- Bonko Khoza’s latest role comes with the action thriller Heart of the Hunter, releasing 29 March 2024.
- This will be his first leading role in an action film that he trained for for four weeks.
- He explains how he is drawn to psychologically complex characters.
He’s quickly become South Africa’s leading man.
Bonko Khoza has had quite the eventful 2024 and we’re only three months in.
With leading roles in major films and television shows since his breakout as the captivating Mqhele from The Wife, there’s much in store for the actor.
Bonko’s latest project comes with the local action thriller Heart of the Hunter. He takes on the role of Zuko Khumalo, a retired assassin burdened with the task of taking down the corrupt presidential candidate Daza Mtima (played by Sisanda Henna).
The thrills of action
Heart of the Hunter is Bonko’s first action-filled project and he shares with TRUELOVE how he prepared for the role.
“It was my first time doing a heavy action role. I love action … I was excited, let me say that because, yeah man, I mean it’s one thing to be a leading man as like a taxi driver – there were some stunts on that show as well – but this is like a full-on martial arts, special agent movie … some crazy choreography, so we had an amazing stunt team.
“I trained for four weeks, tried to bulk up muscle-wise, hoping to achieve a leading man archetype, good body, I was on a strict diet. Yeah, that was the risk in terms of saying, ‘I hope this works’. I didn’t have a lot of topless scenes, but it was also making sure that if I was ever to be topless, it still has that aesthetic of a leading man. Yeah, and the stunts – I got a couple of injuries on the way.”
Putting his all in his latest character in Heart of the Hunter alongside heavyweight thespians like Connie Ferguson, Masasa Mbangeni and Tim Theron allows him to not only exercise his acting muscles but also bounce off from the best in the local film industry.
READ MORE | Meet the all-star cast of Netflix's action thriller Heart of the Hunter
A collision of objectives
The 32-year-old actor has become a staple in local productions with esteemed parts in shows like The Wife, The Brave Ones, Red Ink plus films including Collision, The Drop and Necktie Youth.
Through his experience, Bonko expresses how a great scene partner is one that brings to life the nuances of the story beyond what is written in the scripts. He adds that what makes it interesting is both playing the same scene but with different objective.
“I mean if everyone’s playing the scene, director wrote the scene, lighting lit the scene, you can’t act the scene. We have to transcend the setting to ideas. It has to translate to what’s between the lines, what’s not being said in the scene, what are you thinking. Because as an actor we’re triggering you and poking you in certain places for you to start thinking things.”
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Bonko takes his craft as seriously as they come and it’s clear he enjoys taking on the kinds of characters that portray an internal battle.
This is seen through his portrayal of convicted serial killer Napoleon in Red Ink.
Bonko explains, “I don’t know if it’s the actor that does it or the role is written that way, but these psychological visceral characters who really have a lot going on in their mind. Whether they’re troubled, caught between things, pushing and pulling between either good or bad."
“I’m drawn to those characters and I wonder if I do that subconsciously to my character or if I’m naturally placed by virtue of natural selection to these type of roles.”
