Vuyo Dabula on returning to our screens with The Butcher’s Soul

After surviving a near-fatal shooting during a hijacking, Vuyo Dabula is finally back on South African screens in The Butcher’s Soul, now streaming on Showmax. 

The Butcher’s Soul is directed by Kagiso Samuel Leburu, who won the Made for TV Film SAFTA for his debut feature Okae Molao and also debuted Month End at Durban International Festival last month. Four-time SAFTA winner Adze Ugah (Shaka iLembe) is the stunt director. 

After a deadly attack on his family, a butcher (SAFTA winner Melusi Mbele) is granted nine days by the angel of Death to bring her the guilty souls in exchange for his daughter’s life.

Watch the trailer to The Butcher’s Soul

Dabula plays Saul, one of those guilty souls, opposite the likes of SAFTA winner Katlego Danke (Gomora), Zinhle Mabena (Shaka iLembe), Bokang Phelane (Blood Psalms) and Tshepo Howza Mosese (co-host of The Ultimatum SA). 

Celebrated for his iconic portrayal of Gadaffi in Generations: The Legacy and nominated for an African Movie Academy Award as Tau in Five Fingers for Marseilles, Vuyo sat down with Xabiso Ngqabe to talk about his journey back to what he loves most: storytelling. 

Firstly, it’s wonderful to see you back on screen. Can you share what you’ve been up to recently?

I’ve been up to very little professionally as I came across an unfortunate event where I got shot in 2022. Bullets in my shoulder put me on hold and I spent all of 2023 recovering. I might have done Unseen just before the incident, but I can’t remember well. The event affected me not only physically but also mentally, as I’ve been dealing with the aftermath and the frustration of not being able to work and do what I love.

This is a violent film. How did that experience influence you on this shoot?

Holding a gun on set didn’t make me feel weird. I know a bit about guns, and as long as I knew they were empty, I could handle them without any issues. Even the detective, played by Howza, walks around with a gun. I would pick up his gun, provided it was safe. Maybe if I play a character who gets shot, I might experience flashbacks or feel shaken. In this project, I was given the role of the aggressor. I’m the one causing pain, so there wasn’t any room for fear.

Tell us about the character you’re playing.

At his core, Saul is a capitalist. There’s always a thin line between a capitalist and a gangster. Capitalists can be soulless and money-driven and can easily trample upon other people. That’s just the reality. Initially, Saul starts as a good guy, who believes in a product, but this lands himself and his team in trouble. To save himself, he needs to protect his name, leading him deeper into darker places. I don’t think he’s a gangster; he just goes to great lengths to protect his name and life. This situation brings him closer to the story’s protagonist, culminating in a showdown between the two. 

What was your preparation like for the role?

I embraced the idea that, “You can be a hero or live long enough to be a villain”. A very good part of me will subscribe to goodness, being nice and kind. However, my life experiences have shown me the darkness in people. Sometimes, situations force you to save yourself. 

While I haven’t been responsible for losing a life, I’ve found myself in situations where I’ve had to make tough decisions. Life teaches you that you can end up in precarious situations, and people make mistakes. 

This helped me understand what Saul was going through, allowing him to make mistakes and reflect on how it feels to be on the other side, where you never thought you’d be. 

In life, we deal with smaller stakes, but the antagonist faces amplified stakes. Nonetheless, I relate to him because I’ve encountered similar principles in my own life. I’ve struggled with these opposing ideas, holding onto righteousness. 

You’re a very versatile actor. Do you find it more difficult preparing for action films, as compared to other films, due to the toll that it takes on your body?

I actually enjoy action scenes. I have a background in martial arts and know the basics of handling a gun. Interestingly, stunts are very similar to boxing; they rely on the same basic principles. On set, they would show me the choreography, and it didn’t take long for me to pick it up. While I am versatile, I believe there’s a significant side of me, particularly in the action genre, that is still yet to be fully explored.

Is there a type of character you haven’t played yet that interests you?

I have a deep love of boxing, a passion my father introduced me to, and it’s one of the things we bonded over. I would love to play a character in a boxing film, like Creed or Rocky. It could be a biopic like Raging Bull or portraying Arthur Mayisela. I’d have to lose a lot of weight, but it would be fascinating to play Arthur Mayisela or one of our great boxers from South Africa. There are many successful boxers from South Africa. We used to compete against the best in the world and were respected internationally. It would be great to portray one of them or a fictional character like Creed. I’d love to explore that because I understand the sport very well.

What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received? 

I think it’s Tom Hanks. I even have a video of him on my Instagram saying, “I wish I had known that this too shall pass. You feel bad right now, you feel pissed off, you feel angry – this too shall pass. You feel great, you feel like you know all the answers, you feel like everybody finally gets you – this too shall pass. Time is your ally, and if nothing else, just wait. Just wait it out.” For me, that’s the most powerful advice I’ve heard.

What got you the most excited about The Butcher’s Soul? 

I think because it was done by Leburugraphy. They’ve done a couple of projects but they’re fairly young. You could just feel the youthfulness permeating throughout the set and their approach to shooting, with fresh ideas and enthusiasm, especially for the action scenes. They put their heart into the action scenes, and I really appreciated that because I love filmmaking. 

Stream The Butcher’s Soul now on Showmax.