Last Sunday i met with Mpho to find out who he really is and just to have a laugh, and boy did i have a good afternoon! We were at Newscafe in Fourways, my favourite hangout at the moment. So here it is. Please be warned that this is very long, you might want to have a cup of something, take a break and come back.
Belz: Mpho thank you for meeting with me. Im gonna start by asking you about your role in RC. Each time i watch the show i always ask myself who else would have done that part better than you, who else auditioned for this part?
Mpho: I dont know who else auditioned, but the thing is during RC's castings i was busy with some corporate stuff. My agent called me and said that these people need me, i said to her lets just miss this one we'll see another one. I then got a call from the RC guys, they begged me to come for auditions. I remember i was doing three shows that day, so between the 1st and 2nd show i went for the audition, on my way back to the show i got a call from them saying i got the part, hihihihi, i guess they knew that they always wanted me to be part of RC, and another thing is i had worked with Curious pictures, and ive never played a part like Fats' character and i guess they jsut wanted to try me.
Belz: Any other character that you wanted, perhaps the Suffocates' seeing as Fats is running his own gym yu could have easily run that club, or maybe they wanted the gangsta type for Suffos' character?
Mpho: To be honest with you, i ddnt audition for Fats' part, there was a standard script, these people knew what they were looking for, acting more than anything else. But i love my character, the thing is people always think that Mpho is somebody who is serious about life, so no one ever thought i would play such a character, im comfortable being Fats, it brings that little childishness in me. Anything goes with Fats.
Belz: Lets talk about whats happening now! Stone is doing all the sheling for you and you are cool with that?
Mpho: I dont have a tv so i dont know what's happening now, hihihihi. In Fats' world its ok, but in real life never! You guys must keep watching coz we are recording some really good stuff. We are also recording a lot now because we are moving studios, the etv studio is getting quite small for us, its RC, Scandal and news all in one studio, we are going to take a long break so we are working very hard now.
Belz: Do you get along with the cast?
Mpho: Very well, they are all good people i dont have aproblem with anyone at all. Can i tell you a story, hihihihihihi . Im not really clued up when it comes to kwaito, im more of a jazz person. I ddnt know who Bravo (Mandla) was, hihihi, I had to ask him. He monna everyone is saying Bravo, Bravo, what do you do? I know its terrible, hahahahahah.
Belz: LOL!! (I think our dear Bravo is not that "busy", so people never really know unbusy people, hihihihi) . I know you are also into theatre and obviously theatre is more "real" than tv, there is a lot of emotion as well, you know sometimes there is a scene on tv that gives you goosebumps, i heard theatre is so much more than that.
Mpho: When im on stage i feel like a god, I respect theatre because people know what they are doing up there, you walk into a satge at a foreign country, you dont even know these people, they are probably tired and then you come in kasketch, hihihihi, they dont call it theatre they call it sketch, the fact that you are there and are able to frab their attention, they listen to you, yu crack a joke they laugh, that feels so good. There are no cameras, its so real, its not like tv where you are having a crying scene you hear the director say "cut, bring the tears please" LOL!! or when they hit you and you hear " cut, bring the blood" hihihi.
Belz: LOL!!! Do they really say that, yho nidlala ngathi nina, sometimes i cry at some scenes thinking this person iscrying for real, kanti its eyedrops.
Mpho: There are some people who can really get into that character and bring in the motions, its good when you get people like that, but mostly no it doesnt happen, especially when you are at a location like this, you cnat jsut cry.
Belz: Is it too much work preparing for theatre show than tv? And is there anything else you do besides tv and theatre? Who else do you work with in theatre besides Patrick (King in Zone 14)
Mpho: It is, you rehearse for about 4 - 5 weeks,you have to get it right, i love theatre it has always worked for me so how long i prepare for it is not really a factor. Right now there is something that im learning, im also running my own company called M Projects also theatre. Besides Patrick i work with my dad Arthur Molepo, he is also into M Projects.
Belz: Really, how is it working with your father?
Mpho: It is fulfilling you know,growing up as a young boy, I was born in 1979 so iwas 3 when i first went to theatre.I think im into theatre because my father took me there at a very young age,I remember seeing him on stage koMarket Theatre , i think it was a show called "Kecheneng" and he was acting as a maid, when i got home i remember asking him that i saw him on stage wearing a skirt (he said this in Sotho and he sounded very cute). I guess i alway wanted to be on theatre and i wouldn't want to do anything else. I went straight to acting after schoo, i've never done any other job, i also love music, i play a guitar and this is also something that started at home with my father, i studied music.
Belz: Do you think theatre is getting the recognition it deserves, both locally and internationally? And what type of reception do you get overseas.
Mpho: I'll tell you one thing, if a sjow works at home it will work anywhere else. If you win the peope around you, then you know you did well.Im glad that im seeing a lot of black faces lately in theatre, both young and old., especially young people and thats very good, have you ever been to theatre.
Belz: (oh no) No i've never
Mpho: Never? Shame on you, actually sies, hihihihi, Im going to invite you.
Belz: What do you do when yu are not working?
Mpho: I take lond drives, i jsut drive nje, i read a lot as well, i enjoy reading biographies.
Belz: Really? Does that make sense to you?
Mpho: It does, it also helps me to relax. I listen to music as well i listen to Simon ...... (im sorry guys i didn't get his surname) and Philip Tabane, a lot of people find my taste of music pretty strange but im fine with it.
Belz: There is a reader on TVSA who says you always make him laugh his name is tizoz, there is a lot of people who say that. How does that make you feel? What do you think of TVSA?
Mpho: Tell tizoz i said i appreciate all the love, and to everyone as well who loves what i do, thank you guys. To be honest i dont visit the site often but when we we started RC we used to log on to see what you guys are saying about us,hihihihii, we loved it but you guys sometimes say very harsh things (I wonder ngubani, hihihi, i know i said harsh things but not about Fats)
That's it guys, catch Mpho on RC every week day at 6:30pm on Etv and on Zone 14 Mondays 8:30pm on Mzansi fo Shizi (Digga is going to fall in love, so keep watching!!!! I know its long, i know, i know.