- Masasa Mbangeni makes her film comeback with Netflix’s Heart of the Hunter alongside Bonko Khoza.
- During her acting break she spent time teaching drama, which reignited her love for the craft.
- Fans can also watch Masasa on the fourth season of Blood & Water.
Illuminated by the natural light coming through the window of her Gqeberha home – thank you, Eskom – award-winning thespian Masasa Mbangeni’s warmth and delightful presence is felt through our virtual conversation.
It’s a special moment for Masasa – 10 years after gracing the cover of TRUELOVE’s January 2014 issue with then rising stars Nomzamo Mbatha and Khanya Mkangisa and four years on from her first TRUELOVE solo cover, Masasa is back.
The 36-year-old actress and drama educator is back on the big screen after an acting hiatus during the Covid-19 pandemic with the upcoming twisted spy thriller Heart of the Hunter, adapted from the novel by Deon Meyer.
Falling in love again with the art of acting
Set to be released on Netflix on 29 March 2024 starring a stellar cast including Connie Ferguson and Bonko Khoza, we got the first opportunity to hear more about Masasa coming back on screen for the political thriller.
“Heart of the Hunter came at a time – I used to always say to my students when I taught a couple of years ago, as an actor you must always be able to answer your why and the minute you can’t answer your why, do whatever you need to be able to remind yourself of that why. And obviously that why is not fixed, it’s like life, it is in constant flux.
“But the minute you’re no longer able to answer that question with truth and integrity, that’s when you need to just take a bit of a break and go find the answers in life and I think that’s what happened to me.
“And so, when Heart of the Hunter came, Mandlakayise Dube (the film’s director) was my lecturer at Wits many years ago in second year … and we’d always spoken about collaborating. So, when Mandla spoke about he’s doing this adaptation of this book, I got the book immediately and I fell madly in love with this book, and it actually turned me into a Deon Meyer fan.”
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Bringing back Black love
Masasa’s character is based on the character of Miriam in the book – named Malime Mambi in the film – the love interest to Bonko’s character Zuko Khumalo, who’s named Thobela in the novel. Zuko is a labourer with a sordid past chased across Southern Africa by the presidential intelligence agency.
Masasa enlightens us with how she got the role and any hints she can share on the film adaptation.
“[Heart of the Hunter] means an opportunity to answer my why I love acting so much. A dream and passion that has been a part of my life since I was eight years old. I got to act with one of my favourite actors in the country Bonko Khoza, I got to work with Mandla who we’ve been promising each other for over a decade that one day, one day, one day, and then this perfect project came along – not to say I didn’t have to audition for it, I had to fight for that part but I was prepared.
“And any teasers can I tell you, for me, I know it’s framed as a political thriller, which it is. But at the heart of it for me … the love story between Thobela and Miriam inspires the love story between Zuko and Malime and for me it’s so beautiful to see Black love. I don’t think we see enough of that; I think we see Black desire, which is great, that’s also appropriate. But to see in the midst of all the desire and the sex and the passion, there’s love.”
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Using drama education to serve society
The Scandal! and Devil’s Peak actress revels in the joys of spreading the knowledge she’s gained throughout her time in the industry to a new generation of aspiring thespians.
Calling it one of the facets of creativity she fully enjoyed before and during her time away from the camera, Masasa says, “Teaching acting has been one of the greatest joys of my life. Prior to the pandemic, I also started teaching at a private institution and it was really tough because … my students who are 17, 18 and I was confronted with this 17-year-old me who had this radical curiosity, this arrogance. This, not ‘you can’t tell me anything’, but just such a clarity of life.”
Masasa’s last theatre production before her hiatus was with the play The Suitcase at the Market Theatre alongside Siyabonga Thwala, after which she took a step back to go into teaching and witness a new age of hungry drama students that reminded her of her younger self.
Loving life and being back on TV with Blood & Water
Masasa tells us her dream goal in life is to be able to sit back on a tranquil farm by the sea, travel the world and live every aspect of her life to the fullest.
But you won’t have to wait to see the thespian take on a new role, 1 March 2024 saw the release of the fourth season of the acclaimed teen drama series Blood & Water and viewers will get to see Masasa take on a role in one of her favourite shows.
“Right now, today, we’re being introduced to Mrs Makheba on Blood & Water season four, another dream come true. Funny story about Blood & Water, I don’t know how many times I auditioned for that show going, ‘Guys, please, ngicela ung’fakeni!’
“And I think this is the story of life though, the one time I just let go and I’m just like ja, whatevs, is the one time they’re like, ‘Hey, so after the five million times you’ve auditioned for us, would you like to come and play with us?’ It was such an incredible experience to work with such – and I know I’m going to sound geriatric but I’m not, I’m 36 – but to work with such young, beautiful, talented, passionate people was so refreshing.”
