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Palesa Mocuminyane makes her primetime TV comeback this Monday (9 August) at 21h00 in a new 13-episode season of e.tv's series eKasi: Our Stories. As with Season 1, each episode tells a different, self-contained story, featuring a different cast.

The premiere episode is titled Neighbours and features Palesa as Nomsa, a soapie actress who's been fired from a show. She's forced to leave her upmarket apartment to move to a township and finds more than she bargained for when she meets her new neighbour - who's a problem:


Tashi: Nomsa's been an actress on a soapie, you've been an actress on Generations - what are your other similarities?
Palesa: Nomsa's a no-nonsense type of woman and a go-getter and that's similar to me. Besides the fact that Nomsa was fired from the soapie, or the contract ended - the similarity is also that on Generations my contract ended.

I wouldn't say I was fired because at least they didn't kill Palesa Ndu, you know *laughs*. At first I was supposed to be there for three months, then they extended the contract to another three months, then to six months and another three months and then they decided she was going to jail.

I was like: "Okay, I'm going to jail - I'm not sure if she's gonna come out," but God is good because it's not like I went down and out.

I've got my husband who's always supporting me and I saved money as well, whereas Nomsa doesn't save money - she's lost her cars, her townhouse, everything. With me I still have my husband, my home, my children and life is still going on so there's life after Generations.


Tashi: When I hear that someone's gone from Generations I always think: "Oh so-and-so's gone just because Mfundi Vundla was in a bad mood."
Palesa: *laughs* You never know, maybe on a day he's in a bad mood and he decides: "That lady goes today."

Tashi: *laughs* Yes and says: "Write her out!"
Palesa: Or he's in a good mood and says: "Okay that lady must come out of jail now," *laughs*. I always say I look up to God so with or without the producers or whoever's making the decisions - God is the one who will know where to place me and what will be right for me.

Tashi: Being such an integral part of a soapie - did you find that the actors live with the constant fear that the role isn't going to last after the next contract?
Palesa: Honestly I've experienced that is so true because it's not like anyone is sure, whether they're main cast or not - they're never sure if contracts are being renewed or not renewed.

I suppose there are a lot of people who probably don't now what to do after Generations or don't have anything to fall back on, who always have that fear of their contracts not being renewed.

That's why it's always safer to have something to fall back on - whether you've equipped yourself behind-the-scenes or done a diploma and studied something, or have a business.

Once that contract ends you end up not knowing what to do and you end up living with fear.  It's like your life or career depends on these people - if they decide something about you, you end up not knowing what to do.


Tashi: Also, if you've been on a show for a very long time you end up being typecast.
Palesa: That's so true as well, which I think it shouldn't be - especially with other producers and directors. I think they should really see beyond the character you've played on screen. You also find that the next time you go for another soapie or show they typecast you.

I think it's about the actors as well, they end up living that way so I think that's why a lot of people in soapies start being typecast too. We don't see their talent - we only see that person on-screen and off-screen as well.

Tashi: Are you saying that they often live the same type of life or become the same kind of person as the character in real life?
Palesa: Most of the time it happens, especially if the person has played the role for three, four, five years - you know, if you want to judge a good actor, I think a good actor is someone who's different on-screen and off-screen.

You find that a lot of actors end up sharing that role, even being that role off-screen, so you don't see the talent, they just go there ... it's like the soapie swallows them.

Tashi: Would you say they're bad actors?
Palesa: I wouldn't say they're bad actors but all I can say is that a good actor is an actor where you can see the difference off-screen and on-screen.


Tashi: Is all this a reason you opened your bridal shop?
Palesa: I've always been interested in fashion, clothing and styling so I knew I always wanted to do it. Besides it being something to fall back on, it's also something that I love - I love glamour, weddings, I love looking like Cinderella, I love satins.

Tashi: What is the shop specifically? Can you hire dresses? Do you buy them? Are there designer dresses?
Palesa: You buy them - I work with different designers and I also import dresses.

Tashi: Where'abouts is it?
Palesa: It's in Randburg but I'm planning to move very soon - I'm not sure where to yet. I know who my clientele is now - most of the people who support me are in the North, in Rosebank and Sandton.

Tashi: What's the most difficult thing for an actress in a soapie?
Palesa: Because a soapie's on every day and you're on people's TV's every day, you don't have a lot of privacy anymore. A lot of people concentrate on you - the media is on you, the public is on you.

I remember one time, I decided to go to a particular shop in Randburg to buy shoes. It's not a very, I would say, expensive shop but they sell nice shoes and there were people looking at me, like very surprised that I also shop there.

I just wanted to go in and buy shoes - I'd been buying shoes there since before I was on Generations and I wanted to use the same shop.

Anything you do people want to know about it, people want to talk about it, they scrutinise how you dress, how you walk. It just puts you more in the limelight than any of the film actors I've met.

Tashi: Did people/do people confuse you as being like Palesa on the show?
Palesa: Yes I get that a lot - a lot people ask me why I don't walk like Palesa, I'm like: We're very different." Because we have the same name, I still respond as me when someone calls the name because I don't know if the person calling me knows me.


Tashi: Are there lots of politics on a soapie set?
Palesa: Not really because people just go in to work and then go home. I suppose it depends - there are - but it depends on the individual whether you want to involve yourself in them or not.

People have different personalities - you're going to work so you can't expect people to treat you like you mom or your family - different people from different backgrounds - when you go on set - some people welcome you, some people don't.

Tashi: You often hear shows saying "Oh we're such a family," and I always wonder how true it actually is.
Palesa: Well. It's a workplace, you do get nice people and you get people with their own issues - it depends on you as an individual how you tackle it.


Tashi: Has Nomsa's life on set prepared her for dealing with a neighbour from hell?
Palesa: Oh, no, no,no - she wasn't expecting what she gets. It's a mess. She's not prepared for the lifestyle and has to deal with.

Tashi: Her situation of having it all, then losing it all - what's your take on it?
Palesa: I just say it's life. If one finds oneself in the situation, you just need to swallow your pride and talk to people, tell them what you need, you can't just keep to yourself - you have to communicate with everyone. Maybe you can find someone who'll help you. Just keep knocking on the door and maybe a door will open.

Tashi: What's the worst neighbour situation you've ever suffered?
Palesa: When I was young and staying in a flat, I was in my 20's and my friends and I shared a flat. Our neighbour was a white, old lady so you know, with us youngsters, we'd just moved into a flat, we wanna have fun, we wanted to party and she was always complaining.

Now that I'm older I understand but way back then I was like, "My goodness, that woman, you know." Every time we walked out she looked at us, commented, went to complain to the landlord - she'd sometimes call the police on us. *laughs*

Tashi: If you were to choose an actress - any actress from here or overseas - as your neighbour - who would your first choice be.

*Notice the shift from the question being about an actress, ha ...*

Palesa: I don't really want my husband to know but I'd want Jamie Foxx as my neighbour *laughs*. I'd be at my window every day, watching him drive in, see what he does in a day, what he buys for lunch. Other than my husband, Jamie Foxx.


Tashi: Who would you not want to live next door to?
Palesa: Oh my goodness, that comedian in The Mask ... I don't like him - Jim Carrey. I just find him so odd. He always does all these funny things and I just can't laugh. I just find him so ... I don't even know how to explain it, honestly speaking - all the stuff he does in The Mask, and in his other movies as well, I think he probably does the same thing in real life.


I wouldn't want him as my neighbour. Looking at me through my window in that green mask. No to Jim Carrey.

Ends

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