He plays a hardcore gangster and an emotional bridegroom with equal ease. We chat to actor Warren Masemola about his latest role in hit SABC1 drama Tjovitjo.
GIVE him high heels, silk stockings and a feather boa and he’ll rock them effortlessly.
Cover him in prison overalls and terrifying tattoos and he’ll become one of the most hardcore gangsters you’ve ever seen.
Need someone to play a sappy bridegroom who tears up on command in a music video and he’s your guy. And if you’re looking for someone with a compelling voice to say “Give that man a Bells” in your whisky ad, he’ll rise to the occasion.
Nothing is impossible for this actor who treats life like a stage and adapts to every situation as effortlessly as a chameleon.
And right now Warren Masemola (34) is wowing South Africa in the biggest show on TV: SABC1’s Tjovitjo, the hard hitting drama series that drew a staggering 5,7 million viewers for its premiere episode in August, breaking records previously held by classics such as Yizo Yizo, Zone 14 and Tshisa.
The Soshanguve-raised star is no newcomer to the entertainment scene, having made his mark as an actor in hit TV shows including Intersexions, Ses’Top La, Scandal! and Ring of Lies, for which he’s nominated for Best Actor in this year’s YOU Spectacular awards.
In Tjovitjo – which revolves around the lives of a group of dancers – Warren plays Ma’Fred, the leader of a pantsula dance crew. And he’s one of the reasons so many viewers are glued to their screens every week.
It’s hard to tear your eyes off him when he’s on stage or on-screen – or when he’s right in front of you, as we discover when he meets us at Southern Sun Lounge in Hyde Park wearing cropped jeans that show off his bright-red geometric-print socks.
We get to know this natural entertainer a little better.
THE NAME OF THE GAME
Esta historia es de la edición 12 October 2017 de Drum English.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición 12 October 2017 de Drum English.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Homegrown Heroes
Drum speaks to two volunteers in the Covid-19 vaccine trial and the professor heading the team in Africa
The Big Clean Up
Whenever a Covid-19 case is confirmed at a shop, they call in the deep-cleaners. We find out exactly how they disinfect stores and supermarkets
I'm Back & Better!
Babes Wodumo shares what she’s been up to in lockdown – and there’s some new music on the horizon
Not An Easy Ride
Taxi commuters and industry players tell DRUM what’s driving them to defy lockdown rules
Mam' Mary Bows Out
Iconic actress Mary Twala is fondly remembered by friends and family for her humour and talent
‘They Lived For Each Other'
This Cape Town teen’s parents died from Covid-19 on the same day. Now she’s alone and battling the virus too
Stranger Than Fiction
For actor Mangaliso Ngema and his daughter Khosi Ngema, her role in Blood & Water was like watching their family’s real-life story unfold
I Was Raped By A Pastor
His accusations against a well-known man of the cloth turned an Eastern Cape man’s life into turmoil but now more victims have spoken out
My Fight With Life And Death
More Covid-19 patients, too few beds and staff, constant sanitising and personal fears – a Western Cape doctor shares her experience
I AM ENOUGH
Ten years after being set alight, Thembi Maphanga is living life to the fullest
