Multi-talented actor and model Sandile Mahlangu, has managed to carve out a remarkable career in the world of showbiz since he shot fame. The actor rose to stardom when he bagged the character of Siya in the second season of the SABC1 sitcom Single Guys, and it undoubtedly catapulted his acting career to even greater heights.
The star who studied Electrical Engineering at the Tshwane University of Technology, says acting has always been close to his heart. Sandile says his acting career started in primary school, where he participated in stage productions and he has gone to become a household name with a legion of fans.
"When I was in Grade R, I played the lead in a stage production "The Ugly Duckling". I hated it because I saw "Being a lead" as a punishment; While I was constantly attending training and learning lines, other kids were having fun watching movies backstage."
"Fast forward to high school "Steelcrest High School" I was still doing theatre, participating in competitive monologues and anything stage related. Yes, I studied Electrical Engineering and I was relatively good at the practice, but I think I mainly studied it because of my environment (Middleburg, Mpumalanga being a mining town). Moving to Gauteng allowed Acting and the Arts to find me again," he explains.
He says his experience in the entertainment has been nothing short of amazing since he decided to pursue a career in acting. Sandile recently made his debut on eTV's hit soapieScandal. The actor portrays the character of Simo Shabangu,Violetta's love interest played by actress Cindy Mahlangu.
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In a presser eTV said, the lovers who creep into the world of unsuspecting individuals by relentlessly plotting and scheming will undertake a fictitious sibling bond that can unsettle even the most grounded ancestors.
In a twist that most will not see coming, Simo will eventually worm his way into the Medupe household. Avid watchers of the show can now look forward to getting a healthy dose of young, gifted, beautiful people everywhere. Image Cred: eTV.
In an interview with ZAlebs recently, the Mpumalanga native unpacked the many layers of his new character and undoubtedly this home-brewed talent is confident that he will continue to paint the future in bright colours in the industry!
Speaking about his character he says, "Simo is Romeo's half brother from his father's side, Caesar Bobape. He's an opportunistic and charming accountant who's biggest drive is to be his own man, his own boss and make his own decisions, first, he has to solve a few, many, problems that have accumulated from his past", he explains.
The actor says he is very excited to join the show and it feels like a dream, "I'm extremely excited, being on a show that's this big has always been a goal of mine and I'm extremely blessed to have this opportunity to do what I love with this many people watching religiously".Image Credit: Twitter. Sandile says the reception from the Scandal family has been very overwhelming since he joined the hit show " I could tell that they were excited to see my portrayal of this character, it felt like my birthday," he adds.
The heartthrob star Blood and Water's Cindy and two of the latest Scandal entrants share a real-life surname, he says although they are not related but they have become tight-knit, and he enjoys working with her.
"She's a great actress, always well prepared and professional which makes it easy to "play" on set."
"We share the same surname and we're from the same province but Cindy and I are definitely not related, infact, we met on set and in the short time that we've been working together, we've become buddies," he says.
The actor says starring along legendary actors he grew up watching is empowering as he is learning a lot about the ropes of acting, "I get to learn how these legendary Thespians are in real life. They're hardworking, humble and wholesome souls. Always ready to share their knowledge with those who are younger and passionate. They're amazing".
Sandile's voice made its debut on Wednesday on the show, and he says there was pandemonium from fans, "There was an uproar of excitement from people who were on the edge of their seats to an extremely well placed cliff-hanger."Image Credit: Twitter The model has played numerous characters since he made his acting debut and he says this character is different from him, but he shares some traits with it, "This character is completely different to the character that I played on Single Guys (Siya) however he does share a few similarities with Sibu (Cheezboi) from Isithembiso as he's (Simo) what I'd like to call a Johannesburg hustler and opportunist, from "rags chasing riches". I share that "hustling and passionate" trait with both those characters."
The actor was recently left unemployed when Mzansi Magic's hit telenovela Isithembiso was canned. Sandile explains that finding a new job was an extreme sport.
"When Isithembiso came to an end, I felt like a piece of me ended as well, I had given so much to the breath of the character that I played on the show that the end of the show felt like death inside. Being unemployed after that (mostly because Lockdown occurred) made it extremely difficult for me to find a role. It's been a very difficult time".
Speaking of how the lockdown period has severely affected him financially he says "Before Scandal, I hadn't had an acting job since my previous one, meaning I hadn’t had a proper income since February 2020. Emotionally: the stress of dealing with the uncertainty of life as we know it, and dealing with the financial strain and Physically: THE GYMS BEING CLOSED and not being able to find weights anywhere! It's been too much!"
The entertainment industry can be summarized as dog eat dog world, the competition is very high and some actors have been accused of getting roles due to being "cute" and having a great following, but Sandile says he has not experienced that and his talent sets him apart.
"Luckily, I haven't experienced that, in fact I rarely even go into my role thinking about the appearance of the character because my acting process deals with the inner part of the character and people notice this and begin to see the realness of the portrayal, which makes them believe in me and the character."
Sandile who dabbles in acting and modelling says he would love to spread his wings on the African continent and even internationally.
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Sandile did not want to reveal his future plans in the industry this year but he said we will have to wait and see.
