So he comes up with tactics in class to get himself out of writing and studying.”
Every week, anticipation of the weekly episodes builds up and without fail on Thursdays, Youngins trends with Tshepo and Tumelo, played by Lebohang Lephatsoane leading the pack as fan favourites.
Read more | Meet Youngins’ charmer boy, Khaya Jali
Seeing how comedy flows effortlessly from him, Tshepo has considered and tapped into the comic industry.
Giggling at the mention of it, he says he took the leap of faith last year.
“I’m funny without even trying to make jokes, I know how to take someone on a comic journey when I have their attention. I know how to play with people’s emotions so stand-up comedy is something that I’m looking forward to [doing more of].”
“This world is too beautiful to be serious, we are dealing with a lot as people so let’s laugh man. As a country, we don’t like tragedy, we find something funny in everything.”
For Tshepo, laughing is the way to get through life.
