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Multiple-award winner Nambitha Ben-Mazwi cannot wait to star in her first Showmax original drama series, Empini, which premiers next month. She will be leading the cast alongside award-winning legendary actor, Siyabonga Thwala, who plays Khaya Bhodoza, a prominent businessperson and political stalwart.
Speaking to City Press on Wednesday while she was on set of the upcoming action-packed series, the excited Ben-Mazwi said she had prayed for this role. She portrays Ndoni Themba, a deeply troubled private security bodyguard in search of answers.
She said Showmax was fun to work with.
Said Ben-Mazwi:
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The Savage Beauty actress said she never wanted to play the same character twice, so she had turned down a few projects. She added that she was fortunate to get the role on Empini because she will showcase the other side of her acting range as well as her Muay Thai fighting skills.
Last month, alongside thespian Jerry Mofokeng wa Makhetha, she was honoured as one of the legends in film and TV by Don Julio during the Oscars’ viewing party. She told City Press that her character Ndoni Themba has been gaslit all her life and also suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, but she represents woman empowerment.
She added:
“She has obstacles [to overcome] and she’s out for vengeance. And you just go on this journey with her. I want to make sure that the audience always roots for her, because they need to feel and understand her.”
Ben-Mazwi has worked a lot with Clive Morris Productions and considered the team as family because she had grown with them.
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On working with Thwala, the Global Citizen ambassador said she was happy they both could bounce off each other’s energy. She described him as "a sincere actor who fights for his character because he wants to tell an honest story". And that's what they had in common, she added.
The action-paced 52-episode drama series, set in the dangerous world of private VIP security, premiers on Showmax on 23 May.
