Thembekile Komani on his role in Thato Ya Modimo

Knuckle City star Thembekile Komani commands attention on the new Showmax film Thato Ya Modimo and continues to gain momentum one role at a time.

The Eastern Cape-born actor is well known for starring in critically acclaimed titles such as Blood Psalms and Knuckle City. Before shooting to stardom, he played the role of Zuks in the Mzansi Magic TV series Nkululeko. Komani was nominated for a SAFTA for Best Supporting Actor in a feature film for his role as Duke in South Africa’s 2020 Oscar entry Knuckle City. His impressive resume also includes both local and international titles such as Book of Negroes, Big Friend Little Friends, and The Girl From St Agnes.

The SAFTA-nominated actor solidifies his star power in Thato Ya Modimo playing the character of Sizwe, whose fiancée, Cindy (Zikhona Bali), is forced to step up and assist a struggling Libo (Sizwe Khumbuza) in tackling single parenthood without his late beloved wife Neo (Rosemary Zimu).

Directed by Athi Petela (Ayeye Stripped, Trapped, Redemption), Thato Ya Modimo is the third Showmax film from Beyond Black Productions, building on the success of both Welcome To The Family and Umakoti Wethu.

We caught up with the actor and had a chat with him about his role in the Thato Ya Modimo.

What did this role teach you in terms of the craft? How different was it from other roles you’ve played?

First of all, it was my first time playing a role where I had to be a lover. So it was different in that sense because most of the characters I’ve played are villains. I really liked the fact that this character was different from what I’m used to playing. This also helped me to get out of my comfort zone. I know I can challenge myself with any role but I loved that this role came at the right time.

What it taught me as an actor is that you can’t box yourself in one corner. You have to be versatile, you have to attempt as many characters as you can.

What was the relationship like with other cast members?

It was so beautiful, I don’t even know how to explain it. I’m so blessed to have worked with people that have good spirits on set. Working with such people makes the process very easy. We understand each other, we respect each other and talk about what we expect in the process. When you understand those dynamics it becomes easy to form a working relationship with other cast members.

It was such a beautiful connection and chemistry we had in Thato Ya Modimo because it was a small cast. For instance, if uncle (Kere Nyawo) or aunt Pascalane Phale (The Throne, Impilo: The Scam) weren’t there on set, it was just myself, Zikhona and Sizwe. There was no way that one would lock themselves in their corner. We had to get to know each other and that helped us find other things about each other’s characters. So the small cast that we were really helped. We became friends on set and had each other’s back.

Let’s talk about the character of Sizwe, who’s in love with Cindy. What has this relationship from the movie taught you as a person?

It’s quite a complex subject about relationships or marriage. It taught me that it’s not easy to be in a relationship. For instance Cindy, she wants to have kids but Sizwe doesn’t want that. However, he still wants to be in a relationship. So that changes everything as that could be a deal breaker. Luckily for me personally, I’m not in a relationship right now, but I know that when people are looking for different things in a relationship it hardly works.

It got me thinking about my previous relationships and why they never work. Maybe we were just looking for different things. While a woman needed me to be there all the time, I was just set upon spreading my wings and moving to Joburg to pursue my career. So basically if you aren’t looking for the same thing, it’s never going to work. You can pretend for years but when you break up one of you is going to get hurt.

What were your initial thoughts when you read the script?

First of all, this project came to me as a surprise. I got the call a few days before we started shooting. I was in Cape Town at the time working on a project with my organisation. After getting the call, I received the script the next day but I needed to fly back to Joburg so couldn’t read it immediately. But as soon as I could, I sat and read the script.

I got to understand that this guy is a lover but he doesn’t want kids. All he wanted was to travel so I had to find a way to play him. I found it quite interesting to tackle a role of someone who loves his fiancée but at the same time wants to live out his life and travel.

But I do feel like it was a blessing that I got the script a few days before because sometimes you don’t want to read and read to a point where you lock yourself and can’t even expand anymore. I was reading as we were shooting and I felt like the character was growing every day. There was definitely no room to block myself. I kept discovering new elements I can add to the character as we went.

What was it like working with Athi Petela?

She’s amazing! She is so amazing. I remember she called me right after I got the call from the production manager. I was out with my friends around December that time. She gave me the brief about this character I was about to play. She was an amazing director even on set. She was always there, checking in and making sure I was good. As much as she knows what she’s looking for as a director, she’s also open to hear from the actor’s perspective too. I would definitely love to work with her again.

I loved her process of working. She made the set very easy. You know when you’re on set and you’re not even thinking of going home. It was amazing!

What’s your favourite scene from the film?

I think it’s the break-up scene. The scene where Cindy breaks up with Sizwe. I’ve never in my life had to beg a girl not to break up with me. I don’t even remember my break-ups in my previous relationships. For Sizwe it was different. This scene took me to a different place and I felt like I really loved this person and it hurt so much that it hurt myself as Thembekile.

Remember, we are 100% ourselves when we play these roles. We use our emotions, even though we don’t act on them. So when I got to that emotional part, it hurt me. That was a very interesting scene to play because like I said, I’ve never played a lover on screen. I also loved how the scene was shot.

What was the most challenging thing about bringing this character to life?

I don’t think there were so many challenges because I was working with an incredible director who allowed me to be flexible. It was like a masterclass for me, if I can put it that way.

Jennie Reznek from Magnet Theatre, where I studied, would say ‘If an actor or a director proposes to you, you don’t say no, you say yes and then add what you were thinking.’ So there were not a lot of challenges but if I could mention one, it was definitely the intimacy scenes.

I’ve never done intimacy scenes on set as I heard some stories from people but with Zikhona Bali I was comfortable. She could pick up that I was nervous so she kept on checking if I was okay. I also wanted to be sure that she was comfortable. There was that trust between the two of us because we had spent time on set together. We understood the choices we made for our roles. It was a little bit scary for me since I hadn’t done such scenes. So when I have to touch her or throw my arm over her I want it to be professional and comfortable. 

The entertainment industry is said to be full of stress and pressure; what do you do to tackle the pressure that comes with your work?

I’m lucky and blessed to be doing what I love so at least the pressure is manageable. It’s also great when you work with someone who knows and understands where you want to be. I’m talking about agencies, and management. For instance, I’m busy with a project now and there was a role I was called for. When we looked at it we were like, I need the rest. As much as it pays well, it was just going to be a lot of traveling back and forth so we decided not to take it. So it’s also important that you work with someone who knows what you want and can also help prioritise your health.

If you weren’t an actor, what would you do?

To be honest I don’t know because before acting I used to be a DJ back in high school. But after Matric I developed interest in acting so I just did Journalism. Then I joined the theatre and the rest is history.

If I’m not acting I think I would have gone for dancing because I always put these on the top of my list. I’ve also been inspired to study law, not to practise but just to apply it to myself when it comes to discussing contracts with producers.

What are you currently watching on Showmax?

I always watch different stuff on Showmax but currently I’m hooked on The Wife. I also enjoy the medical series House, and The Last Of Us is so amazing. 

Stream Thato Ya Modimo now on Showmax.