The Answer to: Whose Tattoo ...?
Actor Themba Nofemele recently joined Muvhango to stir up heatt with tragedy-prone Thandaza (Sindi Dlatu).
Themba landed the role through Muvhango's Talent Search, which was similar to Isidingo's except that it was only open to auditionees in Jozi and Bloemfontein.
The search resulted in five finalists being up for the role, with Themba being selected after he spent two days on set, filming seven scenes a day to test his chops.
After his stint, the show circulated this in-house memo: "... we have found Ranthomeng!!! He sizzles on camera and his chemistry with Thandaza was simply amazing, or breath taking. The studio was abuzz from everyone on the floor and on set."
Themba has played guest roles on shows including Generations, Rhythm City and Mtunzini.com. This is his first featured role - he made his first appearance on Thursday, 3 June, with none is his tatt's in sight:
Tashi: Please spill more about the booblicious, tiny waist … who is she?
Themba: I was turning 21, and you know, being in a relationship there are things you
cannot do. Just before I turned 21, a relationship ended so I decided to get myself a tattoo.
Most people won’t know the tattoo but if you’re old school you will. It’s from a group OutKast - there’s a lady on one of their sleeves. I was young, I was a ladies man so I decided to do it and named it Brown Sugar. Underneath her, there’s the writing of her name.
I fell in love with the movie Brown Sugar - to me it was relevant to put OutKast and Brown Sugar into one tattoo. I love my brown sisters - not that I discrimate but I thought: “Okay, I have a brown arm, so Brown Sugar.” I also still love OutKast.
Tashi: Do you have others?
Themba: Yes, a second tattoo, on the same arm, underneath and it’s dedicated to my brother. My brother died in 2008 - he was 23 when he died in a car accident. I promised him I was gonna keep his name alive so I thought “Let me get a tattoo for him.”
It’s written “Rest In Peace Thami, died 2008.”
Tashi: What’s the next one gonna be?
Themba: It’s going to be a tattoo of my son - I have a son Dan - he’s in Germany. Me and his mother broke up so I’m thinking of getting a tattoo to show him that even if he’s miles away from me, when he grows up he must now that that I’m always thinking of him.
Tashi: Is it gonna be his name?
Themba: His face, his baby face - he’s going to turn 2. I want it on my back, on the shoulder.
Tashi: Are you gonna be one of those people who’s whole body’s covered in them?
Themba: No, no, no I’m not going to be. I want to be the coolest dude ever but not have too many. Every one I do must be cute - you must fall in love with it. It musn’t be an obsession but I want people to be scared of me. *laughs*
Tashi: Can you tell us three things about yourself that you hide beneath Ranthomeng’s Muvhango suit?
Themba: That’s difficult because most people are saying “Themba, you’re acting as yourself in the show. You’re a smoothe talker, you’re very good with the ladies in terms of your relationships with them, you’re very gentle.”
I come from a family of ladies - after my brother died, there’s my mom, there’s my two sisters - one is doing music, the other one is doing Lion King in Germany. When I’m with them I always hug them, kiss them on the head, let them know I love them.
When I go out into the world, I always treat women like that, with warmth. Ranthomeng has that warmth with him. So I’m trying to hide me when I’m acting but he’s taking that warmth out of me, which is me.
One thing that is hidden is that I do music and he doesn’t. I come from a background of musicians and I’m a choreographer. I play piano, I've choreographed for shows.
Before my brother died we were working on an album together. I had to put it on hold because I was emotionally torn apart so I put everything on hold but now this year I’ve gone back to writing and producing the album. Hopefully by the end of September, it will be done and out.
Tashi: What are you calling it?
Themba: I want to call it 10-4-17 which is where I was born, my home address. Also, it’s a Xhosa/Zulu name, it means that “I’ve been there/seen it all.”
Tashi: Oh, so I could say: *action voice* “Hey, I’ve done the
10-4-17.”
Themba: Um … no it’s not James Bond.*laughs*
Tashi: In Muvhango you’re caught between Meme-wanting-you and you-wanting-Thandaza. Who’s got you by the lurve-ink in real life?
Themba: No-one, I’m single, I’m not searching - I wouldn’t say I’m looking, God works in mysterious ways. I’m in the right place in terms of being Themba, I think God will put everything where it’s supposed to be. When you look, you put yourself into the wrong relationship. When you aren’t looking it will come to you.
Tashi: Have you ever been involved in a XXX-triangle before?
Themba: No I haven’t, what I do is - I’ve got a funny mindset - when I’m in a relationship and I break up with somebody I move on the next day. It might confuse people, they say: “Oh my God he’s got a lot of girlfriends,” but not really because I’ve moved from one girlfriend to the next. I’m a bad lier - I can’t lie and I can’t cheat …
... come to think of it - I was once in a triangle situation. I was going out with someone and getting out of the relationship while talking to someone else, having coffee and so on and I couldn’t lie to the new person I was with.
Tashi: Was it exciting?
Themba: No, it was very awkward - you know how when you move out of one relationship and into another - to me I needed a day or two to get out of it. *laughs*
Tashi: With all the flirting Rantomeng has to do to get Thandaza - what are your top tips for winning someone’s lusty interest and heart?
Themba: Honesty. And you have to be
clear about your intentions.
Tashi: What about stuff like flowers and presents - do you think they work?
Themba: I think as a man you have to find sweet ways of charming the one you love - don’t do things that have already been done like sending flowers to the office or taking her to the movies.
You have to find what makes the woman tick and play around that. If a woman has a child - embrace that, accept her child and be part of her world, acknowledge things she’s doing. A man has to do their homework based on who they want, who they want to confess their love to.
Tashi: When it comes kissing on TV, can you tell us more about what happens when actors swap spit? I always imagine it’s impossible to not
really feel it in all the places you should.
Themba: I was working for an industrial theatre company that does shows round subjescts like women abuse, AIDS and so on. There was this girl, I was so in love with her - when I saw her I was like: “I’m going to make sure she’s my girlfriend."
Then they cast us as boyfriend and girlfriend and we had to kiss. At first it was exciting - I was like: “Oh my God I kissed her,
yeah,” - then we had to do it again and again and all the feelings slowly faded away.
When you do a kissing scene it was like doing a job so all the feelings were driven away from me and we became close friends.
Tashi: Did you outkiss all your feelings?
Themba: That’s what happened to me. I was like: “Okay, it’s not on anymore.” Also when you go home, you go back to your normal life, then back to work again to kiss.
Tashi: How much did you end up kissing?
Themba: We did that play for three months, every day of the week.
Tashi: How do you decide on what type of kiss its gonna be as actors? Is it gonna be closed lips? Is it gonna be a full-on lick? Do you talk about it all before or does it just happen?
Themba: The directors will direct you on what they want and on TV they’ll direct it for the camera. If it’s a baby kiss, the camera has to be between you so people can see the baby kiss.
With a French kiss, a long kiss - it’s very complicated - there’s a technique that you use. Viewers will be convinced that it’s a French kiss and that there’s a lot happening but it’s a technique - you have to lock your emotions and throw them away and time it.
Tashi: So the director will say: “In this scene I want a French kiss, in that one I don’t?”
Themba: Yes, it’s up to the director to direct what they want.
Tashi: When will Thandaza and Ranthomeng get heavy smooch on?
Themba: Keep watching.
Tashi: I thought you were going to say that.
Themba: Yes you must watch and go: “Oh my God, Oh my God.”
Tashi: Aha. You wouldn’t say that if it isn’t going to happen.
Ends